The largest point spread in college football was seen in a matchup between the University of Alabama and the University of New Mexico State in 2007. This game featured a whopping 55-point spread in favor of Alabama, with the Crimson Tide winning by the score of 52-6.
The game was a mismatch from the start, as Alabama was a traditional powerhouse of college football while New Mexico State had been a bottom-tier program for years. This was reflected in the Las Vegas betting line for the game, where Alabama was a heavy favorite.
The sheer size of the point spread was unprecedented in college football. Even in games where one team was heavily favored, the point spread usually stayed in the single digits. This game was an outlier, as the Crimson Tide were expected to win by a huge margin.
The game itself was a blowout, with Alabama scoring seven times and outgaining New Mexico State by more than 500 yards. While the lopsided score was not a surprise, the size of the point spread was still remarkable.
Despite the large point spread, the game was still competitive in the first quarter. New Mexico State managed to stay within a touchdown of Alabama through the first 15 minutes of play, but the Crimson Tide quickly pulled away after that. By halftime, Alabama had a commanding lead and the point spread had become a reality.
While the 2007 Alabama-New Mexico State game holds the record for the largest point spread in college football, there have been other matchups that featured similarly large spreads. In 2014, Florida State was favored by 48 points against The Citadel, and in 2013, Florida was favored by 45 points against Savannah State. Though these games did not feature the same size of point spread as Alabama-New Mexico State in 2007, they still represent a significant discrepancy in strength between the two teams.
Overall, the 2007 matchup between Alabama and New Mexico State stands as the record holder for the largest point spread in college football. The Crimson Tide were expected to win by a large margin, and they did not disappoint. The game was lopsided from start to finish and the point spread became a reality. While other games have featured similarly large spreads, the Alabama-New Mexico State matchup remains the record holder.
