Rivalry leaderboard

Penn State-Syracuse 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: 74/100
Overtime: 0

Series context

Completed meetings: 71
Series record: Penn State 43-23-5 Syracuse
Tracked years: 1922-2013
Trophy: No named trophy

Series ranking

The rivalry's top 25 games

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

1959Week 9
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 20, Penn State 18
Winner: Syracuse
No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 10 Penn State · 2-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
74
Game score
1960Week 6
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 15, Syracuse 21
Winner: Syracuse
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 3 Syracuse · 6-point margin
Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
1969Week 6
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 15, Syracuse 14
Winner: Penn State
No. 8 Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 1-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
1985Week 8
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 24, Syracuse 20
Winner: Penn State
No. 6 Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 4-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
1956Week 8
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 9, Syracuse 13
Winner: Syracuse
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 9 Syracuse · 4-point margin
Ranking 17/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
48
Game score
1977Week 7
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 31, Syracuse 24
Winner: Penn State
No. 10 Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 7-point margin
Ranking 16/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
44
Game score
1955Week 8
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 20, Penn State 21
Winner: Penn State
No. 18 Syracuse vs. Unranked Penn State · 1-point margin
Ranking 8/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
42
Game score
1968Week 13
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 12, Penn State 30
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Syracuse vs. No. 3 Penn State · 18-point margin
Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 17/35 · Overtime 0/15
40
Game score
1975Week 7
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 19, Syracuse 7
Winner: Penn State
No. 9 Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 12-point margin
Ranking 17/50 · Closeness 23/35 · Overtime 0/15
40
Game score
1954Week 3
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 13, Syracuse 0
Winner: Penn State
No. 10 Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 13-point margin
Ranking 16/50 · Closeness 22/35 · Overtime 0/15
38
Game score
1940Week 9
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 13, Penn State 13
Result: Tie
Unranked Syracuse vs. Unranked Penn State · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
1939Week 7
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 6, Penn State 6
Result: Tie
Unranked Syracuse vs. Unranked Penn State · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
1930Week 9
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 0, Syracuse 0
Result: Tie
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
1928Week 8
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 6, Syracuse 6
Result: Tie
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
1922Week 6
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 0, Syracuse 0
Result: Tie
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
1981Week 7
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 41, Syracuse 16
Winner: Penn State
No. 2 Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 25-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 10/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
1974Week 7
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 14, Penn State 30
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Syracuse vs. No. 11 Penn State · 16-point margin
Ranking 15/50 · Closeness 19/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
1962Week 6
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 19, Penn State 20
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Syracuse vs. Unranked Penn State · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
1987Week 8
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 21, Syracuse 48
Winner: Syracuse
No. 18 Penn State vs. No. 9 Syracuse · 27-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 8/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
2009Week 2
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 7, Penn State 28
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Syracuse vs. No. 7 Penn State · 21-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 14/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
1966Week 9
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 12, Penn State 10
Winner: Syracuse
Unranked Syracuse vs. Unranked Penn State · 2-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
1929Week 7
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 6, Syracuse 4
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 2-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
1982Week 7
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 7, Penn State 28
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Syracuse vs. No. 8 Penn State · 21-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 14/35 · Overtime 0/15
32
Game score
1972Week 7
Syracuse at Penn State
Syracuse 0, Penn State 17
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Syracuse vs. No. 12 Penn State · 17-point margin
Ranking 14/50 · Closeness 18/35 · Overtime 0/15
32
Game score
1927Week 6
Penn State at Syracuse
Penn State 9, Syracuse 6
Winner: Penn State
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Syracuse · 3-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
32
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.