2000s ranking

Top 25 games of the 2000s in the database

Wins receive a small preference, but exceptional losses and ties remain eligible. Select any game for its available box score and statistics.

2005FedEx Orange BowlAway3OT
W 26-23 vs. Florida State
No. 22 Florida State vs. No. 4 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 26/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 13/15 · Win 5/5
71
Game score
Full Game · 2005 Florida State vs. Penn State (Orange Bowl Full Game)
2008Week 9Away
W 13-6 vs. Ohio State
No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Penn State · 7-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
67
Game score
Full Game · 2008 Ohio State vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2009CAPITAL ONE BOWLNeutral site
W 19-17 vs. LSU
No. 13 LSU vs. No. 11 Penn State · 2-point margin
Ranking 28/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
61
Game score
2002Week 8Away1OT
L 24-27 vs. Michigan
No. 13 Michigan vs. No. 15 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 9/15 · Win 0/5
60
Game score
2005Week 6Home
W 17-10 vs. Ohio State
No. 16 Penn State vs. No. 6 Ohio State · 7-point margin
Ranking 30/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
58
Game score
2008THE ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY CITINeutral site
L 24-38 vs. USC
No. 5 USC vs. No. 6 Penn State · 14-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 16/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
57
Game score
Full Game · 2008 USC vs. Penn State (Rose Bowl Full Game)
2002Week 10Away
L 7-13 vs. Ohio State
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 18 Penn State · 6-point margin
Ranking 30/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
54
Game score
2008Week 11Away
L 23-24 vs. Iowa
Unranked Iowa vs. No. 3 Penn State · 1-point margin
Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
52
Game score
2002CAPITAL ONE BOWLAway
L 9-13 vs. Auburn
No. 20 Auburn vs. No. 10 Penn State · 4-point margin
Ranking 22/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
48
Game score
2005Week 12Away
W 31-22 vs. Michigan State
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 5 Penn State · 9-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 21/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
47
Game score
2003Week 11Home
L 20-21 vs. Ohio State
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 8 Ohio State · 1-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
47
Game score
2005Week 7Away
L 25-27 vs. Michigan
Unranked Michigan vs. No. 8 Penn State · 2-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
46
Game score
2002Week 6Home1OT
L 35-42 vs. Iowa
No. 12 Penn State vs. Unranked Iowa · 7-point margin
Ranking 14/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 9/15 · Win 0/5
46
Game score
2006Week 7Home
L 10-17 vs. Michigan
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 4 Michigan · 7-point margin
Ranking 22/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
45
Game score
2002Week 7Away
W 34-31 vs. Wisconsin
No. 19 Wisconsin vs. No. 20 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 13/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
45
Game score
2006Week 6Away1OT
W 28-27 vs. Minnesota
Unranked Minnesota vs. Unranked Penn State · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 9/15 · Win 5/5
43
Game score
2005Week 10Home
W 35-14 vs. Wisconsin
No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 14 Wisconsin · 21-point margin
Ranking 28/50 · Closeness 9/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
42
Game score
2008Week 6Away
W 20-6 vs. Purdue
Unranked Purdue vs. No. 6 Penn State · 14-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 16/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
41
Game score
2007Week 4Away
L 9-14 vs. Michigan
Unranked Michigan vs. No. 10 Penn State · 5-point margin
Ranking 16/50 · Closeness 25/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
41
Game score
2009Week 4Home
L 10-21 vs. Iowa
No. 5 Penn State vs. Unranked Iowa · 11-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 19/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
40
Game score
2004Week 7Home
L 13-20 vs. Purdue
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 9 Purdue · 7-point margin
Ranking 17/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
40
Game score
2009Week 10Home
L 7-24 vs. Ohio State
No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 15 Ohio State · 17-point margin
Ranking 26/50 · Closeness 13/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
39
Game score
2008Week 5Home
W 38-24 vs. Illinois
No. 12 Penn State vs. No. 22 Illinois · 14-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 16/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
39
Game score
2007Week 9Home
L 17-37 vs. Ohio State
No. 24 Penn State vs. No. 1 Ohio State · 20-point margin
Ranking 27/50 · Closeness 10/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
37
Game score
2000Week 6Home
W 22-20 vs. Purdue
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 22 Purdue · 2-point margin
Ranking 4/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
37
Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

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

Closeness, 30 points: the score margin is subtracted from 30, with margins of 30 or more receiving zero.

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

Result, 5 points: a featured-team win receives five points; losses and ties receive zero.

Regular-season rankings are matched to the AP Top 25 for the game's recorded week. Postseason games use the final regular-season AP poll published before bowl and playoff results. Overtime uses period scoring when available, then explicit overtime notes as a fallback. Older games and smaller programs may have less complete poll or period data.

Penn State Top 25 Games of the 2000s

Top 25 games of the 2000s in the database

How each game earns up to 100 points

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