Iowa Upsets and Scares 1980-2019

Total upset score over 40 years is 3492. Average per year is 87.3

Total Upset Score	Result	Upset Value	Away Bonus	Blowout Bonus
322	On Nov 4, 2017, unranked Iowa defeated 3rd ranked Ohio State by 31 points at home.	230	0	92
252	On Sep 26, 2009, unranked Iowa defeated 5th ranked Penn State by 11 points away.	210	42	0
240	On Nov 12, 2016, unranked Iowa defeated 2nd ranked Michigan by 1 points at home.	240	0	0
230	On Nov 8, 2008, unranked Iowa defeated 3rd ranked Penn State by 1 points at home.	230	0	0
200	On Sep 26, 1981, unranked Iowa defeated 6th ranked UCLA by 13 points at home.	200	0	0
192	On Oct 13, 1984, unranked Iowa defeated 14th ranked Purdue by 37 points away.	120	24	48
192	On Oct 19, 1996, unranked Iowa defeated 10th ranked Penn State by 1 points away.	160	32	0
190	On Sep 12, 1981, unranked Iowa defeated 7th ranked Nebraska by 3 points at home.	190	0	0
182	On Oct 30, 2010, 18th ranked Iowa defeated 5th ranked Michigan State by 31 points at home.	130	0	52
168	On Sep 28, 2002, unranked Iowa defeated 12th ranked Penn State by 7 points away.	140	28	0
160	On Nov 16, 2019, 23rd ranked Iowa defeated 7th ranked Minnesota by 4 points at home.	160	0	0
150	On Oct 31, 1987, unranked Iowa defeated 11th ranked Indiana by 8 points at home.	150	0	0
144	On Oct 20, 1990, 22nd ranked Iowa defeated 10th ranked Michigan by 1 points away.	120	24	0
140	On Nov 11, 2000, unranked Iowa defeated 12th ranked Northwestern by 10 points at home.	140	0	0
140	On Oct 4, 2003, 23rd ranked Iowa defeated 9th ranked Michigan by 3 points at home.	140	0	0
130	On Nov 5, 2011, unranked Iowa defeated 13th ranked Michigan by 8 points at home.	130	0	0
120	On Dec 28, 2010, unranked Iowa defeated 14th ranked Missouri by 3 points at a neutral site.	120	0	0
110	On Sep 23, 2017, unranked Iowa narrowly lost to 4th ranked Penn State by 2 points at home.	110	0	0
65	On Nov 20, 2010, 21st ranked Iowa narrowly lost to 8th ranked Ohio State by 3 points at home.	65	0	0
60	On Nov 22, 2014, unranked Iowa narrowly lost to 14th ranked Wisconsin by 2 points at home.	60	0	0
55	On Oct 15, 1988, unranked Iowa tied 15th ranked Michigan at home.	55	0	0
50	On Nov 11, 2006, unranked Iowa narrowly lost to 16th ranked Wisconsin by 3 points at home.	50	0	0

For this table an upset is a win over an opponent ranked 10 or more slots better. Unranked teams are considered ranked 26th. The upset score is 10 points multiplied by the difference in ranking, thus a 21st ranked team beating a 1st ranked team is a better upset (200 points) than a 21st ranked team beating an 11th ranked team (100 points). Winning away grants a 20% bonus. Winning by 21 points or more is a blowout and grants a 40% bonus. A scare is a tie or a loss within 3 points of a better ranked team. Scares are worth 50% of upsets, and can get an away bonus. Leave a comment if you would like to see another school, other years, or different criteria for determining an upset or scare.