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Penn State vs. Wisconsin

Penn State and Wisconsin have 22 meetings on file, the first in 1953; Penn State leads the series 12–⁠10 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Penn State 8–⁠2.

Scheduled 2027 at Wisconsin. As the programs’ Wikipedia articles list them (CC BY-SA).

Penn State wins
12
Wisconsin wins
10
Ties
0
Earliest on file
1953
Longest streak
6 Penn State
Current streak
1 Wisconsin
Last 10 meetings
Penn State 8–⁠2
Most recent
2026

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1950s0–⁠1
1970s0–⁠1
1990s2–⁠2
2000s4–⁠4
2010s4–⁠1
2020s2–⁠1
Both ranked
7 meetings: Penn State 5, Wisconsin 2; 1 both in the top 10
Average margin
14.5 points; 9 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Penn State
5–⁠4 Penn State’s record at home
At Wisconsin
6–⁠6 Wisconsin’s record at home
Neutral sites
1–⁠0 Penn State first
Shutouts
1

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. Penn State’s biggest win2008: Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7by 41 points
  2. Wisconsin’s biggest win2011: Wisconsin 45, Penn State 7by 38 points
  3. Upset1970: Wisconsin 29, Penn State 16Wisconsin had a 20% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset2013: Penn State 31, Wisconsin 24Penn State had a 21% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset2026: Wisconsin 24, Penn State 20Wisconsin had a 21% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  6. Ranked showdown2016: Penn State 38, Wisconsin 31No. 6 Wisconsin at No. 8 Penn State
  7. Ranked showdown2005: Penn State 35, Wisconsin 14No. 14 Wisconsin at No. 10 Penn State
  8. Ranked showdown1998: Wisconsin 24, Penn State 3No. 16 Penn State at No. 13 Wisconsin

Coach against coach

YearsPenn StateSeriesWisconsin
1995–⁠2005Joe Paterno4–⁠5Barry Alvarez
2006–⁠2008Joe Paterno2–⁠1Bret Bielema
2016–⁠2021James Franklin3–⁠0Paul Chryst

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Penn State’s side (Paterno 4–⁠5 against Alvarez). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Penn State and Wisconsin, 1953 on1300150017001960197019801990200020102020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Trace McSorley Penn State22 of 31, 384 yards, 4 TD2016 Passing
Saeed Blacknall Penn State6 catches, 155 yards, 2 TD2016 Receiving

Named most valuable

Trace McSorley Penn State2016

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on). Most valuable: as the games’ Wikipedia articles name them (CC BY-SA).

On television

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from this game twice: 2016, 2004.

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of its locations (CC BY-SA).

Photos

  • Penn State Nittany Lions at Wisconsin Badgers football (October 26, 2024)
    Penn State Nittany Lions at Wisconsin Badgers football (October 26, 2024)Photo: SecretName101, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2024 game
  • Penn State Nittany Lions at Wisconsin Badgers football (October 26, 2024)
    Penn State Nittany Lions at Wisconsin Badgers football (October 26, 2024)Photo: SecretName101, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2024 game
  • Penn State Nittany Lions at Wisconsin Badgers football (October 26, 2024)
    Penn State Nittany Lions at Wisconsin Badgers football (October 26, 2024)Photo: SecretName101, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2024 game
  • Penn State Nittany Lions at Wisconsin Badgers football (October 26, 2024)
    Penn State Nittany Lions at Wisconsin Badgers football (October 26, 2024)Photo: SecretName101, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2024 game

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Sep 26, 2026Wisconsin 24, 13Penn State 20at Penn State
Oct 26, 20243Penn State 28, Wisconsin 13at Wisconsin
Sep 4, 202119Penn State 16, 12Wisconsin 10at Wisconsin
Nov 10, 201821Penn State 22, Wisconsin 10at Penn State
Dec 3, 20168Penn State 38, 6Wisconsin 31Lucas Oil StadiumBig Ten Championship Game
Nov 30, 2013Penn State 31, 14Wisconsin 24at Wisconsin
Nov 24, 2012Penn State 24, Wisconsin 21at Penn State
Nov 26, 201115Wisconsin 45, 20Penn State 7at Wisconsin
Oct 11, 20086Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7at Wisconsin
Oct 13, 2007Penn State 38, 19Wisconsin 7at Penn State
Nov 4, 200617Wisconsin 13, Penn State 3at Wisconsin
Nov 5, 200510Penn State 35, 14Wisconsin 14at Penn State
Sep 25, 200420Wisconsin 16, Penn State 3at Wisconsin
Oct 4, 2003Wisconsin 30, Penn State 23at Penn State
Oct 5, 200220Penn State 34, 19Wisconsin 31at Wisconsin
Sep 22, 2001Wisconsin 18, Penn State 6at Penn State
Nov 21, 199813Wisconsin 24, 16Penn State 3at Wisconsin
Nov 22, 19976Penn State 35, 24Wisconsin 10at Penn State
Sep 28, 19963Penn State 23, Wisconsin 20at Wisconsin
Sep 30, 1995Wisconsin 17, 6Penn State 9at Penn State
Oct 3, 1970Wisconsin 29, 16Penn State 16at Wisconsin
Sep 26, 1953Wisconsin 20, Penn State 0at Wisconsin

Every game is listed as played on the field.