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Ranking the top 10 best Big Ten football rivalries

By Shane Lunnen

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 25: The Wisconsin Badgers hoist Paul Bunyan's Axe after winning the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on November 25, 2017 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Badgers defeated the Golden Gophers 31-0. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 25: The Wisconsin Badgers hoist Paul Bunyan's Axe after winning the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on November 25, 2017 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Badgers defeated the Golden Gophers 31-0. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

3. Penn State vs. Ohio State

Ohio State fans won’t admit it, but their games with Penn State are becoming “circle the date” on the calendar type of matchups. This border war is heating up and has become a pivotal battle in the Big Ten East.

Prior to joining the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes met eight times. The series started in 1912 and Penn State won the first four matchups all in Columbus. The Buckeyes would win the first ever match-up in State College in 1976. The two teams would last meet as non conference foes in the 1980 Fiesta Bowl, a 31-19 Nittany Lion victory.

Penn State would join the Big Ten in 1993 and has played Ohio State annually since, the only conference foe to meet the criteria for the Nittany Lions. The first conference meeting was an Ohio State 24-6 win in Columbus, but Penn State returned the favor the following year with a 63-14 shellacking of the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions won their first conference title and finished undefeated that season.

In 2001, Penn State’s Joe Paterno would earn his 324th victory against the Buckeyes, passing Bear Bryant for most victories all time in FBS football. The Nittany Lions would also earn victories over the Buckeyes in 2005 and 2008, years they would go on to win the conference championship.

What puts this rivalry high on the list is the last three meetings have been all-time classics, decided by a total of five points. In 2016, the Lions used a ferocious defense and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown to stun the second ranked Buckeyes by three. Ohio State has won the last two games by one point each. In both of those games, Penn State had double digit fourth quarter leads with Ohio State rallying to win.

The winner of the last three matchups has gone on to win the Big Ten championship. Off the field, the two schools are fighting for the same players on the recruiting trail. While nothing will replace the rivalry Ohio State has with “the team up North”, Penn State has become a challenging foe for the Buckeyes and they look to be a good second rivalry for years to come.

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