Rivalry leaderboard

Michigan State-Penn State Greatest Games

The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.

Games: 25
Top score: 69/100
Overtime: 0

Series context

Completed meetings: 38
Series record: Michigan State 18-19-1 Penn State
Tracked years: 1914-2023
Trophy: Land Grant Trophy

Series ranking

The rivalry's top 25 games

19 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.

1948Week 7
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 14, Michigan State 14
Result: Tie
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 12 Michigan State · 0-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
69
Game score
2017Week 10
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 24, Michigan State 27
Winner: Michigan State
No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 24 Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
53
Game score
Highlight · 2017 Michigan State vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
1999Week 13
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 28, Michigan State 35
Winner: Michigan State
No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 15 Michigan State · 7-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
1996Week 14
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 29, Penn State 32
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 7 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
2018Week 7
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 21, Penn State 17
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 8 Penn State · 4-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
1951Week 6
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 32, Penn State 21
Winner: Michigan State
No. 2 Michigan State vs. Unranked Penn State · 11-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 24/35 · Overtime 0/15
48
Game score
2005Week 12
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 31, Michigan State 22
Winner: Penn State
No. 5 Penn State vs. Unranked Michigan State · 9-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
47
Game score
1993Week 14
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 38, Michigan State 37
Winner: Penn State
No. 14 Penn State vs. No. 25 Michigan State · 1-point margin
Ranking 13/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
47
Game score
2021Week 13
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 27, Michigan State 30
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 12 Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 14/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
46
Game score
1952Week 7
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 7, Michigan State 34
Winner: Michigan State
No. 15 Penn State vs. No. 1 Michigan State · 27-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 8/35 · Overtime 0/15
44
Game score
2010Week 13
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 28, Penn State 22
Winner: Michigan State
No. 11 Michigan State vs. Unranked Penn State · 6-point margin
Ranking 15/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
44
Game score
1995Week 14
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 24, Michigan State 20
Winner: Penn State
No. 14 Penn State vs. Unranked Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 12/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
43
Game score
2019Week 9
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 28, Michigan State 7
Winner: Penn State
No. 6 Penn State vs. Unranked Michigan State · 21-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 14/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
2008Week 13
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 18, Penn State 49
Winner: Penn State
No. 17 Michigan State vs. No. 7 Penn State · 31-point margin
Ranking 28/50 · Closeness 4/35 · Overtime 0/15
32
Game score
1946Week 6
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 19, Penn State 16
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Michigan State vs. Unranked Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
32
Game score
1914Week 9
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 6, Penn State 3
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Michigan State vs. Unranked Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
32
Game score
1994Week 14
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 31, Penn State 59
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 2 Penn State · 28-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 7/35 · Overtime 0/15
31
Game score
2022Week 13
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 16, Penn State 35
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 11 Penn State · 19-point margin
Ranking 15/50 · Closeness 16/35 · Overtime 0/15
31
Game score
2007Week 12
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 31, Michigan State 35
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
31
Game score
2006Week 12
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 13, Penn State 17
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Michigan State vs. Unranked Penn State · 4-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
31
Game score
2001Week 14
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 42, Michigan State 37
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Michigan State · 5-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
30
Game score
1965Week 3
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 23, Penn State 0
Winner: Michigan State
No. 9 Michigan State vs. Unranked Penn State · 23-point margin
Ranking 17/50 · Closeness 12/35 · Overtime 0/15
29
Game score
1925Week 6
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 6, Penn State 13
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Michigan State vs. Unranked Penn State · 7-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
28
Game score
2014Week 14
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan State 34, Penn State 10
Winner: Michigan State
No. 10 Michigan State vs. Unranked Penn State · 24-point margin
Ranking 16/50 · Closeness 11/35 · Overtime 0/15
27
Game score
1966Week 3
Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State 8, Michigan State 42
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 1 Michigan State · 34-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 1/35 · Overtime 0/15
26
Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.

Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.