2008 Penn State Nittany Lions Big Ten Championship Ring

* The default name & number on this ring is Paterno and HC.

The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, led by head coach Joe Paterno in his 43rd season, compiled an overall record of 11 - 2 and a 7 - 1 mark in Big Ten Conference play, earning a share of the Big Ten championship alongside Ohio State. The season began with a milestone victory in the opener against Coastal Carolina, marking Paterno's 373rd career win and tying him with Florida State's Bobby Bowden for the most victories by a major college football coach at the time. Under Paterno's long tenure, which began in 1966, the Nittany Lions built on prior successes, including a 9 - 4 finish in 2007, to emerge as a national contender early in the year.

The team's success was driven by a stout defense that ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 14.4 points per game, and a balanced offense that averaged 38.9 points and 448.9 total yards per contest. Quarterback Daryll Clark anchored the offense, providing effective passing and rushing leadership that propelled Penn State to top-20 national rankings in both rushing (17th, 205.8 yards per game) and total offense (14th). A pivotal moment came on October 25, when the Nittany Lions defeated Ohio State 13 - 6 in Columbus, securing their first victory there since 1978 and taking control of the Big Ten race.

As Big Ten co-champions, Penn State earned a berth in the Rose Bowl as the conference representative, facing USC on January 1, 2009, in their first appearance in the game since 1923. The Nittany Lions finished the season ranked No. 8 in both the final AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll, marking their 22nd top-10 finish under Paterno.