This year marks the 40th anniversary of Penn State’s first national championship. The 1982 season for the Nittany Lions went 11-1 during the 1982 season with the only loss of the year coming on the road against Alabama in early October, a week after a controversial victory over Nebraska that lives in infamy in Lincoln. Penn State’s march to its first national championship included some big wins against ranked opponents, headlined by the Nebraska victory, with a shutout of West Virginia, a road win at Notre Dame, and a home win against rival Pitt to secure a spot in the Sugar Bowl.
Penn State took on Herschel Walker and No. 1 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans as the underdog, but years of building a national power finally came to fruition for head coach [autotag]Joe Paterno[/autotag]. A 27-23 victory over the Bulldogs allowed Penn State to celebrate its first national championship.
Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s 1982 season found in the photo archives, including the victory in the 1983 Sugar Bowl.