ESPN names Penn State’s biggest all-time archenemy
· Yahoo Sports
College football fans are some of the most passionate sports supporters on the planet. Whether it’s because they root for their alma mater or they have a familial connection to a school, there just seems to be a little extra juice in college fanbases.
This love for their teams means that they also have a lot of animosity towards rival schools, or just specific people who have tortured them over the years. ESPN put together a list of the biggest enemies for each Power 4 school, and Penn State’s could not have been more accurate.
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They have the national poll voters as the school’s biggest nemesis and it makes far too much sense. The Nittany Lions had five undefeated seasons under Joe Paterno, but didn’t finish as the national champion in any of those instances. ESPN also mentions that they became “the first Power 4 conference champion excluded from the [College Football Playoff.]”
There have been multiple teams over the years that Penn State fans felt deserved to be recognized, but the voters seem to snub the program every time. They finally got over the hump in 2024, when they made the playoffs, but they quickly reverted back to their old ways last season.
Heading into a 2026 season with a new coach in Matt Campbell and a relatively light schedule, there is a chance for the resentment to build even further between fans and the voters. Some believe that the schedule could end up working against the Nittany Lions when jockeying for position in the playoff picture this year.
There are a lot of factors working against them this season, so all they can do is block out the noise and try to force the voters to recognize them. Maybe a strong season from Penn State and an inclusion in the College Football Playoff can help mend the relationship between fans and the voters.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: ESPN names Penn State’s biggest all-time archenemy