1986 Penn State
12–0, coached by Joe Paterno, finished No. 1 in the AP poll. Share
Schedule and results
- Biggest upsetBeat No. 1 Miami 14–10Jan 2
Miami was ranked No. 1, above it.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6 | vs Temple | W 45–15 | 76% |
| Sep 20 | at Boston College | W 26–14 | 63% |
| Sep 27 | vs East Carolina | W 42–17 | 89% |
| Oct 4 | vs Rutgers | W 31–6 | 78% |
| Oct 11 | vs Cincinnati | W 23–17 | 85% |
| Oct 18 | vs Syracuse | W 42–3 | 82% |
| Oct 25 | at 2Alabama | W 23–3 | 36% |
| Nov 1 | at West Virginia | W 19–0 | 77% |
| Nov 8 | vs Maryland | W 17–15 | 79% |
| Nov 15 | at Notre Dame | W 24–19 | 61% |
| Nov 22 | vs Pittsburgh | W 34–14 | 83% |
| Jan 2Bowls & playoff | vs 1MiamiFiesta Bowl | W 14–10 | 46% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
How it ended: Beat Miami 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl; No. 1 in the final AP poll.
In program history: The 5th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 139 on file).
AP poll, week by week
- Wk 1: 6
- Wk 2: 5
- Wk 3: 5
- Wk 4: 7
- Wk 5: 5
- Wk 6: 5
- Wk 7: 6
- Wk 8: 6
- Wk 9: 2
- Wk 10: 2
- Wk 11: 3
- Wk 12: 2
- Wk 13: 2
- Wk 14: 2
- Final: 1
Players on this team
- D.J. DozierRunning back
- Shane ConlanLinebacker
- Steve WisniewskiGuard
- John BrunoPunter
- Chris ConlinOffensive tackle
- Tim JohnsonDefensive tackle
Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1986.
National championsNo. 1 in the final AP poll, and a title the school claims
2 consensus All-AmericansD.J. Dozier, RB; Shane Conlan, LB
Eddie Robinson Coach of the YearJoe Paterno, coach; also the Bear Bryant Award
- Record
- 12–0
- Conference
- 6–0 first in the Major eastern college football independents (Wikipedia)
- AP final
- No. 1 peak No. 1
- Points
- 340–133
- Coach
- Joe Paterno
- Elo
- 1796 +168 this season
- SP+ rating
- 28.4 No. 3 of 101; offense No. 8, defense No. 1
- SRS
- 23.4 No. 3 of 105 in Division I-A
- Recruiting class
- —
- Offensive coordinator
- Fran Ganter
- Defensive coordinator
- Jerry Sandusky
- Captains
- Shane Conlan, John Shaffer, Steve Smith and Bob White
- Offense
- Pro-style
- Defense
- 4–3
Drafted in 1987
The 1987 draft| Rd 1 | Shane Conlan LB | Buffalo Bills |
| Rd 1 | D.J. Dozier RB | Minnesota Vikings |
| Rd 3 | Tim Manoa RB | Cleveland Browns |
| Rd 3 | Steve Smith RB | Los Angeles Raiders |
| Rd 4 | Don Graham LB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Rd 5 | John Bruno P | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Rd 5 | Chris Conlin OT | Miami Dolphins |
| Rd 6 | Tim Johnson DT | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Rd 6 | Bob White LB | San Francisco 49ers |