Top 5 Texas Football Non-Conference Dream Opponents

(4) Penn St. Nittany Lions. Now that Penn State Football is back on the map, a home-and-home series with the Horns sounds very enticing.

The Longhorns and Lions have an interesting history. They last met in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl when the Lions dismantled Texas after their shocking Big 12 Title win over Nebraska. That was the beginning of the end for head coach John Mackovic.

Prior to the Fiesta Bowl, the Longhorns scored a rare and epic victory in Happy Valley to start the 1990 season. This was after Penn St. won in Austin during the 1989 season.

The two teams also met in a neutral site game in 1984 when the Horns traveled to New Jersey to beat the Lions 28-3. This was 12 years after their first-ever matchup when Penn St. blew out the Horns in the 1972 Cotton Bowl. Overall, the Horns are 2-3 all-time against the Lions, and they have only played once in Austin.