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The NFL craves parity. Failing that, it will take basic competitiveness, and the league largely succeeds in that goal. In just six NFL games last season, the defeated team lost by 35 points or more. Even the 2-14 Bengals only had four games decided by more than two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, during the 2019 college football season, 158 games ended with one team ahead by at least 35 points. Talent and resource disparities, stylistic differences, and the sheer number of additional games in college explain the existence of the gulf, but that number’s also been going up over time. To be fair, college football teams have added a significant number of games over that stretch. The 2019 season, including bowls and the Playoff, had 888 FBS games. That’s 78 more than were played in 2009 and202 more than were played in 1999.
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35’s a somewhat arbitrary number to draw the line between blowout/non-blowout. Notre Dame lost the 2013 BCS National Championship to Alabama by 28, and nobody thought “well, that was a squeaker!” But at 35 points, the losing team would’ve needed at least five scores just to tie the game. A loss by fewer points might be a blowout; getting beat by 35 or more is indisputably so.
Using that definition of blowout, I compiled some data from 1990 through 2019 to see which teams have handed out the most extirpations over that span.
Blowouts Delivered, 1990-2019
School | Total Blowouts |
---|---|
School | Total Blowouts |
Air Force | 28 |
Akron | 12 |
Alabama | 62 |
Appalachian State | 13 |
Arizona | 21 |
Arizona State | 25 |
Arkansas | 33 |
Arkansas State | 18 |
Army | 18 |
Auburn | 37 |
Ball State | 6 |
Baylor | 34 |
Boise State | 71 |
Boston College | 15 |
Bowling Green State | 30 |
Brigham Young | 35 |
Buffalo | 8 |
California | 26 |
Central Michigan | 17 |
Charlotte | 1 |
Cincinnati | 26 |
Clemson | 52 |
Coastal Carolina | 2 |
Colorado | 18 |
Colorado State | 19 |
Connecticut | 14 |
Duke | 13 |
East Carolina | 14 |
Eastern Michigan | 6 |
Florida | 67 |
Florida Atlantic | 8 |
Florida International | 6 |
Florida State | 67 |
Fresno State | 27 |
Georgia | 39 |
Georgia Southern | 7 |
Georgia State | 0 |
Georgia Tech | 26 |
Hawaii | 22 |
Houston | 30 |
Idaho | 9 |
Illinois | 18 |
Indiana | 14 |
Iowa | 33 |
Iowa State | 10 |
Kansas | 21 |
Kansas State | 66 |
Kent State | 4 |
Kentucky | 19 |
Liberty | 4 |
Louisiana | 10 |
Louisiana Tech | 29 |
Louisiana-Monroe | 5 |
Louisville | 33 |
LSU | 52 |
Marshall | 21 |
Maryland | 21 |
Massachusetts | 2 |
Memphis | 22 |
Miami (FL) | 53 |
Miami (OH) | 18 |
Michigan | 39 |
Michigan State | 29 |
Middle Tennessee State | 17 |
Minnesota | 21 |
Mississippi State | 33 |
Missouri | 28 |
Navy | 18 |
Nebraska | 77 |
Nevada | 33 |
New Mexico | 14 |
New Mexico State | 6 |
North Carolina | 24 |
North Carolina State | 20 |
North Texas | 15 |
Northern Illinois | 27 |
Northwestern | 10 |
Notre Dame | 29 |
Ohio | 22 |
Ohio State | 68 |
Oklahoma | 74 |
Oklahoma State | 41 |
Old Dominion | 2 |
Ole Miss | 24 |
Oregon | 53 |
Oregon State | 20 |
Pacific | 2 |
Penn State | 48 |
Pitt | 14 |
Purdue | 21 |
Rice | 8 |
Rutgers | 22 |
San Diego State | 16 |
San Jose State | 11 |
SMU | 8 |
South Alabama | 2 |
South Carolina | 17 |
South Florida | 19 |
Southern Mississippi | 27 |
Stanford | 26 |
Syracuse | 25 |
Temple | 15 |
Tennessee | 47 |
Texas | 48 |
Texas A&M | 47 |
Texas Christian | 42 |
Texas State | 3 |
Texas Tech | 51 |
Toledo | 24 |
Troy | 16 |
Tulane | 11 |
Tulsa | 25 |
UAB | 13 |
UCF | 28 |
UCLA | 19 |
UNLV | 8 |
USC | 36 |
Utah | 30 |
Utah State | 25 |
UTEP | 7 |
UTSA | 1 |
Vanderbilt | 11 |
Virginia | 27 |
Virginia Tech | 52 |
Wake Forest | 11 |
Washington | 36 |
Washington State | 27 |
West Virginia | 38 |
Western Kentucky | 16 |
Western Michigan | 27 |
Wisconsin | 49 |
Wyoming | 12 |
I also made this list of teams who have been on the business end of a blowout the most.
