How many football national titles do you say we have?

[NittanyLion15]

I was just lost in the vortex of what is known as wikipedia, and came across this list of NCAA programs with the most national titles. I knew we were high up on the list, but what I found surprising was that they list 4 national titles in football.

I'm seeing the 1911 & 1912 shared titles referenced more, but the National perception and what I've heard quoted by the media or seen in the news has always been 2. Did they recently change something that gave us the rights to officially claim 1911 and 1912?

You're in a sports environment, and someone who's not familiar with Penn State asks you how many national titles we have... What would you say?

Here's your data per wikipedia on the Penn State Football page....

Claimed nat'l titles 2 (1982, 1986)
Unclaimed nat'l titles 14 (1911, 1912, 1887, 1894, 1909, 1920, 1921, 1947, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1994)

 

[Lion8286]

I usually say 2, but when I use the Pennsylvania multiplier it becomes 18. The multiplier works for any Pennsylvania Division 1 football team.

 

[dwiz]

2 is generally the accepted version. 3 if you include 1994. 16 if you want to stoop to pitt's level.

 

[Norm Petersin]

Does Pres Nixon's proclamation count?

 

[psu00]

It’s 2 officially but PSU could claim 14-16 IIRC. PSU has decided to stay only with the AP/ coaches poll. Other universities (like Bama among others) go back and count anytime they were voted as #1 by any group. So back in the day before the BCS you could have multiple teams claiming the same title.

 

[jbenedict]

Two, too, to, 2. That is it. Period. Three hopefully this year. I am ready for some Penn State football.

 

[Ranger Dan]

It seems the consensus is that Penn State has 2 national championships. Pitt is only recognized as having 1, I think.

 

[78SweetRevenge]

2

 

[dwiz]

Does Pres Nixon's proclamation count?

If Drumpf tweets a champion this year, does it make them the champion?

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

There is no national title.... what is the point of claiming anything.

 

[psu skp]

Does Pres Nixon's proclamation count?

President Taft declared PSU the 1911 AND '12 National Champions just before he died.

 

[bison13]

infinity

 

[john4psu]

According to NCAA.com we have four.

http://amp.ncaa.com/amp/news/football/article/college-football-national-championship-history

 

[HazletonLion]

I say our 73 team beats the 4 teams ahead of us Alabama, ND, OSU , UM. but what do i know Alabama & ND were in position to win it all ( sound familiar).
And 94 was the best offensive team i've ever seen in college football, but again this time the writers in Big Ten country were in denial over their two sweethearts.

 

[PSUHusky]

I'm sorry but I will ALWAYS claim 94.

82, 86, 94

 

[psu00]

I say our 73 team beats the 4 teams ahead of us Alabama, ND, OSU , UM. but what do i know Alabama & ND were in position to win it all ( sound familiar).
And 94 was the best offensive team i've ever seen in college football, but again this time the writers in Big Ten country were in denial over their two sweethearts.

It’s funny you mention 1973. IIRC both Alabama and ND claim that national championship. ND beat Bama in the Sugar bowl that year....... but the AP awarded its title before bowl games. So, despite losing their bowl to ND- Bama still claims 1973 as a national championship year.

 

[#1 Nittany in VA]

82, 86, 94 period. Others are debatable IMO.

 

[Howie'81]

Depends what algorithm you use. Using the Pitt algorithm, we have 28 natties.

 

[Howie'81]

2 is generally the accepted version. 3 if you include 1994. 16 if you want to stoop to pitt's level.

I'd add '69 and possibly '73. No doubt on '94. We'd have dominated Nebraska.

 

[crm114psu]

It’s funny you mention 1973. IIRC both Alabama and ND claim that national championship. ND beat Bama in the Sugar bowl that year....... but the AP awarded its title before bowl games. So, despite losing their bowl to ND- Bama still claims 1973 as a national championship year.

Alabama was awarded the UPI #1 ranking prior to the bowl game, as the UPI did at the time. They recognize that awarded ranking as a national championship. I'm not aware of any school that does not recognize a poll-era AP/UPI #1 ranking as a national championship, regardless of when they were awarded. Notre Dame was awarded the AP #1 after the game.

 

[nittany119]

I say our 73 team beats the 4 teams ahead of us Alabama, ND, OSU , UM. but what do i know Alabama & ND were in position to win it all ( sound familiar).
And 94 was the best offensive team i've ever seen in college football, but again this time the writers in Big Ten country were in denial over their two sweethearts.

In actuality, it was the anti Joe Pa writers that cost us this title. Had we won our home state, it would have been enough votes to claim it.

 

[EPC FAN]

I usually say 2, but when I use the Pennsylvania multiplier it becomes 18. The multiplier works for any Pennsylvania Division 1 football team.

Alabama claims 1973. I know I watched them lose to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl that year, but still they claim it.

