One of college football's best -- and loudest -- annual traditions is back this weekend: the Penn State Nittany Lions' White Out game.
The game's origins date to 2004, when the school asked students to wear white for a showdown against No. 9-ranked Purdue. It existed as a student section tradition until 2007, when Beaver Stadium hosted its first full-stadium White Out against Notre Dame.
Since becoming a full-stadium tradition, the annual White Out game has established itself as one of college football's most cacophonous atmospheres -- and has the results to match. The Nittany Lions have won six consecutive times in White Out conditions, including last season's College Football Playoff game against SMU.
On Saturday, the power of the White Out will face its biggest test in years as No. 6 Oregon comes to Happy Valley. With Penn State at No. 3 in the most recent AP poll, this weekend's game will mark only the second time the annual game has featured top-10 teams.
With the Nittany Lions looking to draw on Beaver Stadium's white-tinted atmosphere to make a statement in the race for both the Big Ten and national championships, we looked back at some of the most memorable White Out games:
2021: Penn State 28, Auburn 20
Though there was indeed football in the fall of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the season missed a key element with fans either sparsely in attendance or not in attendance at all.
Without a 2020 White Out, Penn State's 2021 game against Auburn marked the first White Out in two years and the first time the game featured an opponent not named Ohio State or Michigan since 2011. An electric atmosphere and a fourth-quarter touchdown by running back Noah Cain helped the Nittany Lions welcome back the tradition with a win.
Noah Cain reaches the end zone to score a 3-yard touchdown to push the Penn State lead to 28-20 over Auburn.
2019: Penn State 28, Michigan 21
It didn't take much time for the 2019 edition to enter the annals of White Out game lore. In fact, its most memorable moment came before the clock even started. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, the noise at Beaver Stadium reached such a din that the Wolverines used a timeout before their first snap of the ball.
The Nittany Lions would race out to a 21-0 lead before eventually finishing the game 28-21. Quarterback Sean Clifford accounted for all four of Penn State's touchdowns, with three coming through the air and one on the ground.
2018: Ohio State 27, Penn State 26
The last time the Nittany Lions lost in a White Out game, they conceded a late rally to Ohio State, which avoided a loss and remained unbeaten on the season.
Penn State opened up a 13-0 lead in the first half, and a fourth-quarter touchdown put the home team up 26-14 heading into the final eight minutes. The Buckeyes' offense would find its groove when it mattered most, though, with quarterback Dwayne Haskins tossing a pair of touchdowns on Ohio State's two drives after Penn State's final score to erase the deficit.
The Nittany Lions would get a chance to win the game on a final drive, but a turnover on downs gave the top-10 matchup to the Buckeyes.
2016: Penn State 24, Ohio State 21
Almost certainly the most iconic White Out game, Penn State's win over Ohio State in 2016 marked a statement moment for James Franklin in his third year as head coach in Happy Valley.
In addition to Franklin's first win over a ranked opponent with the Nittany Lions, it was the program's first win over a top-five foe since 1999. Penn State, which finished 7-6 in each of Franklin's first two seasons, went on to win the Big Ten in 2016, posting an 11-3 overall record. Nittany Lions cornerback Grant Haley's return of a blocked field goal attempt for a touchdown stands as one of the defining plays of 2010s college football.
Ohio State lines up for a 45-yard field goal that gets blocked and run all the way back by Grant Haley to give Penn State the stunning 24-21 lead with just over four minutes left in the game.
2014: Ohio State 31, Penn State 24 (2OT)
Another memorable visit from Ohio State to Beaver Stadium took center stage in 2014, and the eventual national champion Buckeyes had to dig deep to survive a major upset scare.
This time, it was Penn State that roared back from an early deficit -- Ohio State entered halftime with a 17-0 lead before the Nittany Lions won the second half by the same margin to force overtime. It would end up taking a second extra period to separate the two squads, with Penn State unable to answer Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett's touchdown run on its own possession in double overtime.
2013: Penn State 43, Michigan 40 (4OT)
The 2013 White Out game also produced an overtime thriller, with the Nittany Lions defeating a ranked Michigan squad.
Quarterback Christian Hackenberg led Penn State down the field on a tying scoring drive in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, setting the stage for a remarkable marathon of four overtimes. After the teams combined for only six points across the first three quarters, the Nittany Lions finally answered the Wolverines' quadruple overtime field goal with a touchdown, securing the upset win.