Blowouts Received, 1990-2019
School | Total Blowouts |
---|---|
School | Total Blowouts |
Air Force | 6 |
Akron | 42 |
Alabama | 2 |
Appalachian State | 2 |
Arizona | 22 |
Arizona State | 7 |
Arkansas | 19 |
Arkansas State | 39 |
Army | 18 |
Auburn | 8 |
Ball State | 27 |
Baylor | 36 |
Boise State | 7 |
Boston College | 10 |
Bowling Green State | 24 |
Brigham Young | 6 |
Buffalo | 26 |
California | 15 |
Central Michigan | 24 |
Charlotte | 8 |
Cincinnati | 20 |
Clemson | 10 |
Coastal Carolina | 2 |
Colorado | 20 |
Colorado State | 16 |
Connecticut | 20 |
Duke | 40 |
East Carolina | 23 |
Eastern Michigan | 44 |
Florida | 4 |
Florida Atlantic | 21 |
Florida International | 20 |
Florida State | 3 |
Fresno State | 19 |
Georgia | 4 |
Georgia Southern | 4 |
Georgia State | 7 |
Georgia Tech | 12 |
Hawaii | 34 |
Houston | 20 |
Idaho | 39 |
Illinois | 26 |
Indiana | 29 |
Iowa | 9 |
Iowa State | 31 |
Kansas | 60 |
Kansas State | 12 |
Kent State | 50 |
Kentucky | 25 |
Liberty | 2 |
Louisiana | 38 |
Louisiana Tech | 29 |
Louisiana-Monroe | 48 |
Louisville | 13 |
LSU | 4 |
Marshall | 14 |
Maryland | 27 |
Massachusetts | 20 |
Memphis | 16 |
Miami (FL) | 10 |
Miami (OH) | 18 |
Michigan | 2 |
Michigan State | 13 |
Middle Tennessee State | 12 |
Minnesota | 17 |
Mississippi State | 14 |
Missouri | 21 |
Navy | 20 |
Nebraska | 13 |
Nevada | 24 |
New Mexico | 34 |
New Mexico State | 62 |
North Carolina | 9 |
North Carolina State | 10 |
North Texas | 34 |
Northern Illinois | 22 |
Northwestern | 27 |
Notre Dame | 6 |
Ohio | 13 |
Ohio State | 1 |
Oklahoma | 8 |
Oklahoma State | 14 |
Old Dominion | 6 |
Ole Miss | 14 |
Oregon | 8 |
Oregon State | 24 |
Pacific | 9 |
Penn State | 7 |
Pitt | 18 |
Purdue | 15 |
Rice | 35 |
Rutgers | 47 |
San Diego State | 10 |
San Jose State | 48 |
SMU | 39 |
South Alabama | 10 |
South Carolina | 14 |
South Florida | 5 |
Southern Mississippi | 15 |
Stanford | 14 |
Syracuse | 18 |
Temple | 44 |
Tennessee | 9 |
Texas | 10 |
Texas A&M | 14 |
Texas Christian | 7 |
Texas State | 10 |
Texas Tech | 18 |
Toledo | 13 |
Troy | 16 |
Tulane | 41 |
Tulsa | 21 |
UAB | 24 |
UCF | 11 |
UCLA | 12 |
UNLV | 44 |
USC | 2 |
Utah | 4 |
Utah State | 29 |
UTEP | 32 |
UTSA | 8 |
Vanderbilt | 29 |
Virginia | 15 |
Virginia Tech | 4 |
Wake Forest | 29 |
Washington | 15 |
Washington State | 25 |
West Virginia | 8 |
Western Kentucky | 8 |
Western Michigan | 12 |
Wisconsin | 7 |
Wyoming | 22 |
A few interesting tidbits from those two sets:
- Iowa State and Northwestern are the two Power 5 teams with the fewest blowouts delivered (10 each).
