I Imagine the two National Championship games will be on the list. Here are some of my other choices. The 82 Nebraska game.The 86 clash at Alabama.The 72 Cotton bowl win over Texas. They would probably be my top 5. There are dozens of games in the running for the other 5 spot.These ones I picked already are iconic games and I would like to see what games the board thinks are top ten worthy.
Penn State's 10 greatest victories. What were they?
- Thread starter SEPATOPTEN
- Start date
1983 Sugar Bowl
1987 Fiesta Bowl
1981 vs Pitt
1982 vs Nebraska
2013 vs Michigan
1995 Rose Bowl
2005 vs Ohio State
2004 vs Indiana
1969 Orange Bowl
vs NCAA - date to be determined
1987 Fiesta Bowl
1981 vs Pitt
1982 vs Nebraska
2013 vs Michigan
1995 Rose Bowl
2005 vs Ohio State
2004 vs Indiana
1969 Orange Bowl
vs NCAA - date to be determined
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I will add Penn State 27 Number 2 ranked Ohio State 0 at Columbus, 1964.
I like 'ro's list, despite a strange inability to focus when reading it. 8)
That said, and I know the significance of it, but I can't in good conscience see how any win over IU makes the top 10 (or 50).
I'd sub in the win over ND in 1990, or the shutout upset of No. 2 OSU in 1964, or the 1970 Orange Bowl, or like SEPA suggested, the 1972 Cotton Bowl. Perhaps 2002 Nebraska, 85-86 Bama as well. Even 1994 Illinois or 2010 NW were significant. I'll throw in 2001 OSU as well.
That said, and I know the significance of it, but I can't in good conscience see how any win over IU makes the top 10 (or 50).
I'd sub in the win over ND in 1990, or the shutout upset of No. 2 OSU in 1964, or the 1970 Orange Bowl, or like SEPA suggested, the 1972 Cotton Bowl. Perhaps 2002 Nebraska, 85-86 Bama as well. Even 1994 Illinois or 2010 NW were significant. I'll throw in 2001 OSU as well.
I felt the win over IU in 2004 set the stage for the great 2005 season. If I remember correctly, the game after IU was home vs MSU (not a good team that year) and the win over MSU was the most solid win since the 2002 win over Nebraska.
So, that is why IU in 2004 has enough merit to be in my top 10
Big goal line stand vs unbeaten North Carolina State in, I believe, 1968. That game got us a lot of attention at a time when eastern football was barely considered to be above Ivy League status.
I am going to add this one, even though it was NOT a win. Read the article and you will see why it is one of the most important games in Penn State history.
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/football/article_44166f67-9f4e-549b-a110-8ee225eff466.html
Thanks. I should have remembered the year. It was my first Fall term at University Park.
Certainly in the running.That was some comeback. The Lions also had a great comeback the year before in East Lansing that might get consideration in some ranks.I would say Illinois 94 would probably have to be in the top ten.
Here are a couple more big wins. The 1987 game against Notre Dame at Beaver Stadium. The 81 Nebraska game in Lincoln. The already mentioned 1990 Note Dame game. How about the 1977 game against Pitt in the snow? The 06 Orange Bowl. How about the 1999 Miami game on the road? Ohio State at the Beav in 1997. Was 05 Ohio State mentioned?
2012 Wisconsin in OT because it sent out a very special class the right way.
That wasn't a great victory. We played down to a opponent and it almost cost us. We roll Illinois 9/10 times
Uh, no. Penn State did not play down to an opponent. Illinois had one of the top rated defenses in the country when PSU played them in 1994. Check your facts next time.
48-14 vs. Pitt with Dan Marino,
19-0 vs. OSU with Art Schlister, 63-14 WIN against OSU (not the loss),
30-6 vs. Texas the year after Nixon declared TX MNC,
82 and 86 National Championship Bowl Games,
Triple OT win vs. Michigan,
Lavar's almost single handed defeat of TX A&M,
Courtney Brown and Lavar's defeat of Drew Brees Purdue team,
Cappy's 4 TD run win vs. NC State
ANY of our 1994 Offensive blitzes against everyone we played (including last drive vs. IL)
19-0 vs. OSU with Art Schlister, 63-14 WIN against OSU (not the loss),
30-6 vs. Texas the year after Nixon declared TX MNC,
82 and 86 National Championship Bowl Games,
Triple OT win vs. Michigan,
Lavar's almost single handed defeat of TX A&M,
Courtney Brown and Lavar's defeat of Drew Brees Purdue team,
Cappy's 4 TD run win vs. NC State
ANY of our 1994 Offensive blitzes against everyone we played (including last drive vs. IL)
1971 season ending Cotton Bowl victory over Texas.....30-6 blowout. Biggest status victory to that point that shocked the entire South and Southwest. That gave Us national respect.
Very good game which my son and I attended.
I consider it a great victory. On the road against a great defense and coming back from 21 down.You are going to have some difficult games during the season even though you are favored. I think most Penn State fans consider this a great victory. It certainly would get major top ten consideration from me.
