12. Penn State vs. Iowa
- Date: Sep. 23
- Outcome: Penn State wins 21-19
At this point in the season, the Penn State Nittany Lions were looking like one of the best teams in the nation, if not the best, with also the best overall player in the country. Penn State star running back Saquon Barkley was held in check for a good portion of the matchup against the Hawkeyes.
However, that was not enough for Iowa to hold on to the victory, as Penn State racked up a game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds. Junior quarterback Trace McSorley found wide receiver Juwan Johnson on the game-winning touchdown drive for the Nittany Lions.
Even though Iowa did a decent job against Barkley for most of the game, he still helped the Penn State ground game rush for more than 200 yards. McSorley also struggled to find consistency for a good portion of the matchup, until the fourth quarter.
There were quite a few heart-stopping games that Penn State fans got to witness in 2017. And, not all of them resulted in victories. However, Penn State did end up the victor here, but Kinnick Stadium was not an easy place to play for anyone this year, just ask the eventual Big Ten Champions.