- The Pac 12 only has one team in the top ten for blowouts delivered (Oregon, with 53). USC and Washington are somehow tied with 36 blowouts handed out a piece; Oregon State’s won more games like this (20) than UCLA (19).
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Alabama, LSU, and Ohio State are the only three active FBS schools who haven’t suffered a 35+ point loss since 1990.UPDATE: A helpful reader pointed out Alabama got blown out by Arkansas in 1998; upon further review, I rechecked the numbers and yup, all three have lost at least one blowout. All of these numbers come from the very helpful folks over at Sports Reference; we apologize for operator error.
Are we done with charts and tables? Friend, we are certainly not. Here’s those two datasets combined so you can see which schools wins more blowouts than they lose (or vice versa) and the number of blowouts they participate in on either side.
Blowouts in Aggregate, 1990-2019
School | Blowouts Delivered | Blowouts Received | Difference | Total Blowout Games |
---|---|---|---|---|
School | Blowouts Delivered | Blowouts Received | Difference | Total Blowout Games |
Air Force | 28 | 6 | 22 | 34 |
Akron | 12 | 42 | -30 | 54 |
Alabama | 62 | 2 | 60 | 64 |
Appalachian State | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15 |
Arizona | 21 | 22 | -1 | 43 |
Arizona State | 25 | 7 | 18 | 32 |
Arkansas | 33 | 19 | 14 | 52 |
Arkansas State | 18 | 39 | -21 | 57 |
Army | 18 | 18 | 0 | 36 |
Auburn | 37 | 8 | 29 | 45 |
Ball State | 6 | 27 | -21 | 33 |
Baylor | 34 | 36 | -2 | 70 |
Boise State | 71 | 7 | 64 | 78 |
Boston College | 15 | 10 | 5 | 25 |
Bowling Green State | 30 | 24 | 6 | 54 |
Brigham Young | 35 | 6 | 29 | 41 |
Buffalo | 8 | 26 | -18 | 34 |
California | 26 | 15 | 11 | 41 |
Central Michigan | 17 | 24 | -7 | 41 |
Charlotte | 1 | 8 | -7 | 9 |
Cincinnati | 26 | 20 | 6 | 46 |
Clemson | 52 | 10 | 42 | 62 |
Coastal Carolina | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Colorado | 18 | 20 | -2 | 38 |
Colorado State | 19 | 16 | 3 | 35 |
Connecticut | 14 | 20 | -6 | 34 |
Duke | 13 | 40 | -27 | 53 |
East Carolina | 14 | 23 | -9 | 37 |
Eastern Michigan | 6 | 44 | -38 | 50 |
Florida | 67 | 4 | 63 | 71 |
Florida Atlantic | 8 | 21 | -13 | 29 |
Florida International | 6 | 20 | -14 | 26 |
Florida State | 67 | 3 | 64 | 70 |
Fresno State | 27 | 19 | 8 | 46 |
Georgia | 39 | 4 | 35 | 43 |
Georgia Southern | 7 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
Georgia State | 0 | 7 | ||
Georgia Tech | 26 | 12 | 14 | 38 |
Hawaii | 22 | 34 | -12 | 56 |
Houston | 30 | 20 | 10 | 50 |
Idaho | 9 | 39 | -30 | 48 |
Illinois | 18 | 26 | -8 | 44 |
Indiana | 14 | 29 | -15 | 43 |
Iowa | 33 | 9 | 24 | 42 |
Iowa State | 10 | 31 | -21 | 41 |
Kansas | 21 | 60 | -39 | 81 |
Kansas State | 66 | 12 | 54 | 78 |
Kent State | 4 | 50 | -46 | 54 |
Kentucky | 19 | 25 | -6 | 44 |
Liberty | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Louisiana | 10 | 38 | -28 | 48 |
