I think it is more than anything a three way rivalry (with Michigan and tOSU). Not that there's anything wrong with three ways...
Who is Penn State's current rival?
- Thread starter Ranger Dan
- Start date
I think it is more than anything a three way rivalry (with Michigan and tOSU). Not that there's anything wrong with three ways...
Who cares who's the No. 1 rival when you play in the toughest division in NCAA football. PSU gets tested against tOSU, UM, MSU every year, and Maryland and Indiana provide quality opposition as well. And then every year quality opponents from the other division -- Iowa, Wisky, Nebraska etc.
Last thing PSU needs is a rival.
And no need to be bitter about Ohio State and Michigan. There is a lot of history there -- no use fighting it. It's always been a big game and always will be. And FWIW it's become an awfully lopsided rivalry. Pretty much it's become Ohio State dominates down Michigan or Ohio State breaks Michigan's heart.
Last thing PSU needs is a rival.
And no need to be bitter about Ohio State and Michigan. There is a lot of history there -- no use fighting it. It's always been a big game and always will be. And FWIW it's become an awfully lopsided rivalry. Pretty much it's become Ohio State dominates down Michigan or Ohio State breaks Michigan's heart.
A rival can be any team that creates extra excitement on an ongoing basis. A rivalry has to be viewed as a rivalry from both teams. We do not have one currently.
Because in their mind pitt is our main rival. We have played football against pitt 98 times - far more than any other team. Everyone over the age of about 55 is forever linked to the Penn State - pitt rivalry. Even when we don't play, the rivalry for recruits and bragging power is substantial.
I'd say no rival because anyone that is a passive college football fan should be able to name rivals. Any Arizona State fan for example will know that Auburn/Alabama, Army/Navy, Ohio State/Michigan etc. are rivals. If you ask them who Penn State's rival is they won't come up with anyone.
Unfortunately, we have met our Rival and it is us, as in our own BOT!
In Pitts defense, they spent more than the cost of 2 sets of season tickets for pitt home games in order for the privilege of watching one penn state home game. You know who their rival is. Even if they can't beat the #9 big ten team in northwestern during no their annual bowl game collapse, Psu is their super bowl. As one jagoff on their forum said, "I'd rather beat ups and go 1-11 than win the national championship."
Each team has to win their fair share to be considered a great rivalry. OSU-Michigan right now is meh.
Congratulations on joining today!
You are right, Sproul. I live near Pittsburgh and listen to pitt crap all the time. We are clearly their main rival. They really don't care about the ACC. We are it. Even when we don't play, Penn State is all they talk about. They are kind of like the 98 pound weakling who has sand kicked in his face time after time. They are jealous of our success and it shows. They haven't been in the top 10 in any sport for decades.
1. You say "certain posters". It's not all, or most. Those that do are of a certain age when Pitt was in fact, a rival of PSU.
2. If you play a team 6 times in 25 years, they are not your rival.
3. If the current students in the stands and players you are recruiting today cannot remember a time when a competitive rivalry existed, they are not your rival.
Bottom line: Pitt is not PSU's rival. They are a former rival with a crappy Athletic Dept and an inferiority complex driven by proximity. If Pitt was located in Ohio, they wouldn't care either
The implication in the poll and others like it is that program can have only one rival. The If that's the case, the following are not rivalries:
Alabama/LSU
Alabama/Tennessee
Michigan/Michigan State
Florida/Florida State or Florida/Georgia
USC/UCLA or USC/Notre Dame
Oklahoma/Oklahoma State
In each case, at least one of the teams is part of a long term series that carries at least a little more emotional punch or is better known and therefore is their one "rival." I don't agree with the premise, and I don't know how anyone familiar with the history and emotion of the games listed above could call them anything but a rivalry. I absolutely believe that PSU/tOSU is a rivalry with PSU/UM and PSU/MSU not far off.
Alabama/LSU
Alabama/Tennessee
Michigan/Michigan State
Florida/Florida State or Florida/Georgia
USC/UCLA or USC/Notre Dame
Oklahoma/Oklahoma State
In each case, at least one of the teams is part of a long term series that carries at least a little more emotional punch or is better known and therefore is their one "rival." I don't agree with the premise, and I don't know how anyone familiar with the history and emotion of the games listed above could call them anything but a rivalry. I absolutely believe that PSU/tOSU is a rivalry with PSU/UM and PSU/MSU not far off.
A friend of mine said this was being posted here. Let me tell you as a fan of OSU, we do nNOT view PSU as a rival. Our rival is 1st Michigan and secondly MIchigan State. Sorry
Not sure which is more surprising....your "friend" relaying the contents of a meaningless message board thread to you as an OSU fan, or you as an "OSU fan" feeling the need to make your response to this your first Rivals post ever.
Why would you apologize? Why would any Penn State fan give a shit enough to expect or want an apology?
Proves the point of my earlier post in this thread --- your blood pressure increased by a factor of 5x.
just win and everyone will be your rival because you will have what they want: Championships!
This is the best post of the thread. These type of discussions are always based on the premise that one can only have one rival. The very fact that Penn State will play OSU and Michigan every year, and are in the same division by definition makes them rivals.....in that all three are fellow blue-bloods and quite often compete for the same recruits. This eliminates MSU as our rival because they recruit at a lower level. MSU is Michigan's rival strictly due to geography.
I bet many don't know PSU-OSU series is the only one for Penn State to play continuously without interruption. The two states share a common border which makes it complete. I'm to lazy to research it, but Penn State probably has beaten OSU more times since '00 than any other BIG schools. Perhaps Wisconsin, not sure.
Plain and simple..........right now, Penn State football has NO rival!
Pitt was it, at one time.
Since joining the B10 (or whatever the Conference is called), the one good thing is we look at our schedule, yearly, and see who will be THE GAME for us. We are one of the HUNTED! And that's a HUGE credit to our great success in football since the late 60's!
If we go on a roll for, say, the next 10 years, and have division-deciding games against Ohio State, then that could possibly lead to something.
But, as of now, IMHO, my list of teams to beat in order go: Ohio State - Michigan - Michigan State. Then, whoever wins the West.
Pitt was it, at one time.
Since joining the B10 (or whatever the Conference is called), the one good thing is we look at our schedule, yearly, and see who will be THE GAME for us. We are one of the HUNTED! And that's a HUGE credit to our great success in football since the late 60's!
If we go on a roll for, say, the next 10 years, and have division-deciding games against Ohio State, then that could possibly lead to something.
But, as of now, IMHO, my list of teams to beat in order go: Ohio State - Michigan - Michigan State. Then, whoever wins the West.
