2020s ranking

Top 25 games of the 2020s 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.

2025Week 5Home2OT
L 24-30 vs. Oregon
No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 6 Oregon · 6-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 11/15 · Win 0/5
78
Game score
Full Game · 2025 Penn State vs. Oregon (Regular Season Full Game)
2021Week 6Away
L 20-23 vs. Iowa
No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 4 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 45/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
72
Game score
Highlight · 2021 Iowa vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2024College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange BowlNeutral site
L 24-27 vs. Notre Dame
No. 5 Penn State vs. No. 3 Notre Dame · 3-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
71
Game score
Highlight · 2024 Penn State vs. Notre Dame (CFP Semifinal Full Game)
2024Week 15Neutral site
L 37-45 vs. Oregon
No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 3 Penn State · 8-point margin
Ranking 48/50 · Closeness 22/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
70
Game score
Full Game · 2024 Oregon vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2024Week 10Home
L 13-20 vs. Ohio State
No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 4 Ohio State · 7-point margin
Ranking 45/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
68
Game score
Highlight · 2024 Penn State vs. Ohio State (Regular Season Full Game)
2023Week 8Away
L 12-20 vs. Ohio State
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Penn State · 8-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 22/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
64
Game score
Highlight · 2023 Ohio State vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2024Week 7Away1OT
W 33-30 vs. USC
Unranked USC vs. No. 4 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 22/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 9/15 · Win 5/5
63
Game score
2023Week 11Home
L 15-24 vs. Michigan
No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 2 Michigan · 9-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 21/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
62
Game score
Highlight · 2023 Penn State vs. Michigan (Regular Season Full Game)
2021Week 8Home9OT
L 18-20 vs. Illinois
No. 7 Penn State vs. Unranked Illinois · 2-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 15/15 · Win 0/5
62
Game score
2024College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta BowlNeutral site
W 31-14 vs. Boise State
No. 8 Boise State vs. No. 5 Penn State · 17-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 13/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
57
Game score
Highlight · 2024 Boise State vs. Penn State (CFP Quarterfinal Full Game)
2022Rose Bowl Game Presented by PrudentialNeutral site
W 35-21 vs. Utah
No. 7 Utah vs. No. 9 Penn State · 14-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 16/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
57
Game score
Full Game · 2022 Utah vs. Penn State (Rose Bowl Full Game)
2025Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe BowlNeutral site
W 22-10 vs. Clemson
No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 7 Penn State · 12-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 18/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
56
Game score
Highlight · 2025 Clemson vs. Penn State (Bowl Full Game)
2024Week 13Away
W 26-25 vs. Minnesota
Unranked Minnesota vs. No. 4 Penn State · 1-point margin
Ranking 22/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
56
Game score
2020Week 8Away1OT
L 35-36 vs. Indiana
Unranked Indiana vs. No. 8 Penn State · 1-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 9/15 · Win 0/5
56
Game score
Full Game · 2020 Indiana vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2022Week 9Home
L 31-44 vs. Ohio State
No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 2 Ohio State · 13-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 17/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
54
Game score
2025Week 11Home
L 24-27 vs. Indiana
Unranked Penn State vs. No. 2 Indiana · 3-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
51
Game score
Full Game · 2025 Penn State vs. Indiana (Regular Season Full Game)
2021Week 1Away
W 16-10 vs. Wisconsin
No. 12 Wisconsin vs. No. 19 Penn State · 6-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
50
Game score
2023Chick-fil-A Peach BowlNeutral site
L 25-38 vs. Ole Miss
No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss · 13-point margin
Ranking 31/50 · Closeness 17/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
48
Game score
Full Game · 2023 Penn State vs. Ole Miss (Peach Bowl Full Game)
2020Week 9Home
L 25-38 vs. Ohio State
No. 18 Penn State vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 13-point margin
Ranking 31/50 · Closeness 17/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
48
Game score
2021Week 9Away
L 24-33 vs. Ohio State
No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 20 Penn State · 9-point margin
Ranking 27/50 · Closeness 21/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
48
Game score
2021Week 3Home
W 28-20 vs. Auburn
No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 22 Auburn · 8-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 22/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
47
Game score
2021Week 11Home
L 17-21 vs. Michigan
No. 23 Penn State vs. No. 9 Michigan · 4-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
46
Game score
2024Week 2Home
W 34-27 vs. Bowling Green
No. 8 Penn State vs. Unranked Bowling Green · 7-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
46
Game score
2024Week 5Home
W 21-7 vs. Illinois
No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 19 Illinois · 14-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 16/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
45
Game score
2025Week 6Away
L 37-42 vs. UCLA
Unranked UCLA vs. No. 7 Penn State · 5-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 25/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
44
Game score
Highlight · 2025 UCLA vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)

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 2020s

Top 25 games of the 2020s in the database

How each game earns up to 100 points

Keep exploring Penn State