A big win. However, in my mind, the best win that year was against NW. We had lost to Ohio and VA. Then won against Navy, Temple and Ill (all three were bad teams that year). NW came in undefeated and ended up 10-3 (and a NYD Gator Bowl win).
we were down 28-17 going into the forth quarter (and a couple of bad calls). We end up scoring 22 unanswered points. IMHO, that was when the post sanction PSU team found itself and set up win for the rest of the year and the following year.
Weren't there some things that happened at the team hotel with that trip as well? Fire alarm in the middle of the night? Had to have pizza for the team meal because of an issue with the hotel kitchen? Maybe someone can refresh my recollection. The game winning drive was just classic. Going up against a really good defense. On the road. First Big 10 title and trip to the Rose Bowl (as a member of the Big 10) on the line. A mist falling. Dark, gray November midwest skies. And I think the drive was made longer because Mike Archie let the punt go over his head and the ball rolled quite a ways. Definitely, a huge win in PSU history.
1983 Sugar Bowl over Georgia/Hershel Walker
1987 Fiesta Bowl over Miami
1981 blowout over Pitt (#1)/Marino...the top rival
1994 blowout over Ohio State
Back to back Orange Bowls wrt 1968 &1969 seasons (back to back undefeated seasons)
1972 Cotton Bowl over Texas
1982 over Nebraska
1986 over #2 Alabama
1995 Rose Bowl completes the major bowl sweep
Bonus #11....Pick one: PSU over ND (#1) twice and 1986 ND game
1987 Fiesta Bowl over Miami
1981 blowout over Pitt (#1)/Marino...the top rival
1994 blowout over Ohio State
Back to back Orange Bowls wrt 1968 &1969 seasons (back to back undefeated seasons)
1972 Cotton Bowl over Texas
1982 over Nebraska
1986 over #2 Alabama
1995 Rose Bowl completes the major bowl sweep
Bonus #11....Pick one: PSU over ND (#1) twice and 1986 ND game
Orange Bowl win over Missouri, holding the nation's No. 1 offense to 3 points. Second year in a row PSU beat the Big Eight champion in the Orange Bowl. The Big Eight bragged that it was the best conference at the time, much like the SEC does today.
I still have that picture in my treasure chest of Joe & Sue after the Cotton Bowl victory that made us legit in the eyes of the country... maybe they found another more special, but the looks on their faces is that of pure magic... their smiles and their eyes said, WE DID IT... WE'VE ARRIVED! In many ways, i don't know that any penn state win made me happier... it almost made up for not having played and thumped texas in '69 (17-3).
In my version of heaven... we play texas that year every day til eternity with a different result in every one of them... and we win each and every time.
Most of my top 10 have already been mentioned, but I'd include the comeback win over NW in 2010 that gave Joe win #400. More for the comeback win at home, but the 400 was a nice bonus.
From a personal perspective, my all time favorite was another comeback win, at Miami in 1999. I took my dad at a time when he had really started to decline from Alzheimer's, but he was still able to enjoy the game. Even better is that Chafie Fields ran directly at us in the corner of the end zone for the winning TD.
From a personal perspective, my all time favorite was another comeback win, at Miami in 1999. I took my dad at a time when he had really started to decline from Alzheimer's, but he was still able to enjoy the game. Even better is that Chafie Fields ran directly at us in the corner of the end zone for the winning TD.
1) PSU 48 - Pitt 14 is my personal all time favorite
2) Beating the U in the Fiesta Bowl
3) Beating Georgia in the Sugar Bowl
4) PSU 15 - Pitt 13 at Pitt Stadium
5) PSU 30 - Texas 6 in the Cotton Bowl
6) PSU 10 - Missouri 3 in the Orange Bowl
7) PSU beating NCState in 1967 with goal line stand
8) PSU beating ND with late field goal when ND was #1
9) PSU beating tOSU with Tamba Hali sack
10) PSU beating Oregon in the Rose Bowl
2) Beating the U in the Fiesta Bowl
3) Beating Georgia in the Sugar Bowl
4) PSU 15 - Pitt 13 at Pitt Stadium
5) PSU 30 - Texas 6 in the Cotton Bowl
6) PSU 10 - Missouri 3 in the Orange Bowl
7) PSU beating NCState in 1967 with goal line stand
8) PSU beating ND with late field goal when ND was #1
9) PSU beating tOSU with Tamba Hali sack
10) PSU beating Oregon in the Rose Bowl
Not sure if this one was mentioned. The 1986 23-3 win in Tuscaloosa got a huge monkey off of Joe's back. The play at 5:38 is one of the great defensive plays in PSU history. Bobby Humphrey met Trey Bauer on 4th and 1.
Pretty good list but no 1982 Nebraska vs Penn State? It has to be the most exciting Beaver Stadium win in the Paterno era.
Write-in vote: 1990 upset of #1 Notre Dame in their house.
That was a fun night. May not be a program-changer, but a great upset win nonetheless.
That was a fun night. May not be a program-changer, but a great upset win nonetheless.
