After Penn State’s loss to UCLA last week, the Nittany Lions were left heartbroken. Unfortunately, this feeling is nothing new to Happy Valley. Through the program’s 132 seasons, the Nittany Lions have lost 406 games so far. From last-second collapses to unforgettable blowouts, this program has had many games that we would rather forget.

Of these losses, a few stand out as the ones that haunt us the most.

Here are the top 10 worst losses in Penn State football History.

10. Lehigh 106, Penn State 0 (November 11, 1889)

This loss to Lehigh is the largest margin of defeat in Penn State history. In just the third season of the football program’s existence at Penn State, an over one hundred point shutout couldn’t be left off the list.

9. Michigan State 27, Penn State 24 (November 4, 2017)

The No. 7-ranked Penn State came into this game with high hopes after a close loss to Ohio State the week prior. However, after building a 14-7 lead into the second quarter, the game went into a weather delay that lasted over three hours. Coming out of the delay, the No. 24-ranked Spartans went on a run and won the game on a walk-off field goal, effectively ending any playoff hopes for the Nittany Lions.

8. Ohio State 39, Penn State 38 (October 28, 2017)

Speaking of crushing defeats in 2017, this one edges out the Michigan State loss due to the collapse the Nittany Lions had in the final minutes. This matchup was one for the ages as No. 2 Penn State went on the road to face the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes in a pivotal Big Ten East matchup. The Nittany Lions had a 97.3% chance of victory late in the fourth quarter, according to ESPN analytics. But after a late rally from J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes, Penn State blew an eleven-point fourth-quarter lead and left The Horshoe deflated.

7. Ohio State 63, Penn State 14 (October 26, 2013)

This loss to Ohio State stings for a much different reason than number eight. This 2013 defeat still remains the biggest blowout in rivalry history against the Buckeyes. It marked Penn State’s most lopsided loss since the 19th century. After the loss, Penn State linebacker Mike Hull called it “the worst game I’ve experienced,” according to the Associated Press.

6. Temple 27, Penn State 10 (September 5, 2015)

This game was Temple’s first win over Penn State in 74 years. After jumping out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter, it all went down for the Nittany Lions. Penn State came into the game as seven-point favorites and looked to make it 40 consecutive games against Temple without a loss. Instead, Temple got the win at home and gave Penn State a sour start to their season.

5. Minnesota 31, Penn State 26 (November 9, 2019)

No. 4-ranked Penn State was upset by No. 17 Minnesota to give the Golden Gophers their first victory over a top-five opponent in over 20 years. It killed the, at the time, 8-0, Nittany Lions’ hopes for a playoff birth. Penn State was down for much of the game but looked poised to come back and win. However, after quarterback Sean Clifford threw an interception in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, Penn State’s fate was sealed, and the upset was complete for Minnesota.

4. Illinois 20, Penn State 18 (October 23, 2021)

The Nittany Lions have the honor of being the losing team in the longest game in college football history. No. 7 Penn State was stunned at home by unranked Illinois in the first and only nine-overtime game in NCAA history. Penn State had no answer for Illinois running back Chase Brown as he ran for 223 yards and a touchdown. The fans in Beaver Stadium were left stunned after the 24.5-point favorite Nittany Lions blew a 10-point lead and lost on a walkoff two-point conversion in the ninth overtime.

3. Minnesota 24, Penn State 23 (November 6, 1999)

Remember how Minnesota didn’t have a win over a top-five opponent in over 20 years before they beat Penn State in 2019? Their last win of that kind came in this one. The No. 2-ranked Nittany Lions came into this game a perfect 9-0 and had national championship aspirations. Penn State looked poised to win, forcing a fourth and long while up two with time running low. However, a 27-yard tipped pass set up the Golden Gophers for a game-winning field goal attempt, which freshman kicker Dan Nystrom of course nailed. This loss sent the Nittany Lions into a spiral of mediocrity for close to half a decade and is certainly one that still leaves a bad taste in the mouths of Penn State fans.

2. Alabama 14, Penn State (January 1, 1979)

The 1979 Sugar Bowl is a game that many Penn State fans would like to forget. It served as the National Championship game for the 1978 season. Penn State was undefeated coming into the game and the number one team in the nation. Alabama was the nation’s second-ranked team and boasted a 10-1 record. The game is defined by its final moment. Down seven in the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions had a third and goal from the Alabama one-yard line. Penn State opted to give the ball to fullback Guman on back-to-back plays but was stopped short on both attempts. This goal-line stand to win the National Championship for the Rolling Tide is one of College Football’s most iconic moments, but is one that the Nittany Lions wish never happened.

1. UCLA 42, Penn State 37 (October 4, 2025)

Call it recency bias if you will, but this loss is without a doubt one of the worst losses in Penn State Football history. The No. 7-ranked Nittany Lions came into Pasadena as 24.5-point favorites over the winless UCLA Bruins. UCLA had not led a game all season and was without its head coach and both its coordinators. Despite their shortcomings, the Bruins knocked off Penn State and became the first 0-4 or worse team to beat a top-ten opponent in 40 years. Penn State came into the year with national title aspirations, but those dreams might have been squashed under the Rose Bowl lights, and now Penn State sits unranked for the first time since 2022.

When it comes to the worst losses in Penn State Football history, this one sits alone at the top.

3-2. pic.twitter.com/3GuvJ9k8Ft

— Onward State (@OnwardState) October 4, 2025

Every program has its highs and lows, and while these losses hurt more than others, it just makes it that much sweeter when the Nittany Lions win.

Despite the sadness we all feel after a loss, Penn State always finds a way to rebound. Here at Penn State, heartbreak doesn’t last forever, but blue and white pride always does.