2010s ranking

Top 25 games of the 2010s 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.

2017Week 9Away
L 38-39 vs. Ohio State
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Penn State · 1-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
73
Game score
Highlight · 2017 Ohio State vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2018Week 5Home
L 26-27 vs. Ohio State
No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 4 Ohio State · 1-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
68
Game score
Highlight · 2018 Penn State vs. Ohio State (Regular Season Full Game)
2016Week 14Neutral site
W 38-31 vs. Wisconsin
No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 6 Wisconsin · 7-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
66
Game score
Highlight · 2016 Penn State vs. Wisconsin (Regular Season Full Game)
2016ROSE BOWL GAME PRES. BY NORTHWESTERN MUTUALNeutral site
L 49-52 vs. USC
No. 5 Penn State vs. No. 9 USC · 3-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
65
Game score
Full Game · 2016 Penn State vs. USC (Rose Bowl Full Game)
2019Week 13Away
L 17-28 vs. Ohio State
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Penn State · 11-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 19/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
60
Game score
Full Game · 2019 Ohio State vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2019Week 11Away
L 26-31 vs. Minnesota
No. 13 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Penn State · 5-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 25/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
59
Game score
2017PostseasonNeutral site
W 35-28 vs. Washington
No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 12 Washington · 7-point margin
Ranking 31/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
59
Game score
2019Week 8Home
W 28-21 vs. Michigan
No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 16 Michigan · 7-point margin
Ranking 29/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
57
Game score
2016Week 8Home
W 24-21 vs. Ohio State
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 2 Ohio State · 3-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
56
Game score
Full Game · 2016 Penn State vs. Ohio State (Regular Season Full Game)
2019Week 7Away
W 17-12 vs. Iowa
No. 17 Iowa vs. No. 10 Penn State · 5-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 25/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
55
Game score
2017Week 4Away
W 21-19 vs. Iowa
Unranked Iowa vs. No. 4 Penn State · 2-point margin
Ranking 22/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
55
Game score
2013Week 7Home4OT
W 43-40 vs. Michigan
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 18 Michigan · 3-point margin
Ranking 8/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 15/15 · Win 5/5
55
Game score
2018VRBO CITRUS BOWLNeutral site
L 24-27 vs. Kentucky
No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 16 Kentucky · 3-point margin
Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
50
Game score
2017Week 10Away
L 24-27 vs. Michigan State
No. 24 Michigan State vs. No. 7 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
48
Game score
Highlight · 2017 Michigan State vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2011Week 11Home
L 14-17 vs. Nebraska
No. 12 Penn State vs. No. 19 Nebraska · 3-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
48
Game score
2019Week 12Home
W 34-27 vs. Indiana
No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 24 Indiana · 7-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
47
Game score
2014Week 9Home2OT
L 24-31 vs. Ohio State
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 13 Ohio State · 7-point margin
Ranking 13/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 11/15 · Win 0/5
47
Game score
2018Week 9Home
W 30-24 vs. Iowa
No. 17 Penn State vs. No. 18 Iowa · 6-point margin
Ranking 17/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
46
Game score
2019GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSICNeutral site
W 53-39 vs. Memphis
No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 15 Memphis · 14-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 16/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
45
Game score
Full Game · 2019 Penn State vs. Memphis (Cotton Bowl Full Game)
2018Week 7Home
L 17-21 vs. Michigan State
No. 8 Penn State vs. Unranked Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
44
Game score
2014NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWLNeutral site1OT
W 31-30 vs. Boston College
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Boston College · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 9/15 · Win 5/5
43
Game score
2010Week 2Away
L 3-24 vs. Alabama
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 18 Penn State · 21-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 9/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
42
Game score
2019Week 3Home
W 17-10 vs. Pittsburgh
No. 13 Penn State vs. Unranked Pittsburgh · 7-point margin
Ranking 13/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
41
Game score
2016Week 5Home1OT
W 29-26 vs. Minnesota
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Minnesota · 3-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 9/15 · Win 5/5
41
Game score
2012Week 13Home1OT
W 24-21 vs. Wisconsin
Unranked Penn State vs. Unranked Wisconsin · 3-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 9/15 · Win 5/5
41
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 2010s

Top 25 games of the 2010s in the database

How each game earns up to 100 points

Keep exploring Penn State