Excluding the '68, '69, '73, '82, '86 and '94 teams, which Penn State team was the best?

[saturdaysarebetter]

Excluding the '68, '69, '73, '82, '86 and '94 teams, which Penn State team was the best? The reason I pose the question is that I don't foresee Penn State going undefeated this year, and in all likelihood with one loss if not two, and even with two losses this year this could still be a VERY good team. So which non-national championship, non-undefeated Penn State team was the best?

The '78 team was perhaps a denied goal-line stand from a national championship. The '85 team was a year ahead of schedule with a very good defense. The '81 team had two losses but was playing outstanding football at the end of the season. The '71 team only had one loss and averaged 40 ppg on offense. The 2017 team was a few plays away from being undefeated.

 

[WSTLion87]

1978- They struggled in three of the first four (at Temple, Rutgers, SMU) however they soundly beat a good Ohio State team in Columbus. Once they got past SMU they were pretty much unstoppable. To this day, I say if they had replay in '78 then Bolton's TD catch in the Sugar Bowl would've been overturned as he clearly had trapped the ball.

 

[LionJim]

‘81.

 

[Nitt1300]

 

[PSU Mike]

‘71 and ‘81

 

[91Joe95]

That 2005 squad was pretty damn good. Really, there's a lot of options to choose from.

 

[Bob78]

1978- They struggled in three of the first four (at Temple, Rutgers, SMU) however they soundly beat a good Ohio State team in Columbus. Once they got past SMU they were pretty much unstoppable. To this day, I say if they had replay in '78 then Bolton's TD catch in the Sugar Bowl would've been overturned as he clearly had trapped the ball.

Agree. And Matt Suhey over the top on 3rd down broke the plane of the goal line.

For me, I'd say that if there had been playoffs, besides the teams already mentioned in the OP, 1971, 1977, and 1981 would have been very tough outs. Could make an argument for maybe '05 and maybe '93.
'78 and '85 teams had their shots. Both very winnable games where the offense, while not being effective for most of the game, were still very much in it and then had one major lapse that changed the course. '85 was Shaffer missing/not throwing to the wide open TE in the red zone during a play that had worked for us multiple times that season.

 

[Zenophile]

I really enjoyed watching the 2008 squad.

 

[Connorpozlee]

That 2005 squad was pretty damn good. Really, there's a lot of options to choose from.

Of teams I can remember, that’s the top one for me.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

1977

 

[Bosco2]

Agree. And Matt Suhey over the top on 3rd down broke the plane of the goal line.

For me, I'd say that if there had been playoffs, besides the teams already mentioned in the OP, 1971, 1977, and 1981 would have been very tough outs. Could make an argument for maybe '05 and maybe '93.
'78 and '85 teams had their shots. Both very winnable games where the offense, while not being effective for most of the game, were still very much in it and then had one major lapse that changed the course. '85 was Shaffer missing/not throwing to the wide open TE in the red zone during a play that had worked for us multiple times that season.

I'll go with one of the "71, '77 and '81 group. Really liked the '77 team with Cefalo and Shuler.

 

[Corner Room Breakfast]

The 77 team that lost to Kentucky.

 

[blion72]

I'll go with one of the "71, '77 and '81 group. Really liked the '77 team with Cefalo and Shuler.

The 71 team was one of my favorites. The Tennessee loss was filled with flukes. I think we dominated the y yardage in that game from start to finish.

81 team might have been better than the 82 team. I think they lost to Miami in a torrential rainstorm. we were better than Miami by a good margin.

 

[Mufasa94]

‘77 had the best resume of 1-loss teams
‘81 had the best resume of 2-loss teams

 

[CF Lion]

‘81 cause of 48-14

 

[Nitt1300]

I never saw the '73 team play, but I did see the all of other five listed- and I don't think I could pick the best out of that list.

 

[Frank Jameslin]

In order, best first: 71, 78, 77, 85

 

[MacNit]

Excluding the '68, '69, '73, '82, '86 and '94 teams, which Penn State team was the best? The reason I pose the question is that I don't foresee Penn State going undefeated this year, and in all likelihood with one loss if not two, and even with two losses this year this could still be a VERY good team. So which non-national championship, non-undefeated Penn State team was the best?

