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The Best Penn State Moment Bracket: The Championship

It’s all come down to this, folks.

What began with 32 of Penn State’s top moments and traditions has boiled down to just two — ironically, both No. 1 seeds. Our bracket’s championship will be a heavyweight battle between Penn State football’s annual White Out and the Nittany Lions’ legendary blocked field goal against Ohio State in 2016.

Before we get to voting, let’s take a step back to appreciate just how much these two contenders dominated en route to the final showdown.

The Kick Six’s Path To The Final

  • 96.5% over Penn State men’s basketball’s 2018 NIT title
  • 82.5% over Joe Paterno gets wins restored
  • 80.3% over Penn State women’s volleyball completes 2007-10 four-peat
  • 66.4% over Penn State football’s 1986 championship/undefeated season

The White Out’s Path To The Final

  • 94.2% over Onward State’s founding
  • 94.6% over Colleg GameDay’s 2017 return to Penn State
  • 95.1% over State Patty’s
  • 60.1% over THON

Both finalists met little competition in the first few rounds of our bracket, and probably for good reason. We were shocked to see the White Out obliterate moments like State Patty’s and THON, but no one should be surprised to see it matched up against that blocked kick against Ohio State.

Interestingly, that blocked kick happened at a White Out — 2016’s, to be exact. With just four minutes remaining in regulation and Penn State down 21-17, Ohio State kicker Tyler Durbin, who was “super reliable” inside of 40, lined up for a 45-yard field goal. Moments later, cornerback Grant Haley scooped up the blocked kick for a much-needed Penn State score. The unranked Nittany Lions shocked the then-No. 2 Buckeyes to earn James Franklin’s first win over a ranked team and spark a legendary season that resulted in a Big Ten title.

In a way, these moments are closer than any two in our bracket. But it’s up to you to decide which will ultimately be named as the top Penn State moment of all time.

Voting will close at 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Check back at Onward State Monday morning to see us crown a champion.

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About the Author

Matt DiSanto

Matt proudly served as Onward State’s managing editor for two years until graduating from Penn State in May 2022. Now, he’s off in the real world doing real things. Send him an email ([email protected]) or follow him on Twitter (@mattdisanto_) to stay in touch.

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