Louisiana Tech | 29 | 29 | 0 | 58 |
Louisiana-Monroe | 5 | 48 | -43 | 53 |
Louisville | 33 | 13 | 20 | 46 |
LSU | 52 | 4 | 48 | 56 |
Marshall | 21 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
Maryland | 21 | 27 | -6 | 48 |
Massachusetts | 2 | 20 | -18 | 22 |
Memphis | 22 | 16 | 6 | 38 |
Miami (FL) | 53 | 10 | 43 | 63 |
Miami (OH) | 18 | 18 | 0 | 36 |
Michigan | 39 | 2 | 37 | 41 |
Michigan State | 29 | 13 | 16 | 42 |
Middle Tennessee State | 17 | 12 | 5 | 29 |
Minnesota | 21 | 17 | 4 | 38 |
Mississippi State | 33 | 14 | 19 | 47 |
Missouri | 28 | 21 | 7 | 49 |
Navy | 18 | 20 | -2 | 38 |
Nebraska | 77 | 13 | 64 | 90 |
Nevada | 33 | 24 | 9 | 57 |
New Mexico | 14 | 34 | -20 | 48 |
New Mexico State | 6 | 62 | -56 | 68 |
North Carolina | 24 | 9 | 15 | 33 |
North Carolina State | 20 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
North Texas | 15 | 34 | -19 | 49 |
Northern Illinois | 27 | 22 | 5 | 49 |
Northwestern | 10 | 27 | -17 | 37 |
Notre Dame | 29 | 6 | 23 | 35 |
Ohio | 22 | 13 | 9 | 35 |
Ohio State | 68 | 1 | 67 | 69 |
Oklahoma | 74 | 8 | 66 | 82 |
Oklahoma State | 41 | 14 | 27 | 55 |
Old Dominion | 2 | 6 | -4 | 8 |
Ole Miss | 24 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
Oregon | 53 | 8 | 45 | 61 |
Oregon State | 20 | 24 | -4 | 44 |
Pacific | 2 | 9 | -7 | 11 |
Penn State | 48 | 7 | 41 | 55 |
Pitt | 14 | 18 | -4 | 32 |
Purdue | 21 | 15 | 6 | 36 |
Rice | 8 | 35 | -27 | 43 |
Rutgers | 22 | 47 | -25 | 69 |
San Diego State | 16 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
San Jose State | 11 | 48 | -37 | 59 |
SMU | 8 | 39 | -31 | 47 |
South Alabama | 2 | 10 | -8 | 12 |
South Carolina | 17 | 14 | 3 | 31 |
South Florida | 19 | 5 | 14 | 24 |
Southern Mississippi | 27 | 15 | 12 | 42 |
Stanford | 26 | 14 | 12 | 40 |
Syracuse | 25 | 18 | 7 | 43 |
Temple | 15 | 44 | -29 | 59 |
Tennessee | 47 | 9 | 38 | 56 |
Texas | 48 | 10 | 38 | 58 |
Texas A&M | 47 | 14 | 33 | 61 |
Texas Christian | 42 | 7 | 35 | 49 |
Texas State | 3 | 10 | -7 | 13 |
Texas Tech | 51 | 18 | 33 | 69 |
Toledo | 24 | 13 | 11 | 37 |
Troy | 16 | 16 | 0 | 32 |
Tulane | 11 | 41 | -30 | 52 |
Tulsa | 25 | 21 | 4 | 46 |
UAB | 13 | 24 | -11 | 37 |
UCF | 28 | 11 | 17 | 39 |
UCLA | 19 | 12 | 7 | 31 |
UNLV | 8 | 44 | -36 | 52 |
USC | 36 | 2 | 34 | 38 |
Utah | 30 | 4 | 26 | 34 |
Utah State | 25 | 29 | -4 | 54 |
UTEP | 7 | 32 | -25 | 39 |
UTSA | 1 | 8 | -7 | 9 |
Vanderbilt | 11 | 29 | -18 | 40 |
Virginia | 27 | 15 | 12 | 42 |
Virginia Tech | 52 | 4 | 48 | 56 |
Wake Forest | 11 | 29 | -18 | 40 |
Washington | 36 | 15 | 21 | 51 |
Washington State | 27 | 25 | 2 | 52 |
West Virginia | 38 | 8 | 30 | 46 |
Western Kentucky | 16 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
Western Michigan | 27 | 12 | 15 | 39 |
Wisconsin | 49 | 7 | 42 | 56 |
Wyoming | 12 | 22 | -10 | 34 |
And if you’re more interested in single-season accolades, here’s every school that won at least five games by 35 points or more in a year.
