Past Games against Ohio State – which was the best? The most satisfying win? The toughest defeat?

[john4psu]

As for the best game, I’m going to go with the 2005 win at Beaver Stadium where Zombie Nation and Penn State’s student section grew into legend and Penn State was back beating Ohio State 17-10! This was one of the most memorable games ever at Penn State with many PSU heroes: Tamba Hali, Paul Posluszny, Michael Robinson and Derek Williams to name a few.

As for the most satisfying win, this one is truly a difficult choice. The elders might say the total dominance of Penn State in the Horseshoe in 1964 as Penn State dominated and shut out the #2 ranked Buckeyes 27-0. Then there’s the 19-0 shutout win in 1978 as Bruce Clark introduced himself to Art Schlichter time and time again.

How about the 63-14 win in 1994 over an Ohio State in which Ohio State shill himself Kirk Herbstreit said that night that Penn State’s offense was the best he ever saw!

Those in attendance will never forget last year’s 24-21 win over #2 Ohio State on another magical night in Beaver Stadium on prime time television against the Buckeyes.

Those that were in attendance in 2001 will never forget win #324 as freshman QB Zack Mills brought the Lions back and Jimmy Kennedy blocked a late FG attempt by the Buckeyes to have Joe Paterno become the winningest coach in Division I history surpassing Paul Bear Bryant.

For me the most satisfying win was the 13-6 win in 2008 at the Shoe as the Nittany Lion defense, defense, defense shut down Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes offense and paved the way for Penn State to become Big 10 champions and go on to the Rose Bowl.

As for the toughest defeat, I’d pick the 2014 overtime loss at home 31-24 in which we got robbed and jobbed by Big 10 officials on several obvious bad calls clearly visible in person and via replay (oh that somehow weren’t able to be used by the officials to keep Ohio State with the chance of making the college football playoff). That game rightfully would have been Coach Franklin’s first signature win at Penn State.

The 28-25 loss at home in 1995 was a heck of game as well and has been replayed on ESPN Classic.

For you, which game against Ohio State was the best? The most satisfying win? The toughest defeat?

 

[VaNtyLion]

Best win over OSU: tie between 1997 and 2016. '97 game was great at the time b/c it matched two top five teams and vaulted us to #1 the following week, but our '97 squad fizzled down the stretch, getting blown out by UM and MSU....and losing to Florida in bowl game. Meanwhile '16 team used win over #2 OSU game as jumping off point for a conference title. I keep '97 game elevated here because it's probably the best football game I've ever seen in person.

Most satisfying win: 2005. '94 would be too easy but that OSU team was pretty average at the time. Could easily put '16 here but thing what made the '05 game great was coming off the worst 4 year stretch in program history, the game unfolded as a traditional B1G trench warfare and really put the White Out on the map.

Toughest defeat: Hands down, 1995. I don't get too worked up over the blowout losses we've suffered at the Shoe. It's the tight, gut wrenching ones that hit home more. PSU/OSU '95 and '97 games were phenomenal when you step back and look at the talent on the field for both sides.

 

[michnittlion]

Best win was 1997. We got to #1 in the country after the game and our future looked very bright. That was a very good Ohio State team that we beat that day. Unfortunately, that OSU game was the peak --- the '97 team's fatal flaws began to become apparent in the very next week (the home "victory" over Minnesota --- we didn't really earn that win as much as we were handed it).

Most satisfying was 2008 --- partially because I was there. I had made a lot of visits to Columbus over the years (1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006). We had never won there (in B1G play) prior to 2008. But we finally pulled it out.

Toughest defeat - I'll mention 2002. That team was close in several games (Iowa, Michigan, Citrus Bowl against Auburn) but never got it done. Frankly, they under-achieved. We had the Buckeyes on the ropes and had a chance to eliminate them from MNC contention - but blew it.

For another category --- the best OVERALL FOOTBALL GAME was in 1995. We lost, but what a football game. Both teams had elite-level talent and both teams actually played UP TO that elite-level. Eddie George pulled it out at the end - in a game with so much talent he rose to the very top that sunny Saturday afternoon.

The worst overall football game was 2004. Thanks to our incompetent special teams and offense, OSU got a 14-0 lead on us before they ran a single offensive play! OSU slogged their way to a 21-10 victory in a "Tressel-ball punt-fest" from that point forward.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

'97 because I was there , and Enis and Harris made the Big Kat their biatch.

 

[Limestone_Lion]

16 because I was there. I can still feel the ground shake when Haley was sprinting to the end zone. Incredible...

 

[Nitt1300]

1994 was fun

but 1978 may have been more fun-eastern football didn't get much respect then, and a 19-0 win opened a few eyes

 

[CF LION]

1994 was fun

but 1978 may have been more fun-eastern football didn't get much respect then, and a 19-0 win opened a few eyes

Agreed, and that was followed by a 1980(?) Fiesta Bowl win over the Buckeyes.

 

[Marylovesthelions]

1964.

 

[maxxedout]

2005 was unforgettable, and 2016 was legendary. Shocking the world this year by beating them at the Shoe would be incredible.