With the first 25 seasons of college football in the books, Penn State has left an indelible mark on.
Through it all, Penn State has left its mark on the sport and created memories both good and bad for its fans.
In this five-part series, weโll rank the 25 best Penn State games played of the first 25 seasons of the 21st century. Not all will be wins, there will be some heartbreak, but the overall greatness of the games are ones all Penn State fans have a story about.
Weโll start with the โbest of team rest.โ
BEST OF THE REST
2008 Michigan – Think of the mounting angst of Ohio State now. That was where Michigan was, having beat Penn State nine straight times from 1997 through 2007. The 46-17 win in Happy Valley was one of great relief.
2010 Capital One Bowl – This was the 24th and final bowl win of Joe Paternoโs career. That, plus the optics of the mud and grinding out a 19-17 win gets it within striking distance.
2014 Croke Park Classic – Game 1 of James Franklin Era took place Dublin. There was the angst from losing to UCF in Happy Valley the year before. The 2014 matchup was again a see-saw battle in Ireland that ended with Sam Fickenโs fourth field goal of the day.
2017 Ohio State – Despite how bad the collapse wasโ Penn State was up ย 11 with 5:42 left โmemories of Saquon Barkleyโs kickoff return to silence The Shoe always will warm the heart.
2018 Appalachian State – Penn State was on upset alert after allowing 28 fourth quarter points, but the Miles Sanders OT touchdown gave Penn State the win and a classic Sports Illustrated cover.
25. 2019 Cotton Bowlย
Penn State was entering its third New Yearโs Six bowl in the previous four seasons under Franklin. It was the most for the program since Paterno pulled it off in the early 1980โs.
PSU drew Group of 5 Memphis out of the American and got more than it bargained for as the Tigers wouldnโt go away easily.
The game will forever be remembered by the contributions of running back Journey Brown and linebacker Micah Parsons.
Brown, who would finish with 202 of Penn Stateโs 396 yards rushing and was Offensive MVP of the Cotton Bowl, had two touchdowns electrifying the Nittany Lion offense.
Defensively, Parsons put on a performance that would heighten unrealized expectations due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Parsons shifted to the EDGE, and recorded 14 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles for Defensive MVP efforts.
Penn State would defeat Memphis 53-39.
24. 2016 Minnesota
At this junction of James Franklinโs time at Penn State, Franklin was just one game above .500 (16-14) and coming off a 49-10 defeat from Michigan it was as low as it was in the Franklin era.
Minnesota entered the game under first year head coach Tracy Claeys undefeated and poised to continue the misery for the Nittany Lions.ย
Down 13-3 at the half, it looked like Penn State was lost again, and the rumblings would only grow louder for the much maligned Franklin.ย
It was how Penn State responded in the third quarter that became a trademark of that 2016 team, not only being a second half team but also the scoring avalanche it would drop on opponents.
A 17-point third quarter got Penn State back in it, and Saquon Barkleyโs OT touchdown to seal it 29-26 would be the catalyst for an unlikely Big Ten Championship season.
23. 2017 Michigan
This was a revenge game of the highest of orders for Penn State.
Penn State stumbled into Ann Arbor the previous season wounded with injuries and Michigan capitalized on it routing Penn State 49-10.
The angst leading up to a White Out in Happy Valley where Michigan was reloading and Penn State was ranked No. 2 in the nation primed for a national championship run.
The game opened with Saquon Barkley going 69 yards for the opening score that only led to the hysteria.
While Michigan kept it close at the half, Penn State pulled away with a big second half returning the favor in a 42-13 win.
22. 2021 Wisconsin
Entering the 2021 season opener, Franklin was in the midst of his second rebuild at Penn State.
The COVID-19 season saw many opt outs and injury retirements notably to running back Journey Brown. Penn State had its first losing season in 2020 since 2004 and many were wondering where Penn State was as a program.ย
What didnโt help matters was facing No. 12 Wisconsin in Camp Randall to kickoff the 2021 season, where Franklin had an abysmal 0-8 record against ranked opponents on the road in regular season games.
Penn State kept it close and late in the fourth quarter, Penn State up 16-10 it was safety Jaquan Briskerโs game sealing interception that downed Wisconsin and gave Franklin his first true road ranked win at Penn State.ย
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21. 2017 Fiesta Bowl vs. Washingtonย
While the game will always read 35-28 in favor of Penn State, the game was not as close as the score indicated.
The gameโs signature play came early in the second quarter where Saquon Barkley had his final highlight play going 92 yards for a touchdown to put Penn State up 28-7.
Barkley would finish with 18 carries for 137 yards and two touchdowns, but it was a symbol passing of the torch to Miles Sanders, who had a touchdown as well.
It was Penn Stateโs first New Yearโs Six bowl win since the 2006 Orange Bowl.