Single-Season Blowouts Won, 1990-2019
School | Year | Blowout Wins |
---|---|---|
School | Year | Blowout Wins |
Clemson | 2019 | 10 |
Nebraska | 1995 | 9 |
Florida State | 2013 | 8 |
Boise State | 2010 | 8 |
Kansas State | 2002 | 8 |
Nebraska | 1996 | 8 |
Ohio State | 2019 | 7 |
Kansas State | 1998 | 7 |
LSU | 2019 | 6 |
Utah State | 2018 | 6 |
Washington | 2016 | 6 |
Oklahoma | 2015 | 6 |
Houston | 2011 | 6 |
Wisconsin | 2011 | 6 |
Texas Christian | 2010 | 6 |
Boise State | 2009 | 6 |
Texas Christian | 2009 | 6 |
Boise State | 2008 | 6 |
Kansas | 2007 | 6 |
Texas | 2005 | 6 |
Oklahoma | 2003 | 6 |
Florida | 1996 | 6 |
Florida State | 1993 | 6 |
Washington | 1991 | 6 |
Alabama | 2019 | 5 |
Alabama | 2018 | 5 |
Ohio State | 2017 | 5 |
Oklahoma State | 2017 | 5 |
Alabama | 2016 | 5 |
Michigan | 2016 | 5 |
Ohio State | 2016 | 5 |
Western Kentucky | 2016 | 5 |
Michigan State | 2014 | 5 |
Texas Christian | 2014 | 5 |
Alabama | 2013 | 5 |
Baylor | 2013 | 5 |
Clemson | 2013 | 5 |
Marshall | 2013 | 5 |
Oregon | 2013 | 5 |
Florida State | 2012 | 5 |
Hawaii | 2010 | 5 |
Ohio State | 2010 | 5 |
Oregon | 2010 | 5 |
Stanford | 2010 | 5 |
Florida | 2008 | 5 |
Oklahoma | 2008 | 5 |
Boise State | 2007 | 5 |
Hawaii | 2006 | 5 |
Texas Tech | 2005 | 5 |
USC | 2004 | 5 |
Boise State | 2003 | 5 |
Texas | 2003 | 5 |
Boise State | 2002 | 5 |
Oklahoma | 2002 | 5 |
Florida | 2001 | 5 |
Miami (FL) | 2001 | 5 |
Florida State | 2000 | 5 |
Kansas State | 2000 | 5 |
Kansas State | 1999 | 5 |
Nebraska | 1997 | 5 |
Florida State | 1996 | 5 |
Tennessee | 1993 | 5 |
Finally, here’s every matchup between FBS programs where one team’s beaten the same opponent in a blowout at least six times.
Most Blowout-y FBS Matchups, 1990-2019
Winner | Loser | Number of Blowouts |
---|---|---|
Winner | Loser | Number of Blowouts |
Florida State | Duke | 10 |
Nebraska | Kansas | 9 |
Kansas State | Kansas | 9 |
Wisconsin | Indiana | 8 |
Toledo | Eastern Michigan | 8 |
Texas | Rice | 8 |
Ohio State | Northwestern | 8 |
Florida State | Wake Forest | 8 |
Penn State | Temple | 7 |
Ohio State | Illinois | 7 |
Florida | Kentucky | 7 |
Florida State | Maryland | 7 |
Baylor | SMU | 7 |
West Virginia | Rutgers | 6 |
Tennessee | Vanderbilt | 6 |
Tennessee | Kentucky | 6 |
Penn State | Maryland | 6 |
Oklahoma | Tulsa | 6 |
Oklahoma | Kansas | 6 |
Oklahoma | Iowa State | 6 |
Ohio State | Rutgers | 6 |
Nebraska | Missouri | 6 |
Miami | Temple | 6 |
Kansas State | Iowa State | 6 |
Iowa | Northwestern | 6 |
Boise State | San Jose State | 6 |
Boise State | New Mexico State | 6 |
Boise State | Nevada | 6 |
Boise State | Hawaii | 6 |
Baylor | Kansas | 6 |
Alabama | Mississippi | 6 |
I give you this data trusting that you will use it for the only two true purposes of the sports internet: boasting and berating. Go forth, and follow whichever path you find truest.
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