 

[Zenophile]

I would say we have a plethora.

 

[kgilbert78]

I've always thought that 1912 was a legit one--but it is ex post facto, as there were no polls at the time. I think there's 4 players from that team in the College Hall of Fame. They only gave up 6 points--all season.

 

[STPGopherfan]

I was just lost in the vortex of what is known as wikipedia, and came across this list of NCAA programs with the most national titles. I knew we were high up on the list, but what I found surprising was that they list 4 national titles in football.

I'm seeing the 1911 & 1912 shared titles referenced more, but the National perception and what I've heard quoted by the media or seen in the news has always been 2. Did they recently change something that gave us the rights to officially claim 1911 and 1912?

You're in a sports environment, and someone who's not familiar with Penn State asks you how many national titles we have... What would you say?

Here's your data per wikipedia on the Penn State Football page....

Claimed nat'l titles 2 (1982, 1986)
Unclaimed nat'l titles 14 (1911, 1912, 1887, 1894, 1909, 1920, 1921, 1947, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1994)

Claim them all! Alabama does... ;-) Anyway, Minnesota claims 7, so why not claim your 14.

 

[STPGopherfan]

It’s funny you mention 1973. IIRC both Alabama and ND claim that national championship. ND beat Bama in the Sugar bowl that year....... but the AP awarded its title before bowl games. So, despite losing their bowl to ND- Bama still claims 1973 as a national championship year.

Well Minnesota claims the 1960 title in similar fashion. Washington beat us in the Rosebowl, but the title was handed out prior to the game. Besides, who likes Notre Dame...

The 1994 PSU was one of the great teams I've seen. Dominant. Should have gotten the title. The media fell in love with Dr. Osborne and decided that he deserved the title. Unfortunately we can't go back and demand a playoff.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

I've always thought that 1912 was a legit one--but it is ex post facto, as there were no polls at the time. I think there's 4 players from that team in the College Hall of Fame. They only gave up 6 points--all season.

1911 and 1912 are def reasonable to claim, but I don’t mention them without qualification. Impossible to argue against your point on the 1912 season. But 82 and 86 are irrefutable. So for me, it’s 2 or possibly 4.

PSU’s undefeated 1994 MNC claim isn’t any more legit than Auburn’s undefeated 2004 MNC claim, which they don’t assert as a NC because they know it’s BS. Or in any case, it’s a cheap claim. They misssed out on an MNC opportunity just like we did. Just as others did. I’m glad our program and institution demonstrates that level of class. Or did after PSU took down that stupid 1994 “NYT national champion” or whatever Rose Bowl/#1 ranking BS they had up over the Beav South entrance in the late 90s.

My preference is to resist the urge to write our own history with shallow accolades. Comes off like all those shiny medals on former Latin American dictators. Not saying we need to write our history to exclude the unrecognized and unclaimed national championships. But they’re unclaimed for good reason and should remain unclaimed, even if we choose to advertise them.

 

[Roar Lions Roar]

5. 1911, 1912, 1982, 1986 and 1994.

 

[Mufasa94]

Based on non-retroactive polls, the PSU total would be two. That said, is a retroactive poll less legitimate than one that does not take into account all of the games a team played? FYI, there are past seasons where the final poll was done before the regular season even ended.

In addition, the coaches’ poll started in ’50, and the AP in ’36. Should successful teams from before that time not get credit?

The problem is where some schools claim titles from a ranking system that is basically one person’s method of determining #1. Some of these mnc’s are also retroactive.

Anyways, there was a multiple people polling system started around 1980 that retroactively determined mnc’s. It was named the National Championship Foundation, and they determined the 1911 and 1912 PSU teams as co-mnc’s.

I would see nothing wrong with someone claiming 4 titles for PSU (even if I think there should be more), and I am not sure why the school itself does not claim more. Considering whatever type of year they are willing to slap up on the list of years at the stadium, I’d consider claiming the 1911 and ’1912 as mnc’s as more appropriate..

 

[PrtLng Lion]

I'd add '69 and possibly '73. No doubt on '94. We'd have dominated Nebraska.

Hell yeah! They'd have had no answer for Collins, Carter, Engram, Brady and co.

Loved the shirts that came out back then: "Anytime, Anyplace" with the PSU and Nebraska helmets. Maybe someone who knows how can post a pic. Thx

 

[john4psu]

About those nine IMAGINARY Pitt national championships?????

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

 

[BudatPSU]

If Drumpf tweets a champion this year, does it make them the champion?

if it is pitt it would just be a shithole.

 

[LineMountain]

Any team that’s undefeated I also consider National champions; 1911, 1912, 1969, 1968, 1973, 1982, 1986, 1994.

If Alabama, Pitt, ND, And all the rest are going to claim titles then we should also.