Yesterday, September 4, marked the tenth anniversary of Penn State football in the Big Ten. On that day, the Nittany Lions topped Minnesota, 38-20, behind four touchdown passes from the magical arm of John Sacca. Since then, the Lions have had their fair share of ups and downs, highlights and lowlights.

What follows is one opinion of the best and worst of Penn State's first ten years as the eleventh member of the Big Ten.

Best Game: Penn State 63 Ohio State 14, 1994.

This was the greatest Lions team ever, playing at their breath-taking best. Coming into the game, some pundits felt the Buckeyes were the team to put an end to Penn State's unbeaten season and championship bid. That idea was out the window at about halftime with Penn State up 35-0. Kerry Collins was as accurate as he has ever been throwing and Ki-Jana Carter, who grew up just outside of Columbus, played one of his finest games. Somehow, following this game, Nebraska jumped ahead of Penn State to No.1.

Worst Game: Wisconsin 18 Penn State 6, 2001

During a vapid stretch in 2000 and 2001, the Lions turned in some pretty poor performances, but this game at Beaver Stadium, the first since Sept. 11, was the low point.

The tepid Penn State offense managed a paltry 131 yards, most of those coming on a long touchdown pass from Matt Senneca to Larry Johnson. One memorable quote from this game: "I would have killed my dog to come here," from Wisconsin's Wendell Bryant on Penn State's lack of interest in him as a high schooler. By the way, Bryant, a defensive tackle, spent most of the afternoon in Penn State's backfield.

Best Offensive Player: Ki-Jana Carter, Running Back

Penn State has been blessed with some outstanding talent on offense during the last decade, especially at running back, but none were better than Carter. Despite sharing a backfield with Mike Archie and Stephen Pitts, Carter still racked up over 1500 yards in 1994 and scored 23 touchdowns. Included in that season was an awesome 230-yard, five-touchdown game against Michigan State.

If Carter had been given as many carries as that season's Heisman winner, Rashaan Salaam, he would have theoretically approached 3,000 yards.

Best Defensive Player: LaVar Arrington, Linebacker

A good argument could be made here for Courtney Brown, who was, after all, selected ahead of Arrington in the draft. But for sheer athleticism, drama and playmaking abilities, Arrington is unmatched in Penn State's football history. He only really played for two seasons, but his mark at Linebacker U. is indelible. With him on the field, Penn State was a different team.

Worst Moment: Dan Nystrom's game winning field goal for Minnestoa, 1999

If a poll was conducted amongst the Nittany Lion Nation, this short, routine field goal would almost assuredly go down as the supreme moment of anguish from the last decade -- or perhaps ever -- for most voters. The Lions were cruising through the 1999 season, ranked No. 2 in the nation and at 9-0 were heavy favorites against the Gophers.

But Minnesota came to play and Penn State found itself in a dogfight. A late Travis Forney field goal put Penn State up 23-21 and it looked like the Lions would escape. A desperate Minnesota drive took the ball into Penn State territory where it stalled and faced a seemingly insurmountable fourth and 16. Minnesota quarterback Billy Cockerham threw up a prayer that somehow found the hands of Arland Bruce 27 yards downfield.

A few plays later, Nystrom stuck the knife in the hearts of so many hopeful Penn State fans. The lines exiting Beaver Stadium could have doubled as a funeral procession.

Best Moment: Bobby Engram's game winning touchdown vs. Michigan, 1994

Bobby Engram made a habit of winning games for Penn State during his career. Spectacular catches at the most opportune times were his trademark. This catch, on a pass from Kerry Collins, was fairly routine and even though it was late in the game, things would not have been had it fallen incomplete. The importance of this catch has a much wider scope. In defeating Michigan, Penn State cleared its greatest hurdle on the road to an undefeated season, overcame any inferiority complex in regards to Michigan and established itself as a legitimate contender in the Big Ten that year and for years to follow.