The '78 team was perhaps a denied goal-line stand from a national championship. The '85 team was a year ahead of schedule with a very good defense. The '81 team had two losses but was playing outstanding football at the end of the season. The '71 team only had one loss and averaged 40 ppg on offense. The 2017 team was a few plays away from being undefeated.

1981, 1977

 

[Mr. Potter]

2005

 

[psuro]

1977/78.

 

[bbrown]

Excluding the '68, '69, '73, '82, '86 and '94 teams, which Penn State team was the best? The reason I pose the question is that I don't foresee Penn State going undefeated this year, and in all likelihood with one loss if not two, and even with two losses this year this could still be a VERY good team. So which non-national championship, non-undefeated Penn State team was the best?

The '78 team was perhaps a denied goal-line stand from a national championship. The '85 team was a year ahead of schedule with a very good defense. The '81 team had two losses but was playing outstanding football at the end of the season. The '71 team only had one loss and averaged 40 ppg on offense. The 2017 team was a few plays away from being undefeated.

The '81 team was very, very good. And by the end of the season the '93 team was also on the cusp of being great.
The 2016 team was a perfectly thrown but dropped TD pass against Pitt from going to the playoffs.
Agree about the 2017 team.

 

[s1uggo72]

The '81 team was very, very good. And by the end of the season the '93 team was also on the cusp of being great.
The 2016 team was a perfectly thrown but dropped TD pass against Pitt from going to the playoffs.
Agree about the 2017 team.

well that and the fact they didnt get off the bus ready to play.

 

[ApexLion]

I liked the '96 team by the end of the year. For a two-loss team (drubbed by OSU early, a screwed up in the rain L to Iowa by a pt), they were very good by the time they swatted Texas in the bowl game.

 

[TheBigUglies]

2016 was really fun to watch. Those guys found ways to win. Those OSU beyatches, who they beat should not have been in the playoffs as it should have been us.

 

[cavic]

1) '78
2) '05
3) '16
4) '08
5) '71

 

[Catch1lion]

Agree. And Matt Suhey over the top on 3rd down broke the plane of the goal line.

For me, I'd say that if there had been playoffs, besides the teams already mentioned in the OP, 1971, 1977, and 1981 would have been very tough outs. Could make an argument for maybe '05 and maybe '93.
'78 and '85 teams had their shots. Both very winnable games where the offense, while not being effective for most of the game, were still very much in it and then had one major lapse that changed the course. '85 was Shaffer missing/not throwing to the wide open TE in the red zone during a play that had worked for us multiple times that season.

My buddy was blocking on the line for Suhey. He said most definitely he was in.

 

[Roar More]

1947 team went 9-0-1 with the tie coming against Doak Walker's SMU team in the Cotton Bowl. That is the same Cotton Bowl game that gave us the "We Are" myth. They had 6 shutouts, giving up an average 4 points per game. In the regular season, they gave up 153 rushing yards. Not per game, but for the entire season! Opponents averaged .64 yards per rush. Those NCAA records that still stand.

 

[razpsu]

78,85,81,77. 93,05,08,72

78 and 85 were one or two plays on the championship game from winning so they are the closest.

81 77 and 93 were rolling at end of season and in a playoff would have been tough to beat.

08. One play away from playing in playoff.
05 was damn good and one play away from undefeated. Could they have beaten a Texas or usc. Wow what a playoff that would have been.

72. we lost the first game by a td at tenn.
We lost to Oklahoma number 2 using players that shouldn’t have played and so ok forfeited 7 games but paterno wouldn’t take it. Cappelletti was sick and didn’t play. How would that game have been different and beating the number 2 team would have made a. Statement.

 

[BostonNit]

'23.

 

[kgilbert78]

'12--1912

 

[Blair10]

Excluding the '68, '69, '73, '82, '86 and '94 teams, which Penn State team was the best? The reason I pose the question is that I don't foresee Penn State going undefeated this year, and in all likelihood with one loss if not two, and even with two losses this year this could still be a VERY good team. So which non-national championship, non-undefeated Penn State team was the best?

The '78 team was perhaps a denied goal-line stand from a national championship. The '85 team was a year ahead of schedule with a very good defense. The '81 team had two losses but was playing outstanding football at the end of the season. The '71 team only had one loss and averaged 40 ppg on offense. The 2017 team was a few plays away from being undefeated.

