Penn State's 'White Out': Is Nittany Lions' annual tradition a real home-field advantage?

Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said on multiple occasions that Penn State's White Out was worth a 10-point advantage. 

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz was asked about that assertion on Tuesday. 

"I think it's closer to 110," Ferentz said at his weekly press conference. "We always talk about getting off to a good start, especially on the road, just try to take the crowd out of it. We did the exact opposite of that in '09."

No. 24 Iowa meets No. 7 Penn State at Beaver Stadium on Saturday – and the Nittany Lions chose this game as their annual “White Out.” It's one of the best annual traditions in all of college football. 

There's nothing like the Penn State White Out.#TheGreatestShowInCollegeSports pic.twitter.com/iTEmvQfkMS

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) September 18, 2023

Iowa has not played in a “White Out” since Sept. 26, 2009. Ferentz remembered the Nittany Lions jumping out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter. 

"We're looking up, the place is going crazy," Ferentz said. "But the rest of the story there it's a 60-minute game. And when you're playing a team that's as talented as these guys are and as good as they are, well-coached as they are, there's going to be some lows, too, during -- hopefully we create some highs but there's going to be some lows."

The Hawkeyes won that game 21-10, but this will be an even more daunting challenge. A look at the history of the White Out and how much of an advantage it really is for Penn State ahead of Saturday's showdown with the Hawkeyes. 

What is Penn State's record in White Outs? 

Penn State is 10-8 in White Outs, and the Nittany Lions have won three consecutive White Out games dating back to 2019. Penn State did not have a White Out in 2020 because of COVID-19. 

Penn State is 5-3 in White Outs under coach James Franklin, and that includes victories in five of the last six games. 

The Nittany Lions are 6-7 against ranked teams in White Outs, but they have won four of the last five against ranked teams. The lone loss was a 27-26 heart-breaker against No. 4 Ohio State on Sept. 29, 2018. Meyer was on the sideline for that one. 

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When did White Outs start? 

Penn State was 2-3 in the 2004 season and coming off back-to-back losses to Minnesota and Wisconsin. According to ABC 27, then-Penn State director of branding and marketing Guido D'Elia came up with the idea for a White Out to generate more student interest ahead of a matchup against No. 9 Purdue on Oct. 9, 2004. 

The Boilermakers were unbeaten heading into the matchup. The game was tied at 10 at halftime before Purdue pulled ahead on a 40-yard pass from Kyle Orton to Taylor Stubblefield. Penn State lost, but the event was a success and became an annual tradition. 

The next White Out showed just how much of a home-field advantage it could be. 

Three best White Out games 

Here is a look at the three most memorable White Out games in Penn State history in chronological order: 

2005: No. 16 Penn State 17, No. 6 Ohio State 10 

The Nittany Lions were 5-0 and looking to prove their Big Ten worth, and a physical victory against Ohio State did the trick. 

Michael Robinson and Derrick Williams scored first-half touchdowns for a 14-10 lead at halftime, and Penn State's limited Troy Smith and the Buckeyes to zero points in the second half. Paul Posluszny had 14 tackles, and Tamba Hali's strip sack of Smith on the final possession gave Penn State the victory. This is the game that set the bar for all White Outs to follow. 

2013: Penn State 43, No. 18 Michigan 40, 4 OTs  

The Nittany Lions were under NCAA sanctions and had a bowl ban that season, but this is the game their fans will always remember. Christian Hackenberg's 33-yard pass to a leaping Allen Robinson with 29 seconds left led to the game-tying touchdown, and the Nittany Lions and Wolverines sorted out the rest in four overtimes. 

Bill Belton scored the game-winning TD, which set off a massive Homecoming celebration in a signature victory for coach Bill O'Brien. That set a higher standard when Franklin arrived the following season. 

2016: Penn State 24, No. 2 Ohio State 21

Meyer was on the field for this one, too. The Buckeyes led 21-7 heading into the fourth quarter before Penn State rallied with 17 unanswered points in a defining victory for Franklin. 

The signature play was Marcus Allen's blocked field goal, which Grant Haley scooped up and dashed 60 yards for the game-winning touchdown with 4:27 remaining. That victory kick-started a Big Ten championship run for the Nittany Lions, though the Buckeyes would still make the College Football Playoff. 

Penn State White Out year-by-year results 

Here is a look at the year-by-year results for Penn State in White Out games: