With the first 25 seasons of college football in the books, Penn State has left an indelible mark on college football.ย
Throughout it all, Penn State has created memories both good and bad for the Nittany Faithful.
In this five-part series, Iโll be ranking the 25 best Penn State football games from 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 Nittany Lions fans have a story about.
You can read Part 1 that examines 25 to 21 you can read HERE
You can read Part 2 that examines 20 to 16 you can read HERE
You can read Part 3 that examines 15 to 11 you can read HERE
Part 4 is the penultimate quintet before we reach our Top 5.
10. 2024 USC
You could argue this was the most important game Penn State won in 2024 because without surviving this one, would Minnesota have mattered? There wouldnโt have been the trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship and, most likely, Penn State isnโt hosting a first-round playoff game or getting the draw that it did without the USC game.ย
This is a game that I did teeter back and forth with No. 11 2008 Ohio State. While the 2008 Ohio State had all the heavyweight flair that make it a bonafide classic Top 10 game, thereโs no denying it, last seasonโs USC game had the same heavyweight fight feel.
Grant you, there was no playoff in 2008 but how Penn State looked in that Rose Bowl against USC leaves a lot to be desired.ย
The 2024 USC game had everything you want in a great game where there is great adversity – Penn State was down 20-6 at one point.ย
You had an amazing herculean performance that will forever be known as the โTyler Warren Gameโ where Warren matched the FBS record for receptions by a tight end in a gameย (17) and set a Penn State record for receiving yards (224).
There was the signature play where Warren snapped the ball to backup quarterback Beau Pribula. Pribula then double-passed it to starting quarterback Drew Allar, who then connected with Warren in the end zone for the highlight reel touchdown.
You had drama at the end where Allar had to connect with wide receiver Julian Fleming on consecutive fourth downs to keep Penn State alive before Nick Singleton got the game tying touchdown.
Regulation ended with each team being intercepted. Penn State was able to put it together in their overtime position with kicker Ryan Barker nailing a 36-yard field goal.ย
Since we are a family friendly site, we will censor this gameโs nickname.
If you donโt know, this is simply โThe Bunch of Fightersโ game.
Due to both Ohio State and Penn State being ineligible to make it to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship, Wisconsin clinched the โLeaders Divisionโ by default.
After starting 0-2, Penn State had won seven of its last nine and became a welcoming story around college football.ย
Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, who was deep in the Heisman race, was held to 111 yards on 27 carries. Ball was outshined by Zach Zwinak, who had 179 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
The air went out of the stadium in regulation when Wisconsin tied it at 21.
As the game went to overtime, Penn State got the ball first and had to settle for a field goal. Sam Ficken, who began the season struggling missing four critical field goals against Virginia, nailed his 37-yard field goal.
Wisconsin got the next possession and was unable to move the ball. This is where Kyle French attempted to tie it. Frenchโs 44-yard kick sailed wide left that sent everyone into euphoria, including head coach Bill OโBrien.
When OโBrien was asked about his team, many feel he slipped up, calling them a โbunch of f*ckers,โ ย when he meant to say โfighters.โOโBrien managed to comeback and say they fought hard and he was proud, but his slip up lives forever in the annals of Penn State football.ย
Joe Paterno never could beat the Bear.
The Bear being Alabama head coach Paul โBearโ Bryant. Paterno was 0-4 against Bryant while he was head coach for 25 seasons in Tuscaloosa and the respect was deep on both sides.
Bryant had a lot of pool back in the day to arrange potential Sugar Bowl suitors. Bryant was intrigued by Penn State and Paterno because he saw how Penn State easily handled his friend, Darrell Royal, and Texas in the Cotton Bowl 30-6 in the 1972 Cotton Bowl.