By far the top choice is the 1978 team. A more accurate description of that team would be they were denied a National Title because of the worse series of play calls in program history. Alabama did not stop Penn State. The PSU offensive braintrust stopped us. That game still ticks me off as if it occurred yesterday.

 

[PSUwolf]

78 followed by 71

 

[Hugh Laurie]

Undefeated and untied 1912 team. 8-0

 

[BigBopper85]

The 1999 team was fantastic.....until Minnesota. Then the doors fell off and they lost the last 2 to Michigan and Michigan State. The talent on that team was comparable to many of the good teams mentioned above. Kevin Thompson and Rashard Casey at QB, Eric McCoo, Larry Johnson, Omar Easy, Kenny Watson at running back, decent tight ends in Stewart and Gilmore, Chafie Fields, Bryant Johnson and Eddie Drummond at wide receiver. The talent on the defense included Lavar Arrington, Courtney Brown, Brandon Short, Jimmy Kennedy, Justin Kurpeikis, James Boyd, Bhawoh Jue, David Macklin. Almost everyone listed here atleast was in the NFL (some just in training camp but most played)

 

[Phoenix lion]

The 1999 team was fantastic.....until Minnesota. Then the doors fell off and they lost the last 2 to Michigan and Michigan State. The talent on that team was comparable to many of the good teams mentioned above. Kevin Thompson and Rashard Casey at QB, Eric McCoo, Larry Johnson, Omar Easy, Kenny Watson at running back, decent tight ends in Stewart and Gilmore, Chafie Fields, Bryant Johnson and Eddie Drummond at wide receiver. The talent on the defense included Lavar Arrington, Courtney Brown, Brandon Short, Jimmy Kennedy, Justin Kurpeikis, James Boyd, Bhawoh Jue, David Macklin. Almost everyone listed here atleast was in the NFL (some just in training camp but most played)

Penn State grad who lives in Minnesota.(Now only for the nicest 6 months). Truly believe that was Minnesota's biggest win in 40 years. All I heard was "Mason coached the game of his life." They were probably right.

 

[Bob78]

By far the top choice is the 1978 team. A more accurate description of that team would be they were denied a National Title because of the worse series of play calls in program history. Alabama did not stop Penn State. The PSU offensive braintrust stopped us. That game still ticks me off as if it occurred yesterday.

Ah, hindsight!
To be clear, the 'worst series of play calls' included a 2nd down pass taking us from the 8 to inside the 1. Good call, imo. Fitzkee should have scored, had he turned upfield a half-step sooner instead of taking about 3 steps toward the sideline and the Bama DB not made a heroic play. 3rd down, Suhey over the top - replays showed he broke the plane, barely but still, but no replay at that time. 4th down, Joe wanted a play action pass, but was overruled by other coaches who felt the dive would work. Given how Bama sold out to stop the dive, that play action pass would have worked for a TD. That is the call not made that haunts us all.

The common misconception is that we ran 4 plays over the top from inside the 1. The series started at first and goal from about the 9.

We actually did run 4 plays from the 1 vs. Bama in the '81 regular season game at home, and did not score. Might have changed that game, but Bama was playing really well that day too. That series of plays was behind an even better OL. That was Joe being stubborn and still not completely over the '78 season loss.

 

[razpsu]

By far the top choice is the 1978 team. A more accurate description of that team would be they were denied a National Title because of the worse series of play calls in program history. Alabama did not stop Penn State. The PSU offensive braintrust stopped us. That game still ticks me off as if it occurred yesterday.

True to some extent but a great play by their db caused fitzkee to be tackled parallel to the goal line at the 1.
The punt was the dagger. 15 yard penalty for psu because we had 12 men on field and we would have had it at the 25 yard line. This was after the same goal line stand.

 

[psu31trap]

I thought the 2005 and the 2009 teams were solid.

 

[BobPSU92]

The 77 team that lost to Kentucky.

SNELL. YEAH.

 

[s1uggo72]

True to some extent but a great play by their db caused fitzkee to be tackled parallel to the goal line at the 1.
The punt was the dagger. 15 yard penalty for psu because we had 12 men on field and we would have had it at the 25 yard line. This was after the same goal line stand.

here you go.....