Penn State Football: Respect for Joe Pa's On-Field Success, Pt. 1

Hopefully, your Thanksgiving was a time to find the silver linings in life. Penn State fans have been scrambling for them as if their lives depended on it.

For the sake of the beleaguered fanbase, I will not revisit the painful memories of the past. My goal is to merely comfort them, provide them solace in such times of sorrow.

Mourning Penn State fans will forever remember not only JoePa's charisma, quips and happy go-lucky attitude. They will remember his wins.

For the sake of the shattered legacy, let's took one last look at the man who built University Park into one of the most feared places in the sport. Before the veil of the past half-century departs with Tom Bradley in a possible bowl berth, each fan should remember the JoePa Beaver Stadium knew; the man who built the program before the national titles came.

After Penn State's possible bowl game, the more well-known era of Joe Pa's tenure (1982-2011) will reviewed. Consider this the prologue to the banner years and highlights of a once-honorable career.

1968 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Team

In JoePa's third season at the helm, the then-Independent Nittany Lions finished 11-0 with a 2nd ranked finish.

Wins Over Ranked Teams: #6 Kansas, 15-14 (Orange Bowl)

Opponent	Rank	Final
Navy	10	31-6
Kansas State	4	25-9
at West Virginia	3	31-20
at UCLA	3	21-6
at Boston College	4	29-0
Army	4	28-24
Miami (FL)	4	22-7
at Maryland	3	57-13
at Pittsburgh	3	65-9
Syracuse	3	30-12
vs. #6 Kansas	3	15-14
	2	Record: 11-0

Ohio State did have a momentous come-from-behind victory over USC in the Rose Bowl. Given this was the pre-BCS era, the matchup was significant for actually taking place between No. 1 and 2 teams. Like the Boise State of their time, though, Penn State does deserve credit as a legitimate squad that year. The Broncos and Nittany Lions both pulverized weaker competition and squeaked out victories against ranked opponents. Oh, yeah--it was also Penn State's first undefeated season in roughly 50 years.

1969 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Team

"I'd like to know how the President could know so little about Watergate in 1973 and so much about college football in 1969."  --Joe Paterno

Wins over Ranked Teams: No. 17 West Virginia 20-0 (Homecoming), No. 6 Missouri (Orange Bowl)

Opponent	Rank	Final
at Navy	3	45-22
Colorado	2	27-3
at Kansas State	2	17-14
#17 West Virginia	5	20-0
at Syracuse	5	15-14
Ohio	8	42-3
Boston College	5	38-16
Maryland	5	48-0
at Pittsburgh	4	27-7
at North Carolina State	3	33-8
vs.  #6 Missouri	2	10-3
	2	Record: 11-0

This year Penn State grabbed the longest winning streak in the country and in school history, triumphing in 22 straight outings.

Unfortunately, Darell Royal's Texas Longhorns captured the national title by winning the 1969 Game of the Century.

Another unscathed record leads to another unrecognized team.

1973: John Cappelletti Wins the Heisman Trophy

By his eighth year on the job, Joe Paterno was already a living legend. Having already garnered three undefeated and untied seasons, Penn State was becoming a well-known football force.

A quintessential example of such acknowledgement came in his third perfect season of 1973. Running John Cappelletti won the Nittany Lions' first Heisman Trophy.

The clean persona of the Penn State program was epitomized in Cappelletti's selfless Heisman acceptance speech, when he dedicated the award to his cancer-ridden little brother Joey.

Wins Over Ranked Teams:

Opponents	Rank	Final
at Stanford	7	20-6
at Navy	7	39-0
Iowa	6	27-8
at Air Force	7	19-9
Army	7	54-3
at Syracuse	5	49-6
West Virginia	5	62-14
at Maryland	6	42-22
North Carolina State	6	35-29
Ohio	6	49-10
#20 Pittsburgh	6	35-13
vs. #13 LSU	6	16-9
	5	12-0

Side-Note: Penn State's six point victory came against a NC State team coached by Lou Holtz.

Pitt-Penn State Rivalry

In the later '70s, Joe Paterno's autonomy in Pennsylvania was challenged by Pitt. For a decade, the Lions and Panthers mauled each others national title hopes. The rivalry brought much attention and reverence for both squads; Penn State won a national title in 1982 (and played for several others), while Pitt boasted running back Tony Dorsett, future NFL quarterback Dan Marino, and a 1976 championship trophy.

Perhaps the greatest shocker in the pugilistic performances came in 1981, when Penn State usurped the 1st ranked Panthers 48-14. It would be Pitt's only loss of the year.

But not too long later, the Lions of Penn State would own the national stage alone.