Penn State gave Alabama all it could handle in the 1975 Sugar Bowl, the first in Caesarโs Superdome history, which ended in a 13-6 Alabama win.ย
ABC Sportsโ Keith Jackson often referred to the 1979 Sugar Bowl as one of the greatest games he ever called, one that Penn State lost on the goalline with Alabamaโs Barry Krauss stuffing Mike Guman and the mental error playing with 12 men on the field on an Alabama punt that enabled the Crimson Tide to run the clock out and seal the 14-7 win.
The respect between JoePa and the Bear led to the landmark 10-game series between 1981 and 1990 between the schools, with Bear Bryant tying Amos Alonzo Stagg for the all-time wins record against Penn State in the 1981 clash.
As Paterno continued to coach, he was chasing Bearโs win records. Paterno eclipsed Bryantโs bowl wins record at the 1995 Rose Bowl but 323 was the number he sought to break.
A great comeback against No. 22 Northwestern at Ryan Field gave Penn State their first win of the season and for Paterno win number 323 setting up a contest against Ohio State and their first year head coach Jim Tressel.
The Nittany Lions continued their offensive woes and trailed 27-9 before freshman quarterback Zack Mills created the spark Penn State needed. Mills finished the game with 418 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.
Penn State won 29-27 and JoePa finally beat the Bear.ย
The magical 2005 season ended with what was the coaching matchup that had equal footing to the Vince Young vs. USC billing on the marquee.
Paterno and Bobby Bowden entered the game with a combined 712 wins, the most in NCAA history for a coaching matchup that featured the champions of the Big Ten against the ACC in the Orange Bowl.
Paterno entered the game with a 6-1 advantage in head-to-head matchups, with Bowdenโs lone win coming at the 1990 Blockbuster Bowl.
Penn State started off slow. Complicating matters was running back Tony Huntโs injury that had him exit the game in the first quarter.
As the offense sputtered, Florida State executed on special teams with returner Willie Reid returning a punt 87 yards for a touchdown.
After a Lorenzo Booker 57-yard touchdown pass from Drew Weatherford that gave the Seminoles 13-7 lead, kicker Gary Cismesia missed the extra point, setting an ominous tone of things to come from both kickers.ย
Penn State ended the first half with an explosive drive capped by Michael Robinsonโs touchdown pass to Ethan Kilmer to give the Nittany Lions the slimmest of leads.ย
A potential death blow for Penn State happened in the fourth quarter when linebacker Paul Posluszny suffered a knee injury that took him out of the game.
The game wasnโt settled in regulation and went to overtime where Cismesia (wide right) and Penn State kicker Kevin Kelly (wide left) missed field goals. After Penn Stateโs Austin Scott and Florida Stateโs B.J. Dean exchanged rushing touchdowns in the second overtime, Kevin Kelly was able to hit a field goal to give Paterno another one over Bowden.
I have often felt the malaise that sat in for Penn State football came as a result of the 1999 Minnesota game.
After being stunned by the Gophers in 1999, it was Penn State never fully recovered that season dropping the next two to Michigan and Michigan State marking the first time since 1988 a Penn State team dropped three straight.
Penn State spent the next five seasons somewhat in college football purgatory, with the 2002 season feeling like an anomaly sandwiched between four losing seasons.
2005 promised to be better and expectations grew after Penn Stateโs 44-14 demolition of Minnesota the week prior set up a titanic clash.
While this wasnโt the first White Out (2004 Purdue), the student section wore white and this game is credited for cementing its status.
The game itself was indeed a classic and many remember a classic second quarter that gave Penn State a decisive 14-3 lead.
Scoring began with a Michael Robinson toss to ย Derrick Williams for a 13-yard touchdown.
The gameโs first iconic play came a few minutes later after Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith was intercepted by safety Calvin Lowry that set up a short Michael Robinson touchdown.
What this game offers in Penn State lure is the iconic shot of defensive end Tamba Hali sacking and forcing a fumble that defensive tackle Scott Paxson recovered to seal the 17-10 win for Penn State. That image for years was on display on the main floor of the Lasch Building football complex.
A game that not only restored the โRoar of the Lions,โ it produced an all-time moment that few will ever forget.
