What Is the Penn State Blue White Game 2018
The White Out. It's a spectacle that's rivaled by few environments in college football.
The annual game that takes place in front of a sea of bellowing white-clad fans is one of the major reasons Beaver Stadium is ranked as one of the hardest stadiums in the nation to play in for any opponent.
The White Out is traditionally saved for Penn State's toughest opponent, using the crowd's energy boost to keep up with anybody.
This year's White Out features a clash between the Nittany Lions and Big Ten West foe Minnesota on Oct. 22. This is the second year in a row when the opponent isn't Michigan or Ohio State after an eight-year streak of White Outs with those two opponents.
With the White Out slate set for this season, let's look at Penn State's five toughest White Out opponents since the inception of the tradition in 2004.
5. 2016 No. 2 Ohio State | 24-21 win
This is far from the last time Ohio State will be mentioned on this list, as the Buckeyes represent the opposing team five times out of the 18 White Outs played.
The 2016 game against Ohio State is perhaps James Franklin's most significant win of his career in State College, as the win changed the trajectory of what came to be a successful season.
The Nittany Lions did it against a talented Buckeye roster as well, as the 2016 Buckeyes arguably had the best secondary of any team on this list with three future NFL players in Marshon Lattimore, Malik Hooker and Gareon Conley. The defense was rounded out with linebacker Raekwon McMillan and defensive end Sam Hubbard, both of whom also made a name for themselves in the NFL.
Urban Meyer's squad had a good deal of offensive production headed by veteran quarterback J.T. Barrett. The Buckeyes were able to spread the field with all-purpose athlete Curtis Samuel and wide receiver Noah Brown.
4. 2006 No. 4 Michigan | 17-10 loss
Michigan makes up six of the 18 White Out matchups over the years. Out of all of the matchups between the Nittany Lions and Wolverines, the 2006 clash ranks as the toughest for Penn State.
Led by Chad Henne, Michigan entered Happy Valley with a perfect 6-0 record and a win over then-No. 2 Notre Dame.
Henne had a trio of receivers to throw the ball to in Steve Breaston, Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington. However, the Wolverine defense was the team's bread and butter.
Led by Ted Hendricks Award winner LaMarr Woodley and defensive tackle Alan Branch, Michigan had the best rushing defense in the country in basically every category. It was first in the nation in opposing rushing yards per game, opposing rushing touchdowns, opposing yards per carry — a measly 1.9 yards per attempt — and rush attempts against.
Michigan's run defense proved to be the deciding factor in the 2006 White Out, as the Wolverines held Penn State to -14 total rushing yards for the game.
3. 2018 No. 4 Ohio State | 27-26 loss
Although the 2018 Ohio State team had the least amount of NFL talent out of the five Nittany Lion opponents on this list, it was one of the toughest at the collegiate level.
The Buckeyes brought an offensive juggernaut to Penn State on Sept. 29, 2018. Ohio State quarterback and the country's leading passer Dwayne Haskins was surrounded by accomplished running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber in the backfield.
On the defensive side of the ball, defensive end Nick Bosa guided the front seven, while Damon Arnette, Jeff Okudah, Kendall Sheffield and Jordan Fuller rounded out the secondary.
Penn State fell one point short of defeating Ohio State, but the blue and white defense stifled the Buckeyes to 270 yards passing, a mark that measured well below the 358.7 passing yards per game that Ohio State averaged that season.
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2. 2011 No. 3 Alabama | 27-11 loss
Until last year's White Out vs. Auburn, Penn State had not faced an opponent outside of the Big Ten other than the 2011 battle against Alabama.
In typical Alabama fashion, the Crimson Tide laid claim to a roster full of great athletes, the headlining piece being running back Trent Richardson.
Although Richardson received the bulk of the carries in a run-heavy offense behind an offensive line that featured its share of future NFL players, backup running backs Eddie Lacy and Jalston Fowler combined for an additional 151 carries on the year.
On the other side of the ball, Nick Saban's defense was the definition of a complete package. The Crimson Tide led college football for the fewest points allowed — a meager 8.2 points per game — and gave up the least amount of passing and rushing yards per game.
Penn State's SEC opponent got the best of the Nittany Lions in the 2011 contest, forcing three turnovers in the win.
1. 2014 No. 13 Ohio State | 31-24 2OT loss
It's always a tough task to beat the eventual national champions. In 2014, that's the challenge Penn State had to face in the White Out against Ohio State.
The Buckeyes entered the Oct. 25 contest ranked No. 13 in the country and were on their way to their most recent national championship run, though they didn't know it at the time.
Like the 2016 Ohio State team, J.T. Barrett held the reins to the offense, only this time, Barrett had one of the country's most elite running backs at his side in Ezekiel Elliott. The Buckeyes also had a talented pass-catching pairing with deep threat Devin Smith and looming jump-ball target Michael Thomas.
Penn State had the better defense ahead of the 2014 White Out, but Urban Meyer and company still had talent on the defensive side of the ball with Joey Bosa at defensive end and Vonn Bell at safety.
The balance between Ohio State's star-studded offense and the Nittany Lions' smothering defense caused a close game that took two extra periods to decide a winner.
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Source: https://www.collegian.psu.edu/sports/ranking-the-5-toughest-teams-to-visit-a-penn-state-football-white-out/article_9c3fae68-f28b-11ec-8d03-7b0efa23d5f1.html
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