On January 1st, 2010, Penn State had just completed its second double-digit win season in as many years. The feat had last been accomplished in 1993-94*, when the Nittany Lions first joined the Big Ten.
The 90s, in their entirety, was the last time anyone thought of Penn State as a true power, having won or competed for championships every single year, excepting the few they still played as an independent. In those years, they “only” competed for national championships. Ever since then, the Nittany Lion program has hovered around an area of recognition due to name brand, some competitiveness every so often, and one of the worst stretches in the history of the program.