The Most Embarrassing Wins in College Football History…Told by the Fans

Every program has them — those wins you don’t brag about, the ones you hide deep in the record books and hope no one remembers. They might technically go in the “W” column, but the vibe is pure “please don’t ask how.”
A recent r/CFB thread turned into a cathartic confession booth, with fans from all over college football sharing the games that made them cheer and cringe at the same time.

When Two Bad Offenses Go to War

Some “victories” were remembered not for clutch heroics, but for offensive football so ugly it made eyes bleed.

• Auburn 3, Mississippi State 2 (2008) — Fans on both sides admitted nobody should’ve won. One attendee said 2/3 of the stadium left early, and the rest just argued about which team sucked more.
• Iowa 7, South Dakota State 3 (2022) — No touchdowns. Just a field goal and two safeties. As one fan put it: “There isn’t anything more Iowa than that game.”
• Ohio State 3, Akron 2 at halftime (2007) — The Buckeyes eventually pulled away 20–2, but the first half felt like football in slow motion.

Defending Champs in Danger

Some games were extra humiliating because they came right after championship highs.

• Utah State 2011 vs. Auburn — Coming off a national title, Auburn needed a late onside kick recovery to avoid disaster.
• 2008 LSU vs. Troy — Down 31–10 in the fourth quarter at home, LSU stormed back… but fans still winced.
• 2015 Georgia Southern vs. Georgia — Took the Dawgs to overtime in Athens and left Bulldog fans shaken.

MAC Attacks & FCS Frights

Nothing rattles a blue blood fanbase like almost losing to a team with a fraction of the scholarships.

• 2018 Drake vs. Iowa State — Non-scholarship Drake nearly took down a ranked Cyclones team in a cold, muddy slog.
• 2018 Ball State vs. Notre Dame — ND only won 24–16, making a supposedly easy win look like a full-day struggle.
• 2023 Idaho vs. Oregon — Ducks fans point to a walk-on starting at center, but it didn’t make the scoreline any prettier.

The “Wait, We Rushed the Field for This?” Games

Sometimes the embarrassment isn’t the opponent — it’s how the fans reacted afterward.

• 2023 Oregon State vs. Colorado State — Won in overtime… and the student section stormed the field.
• Illinois 50, Purdue 49 (OT, 2024) — The Illini blew a 27–3 lead, won in overtime, and still stormed the field against a 1–5 Purdue team.
• Tennessee vs. UAB (2010) — Double overtime over a 4–8 Blazers squad… celebrated like an SEC title.

Absolute Comedy of Errors

Some games stuck in fans’ memories because both teams seemed desperate to lose.

• Missouri at Auburn (2022) — Mizzou missed a chip-shot FG to win in regulation, then fumbled into the end zone in OT.
• North Carolina vs. App State (2022) — Heels blew a 21-point 4th quarter lead, won 63–61 in a defensive apocalypse.
• Wisconsin at Arizona State (2013) — Clock mismanagement, confusion, and a bizarre ending still talked about a decade later.

Why We Remember Them

What makes these wins so cringeworthy isn’t just the close score — it’s context. A title contender sweating against a team that would struggle in the Sun Belt. A powerhouse offense producing two safeties. A victory that feels more like a narrow escape from humiliation.

As one Pitt fan put it after recalling a 53–52 miracle over a dreadful Temple team:

“I have always felt that the lowest point was actually our win. Being outscored 266–13 in other games that season wasn’t as embarrassing as needing a miracle to beat Temple.”

If you’re a college football fan long enough, you’ll see one of these in person. You’ll stand there after the clock hits zero, not quite sure if you should cheer or hide. And if you’re lucky, years later you’ll be able to laugh about it — or at least join the internet in admitting, “Yeah… that was ugly.”