| Year: | 1986 |
| Team: | Penn State Nittany Lions |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Independent |
| Coachrank: | 1 |
| Aprank: | 1 |
| Record: | 12–0 |
| Head Coach: | Joe Paterno |
| Hc Year: | 21st |
| Off Coach: | Fran Ganter |
| Oc Year: | 3rd |
| Off Scheme: | Pro-style |
| Def Coach: | Jerry Sandusky |
| Dc Year: | 10th |
| Def Scheme: | 4–3 |
| Stadium: | Beaver Stadium |
| Champion: | Consensus national champion Fiesta Bowl champion Eastern champion |
| Bowl: | Fiesta Bowl |
| Bowl Result: | W 14–10 vs. Miami (FL) |
The 1986 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University as an independent during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 21st-year head coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions compiled a record of 12–0. Penn State defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 14–10, in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl to win Paterno's second consensus national championship.[1] The team was named national champion by AP, Billingsley, FB News, FW, Matthews, NCF, NFF, Sporting News, UPI, and USA/CNN, while named co-champion by FACT, Sagarin (ELO-Chess).[2]
See also: 1986 NCAA Division I-A football rankings.
| 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
See also: 1986 Temple Owls football team.
See also: 1986 Boston College Eagles football team.
See also: 1986 East Carolina Pirates football team.
See also: 1986 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team.
See also: 1986 Cincinnati Bearcats football team.
See also: 1986 Syracuse Orangemen football team and Penn State–Syracuse football rivalry.
See also: 1986 Alabama Crimson Tide football team and Alabama–Penn State football rivalry.
See also: 1986 West Virginia Mountaineers football team.
See also: 1986 Maryland Terrapins football team and Maryland–Penn State football rivalry.
See also: 1986 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.
See also: 1986 Pittsburgh Panthers football team.
See also: 1986 Miami Hurricanes football team and 1987 Fiesta Bowl.
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award
Thirteen Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1987 NFL draft.
| Round | Pick | Overall | Name | Position | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 | 8 | Buffalo Bills | |||
| 1st | 14 | 14 | Minnesota Vikings | |||
| 3rd | 24 | 80 | Cleveland Browns | |||
| 3rd | 25 | 81 | Los Angeles Raiders | |||
| 4th | 1 | 84 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |||
| 5th | 14 | 126 | St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| 5th | 20 | 132 | Miami Dolphins | |||
| 6th | 1 | 141 | Pittsburgh Steelers | |||
| 6th | 22 | 162 | Bob White | Defensive line | San Francisco 49ers | |
| 8th | 27 | 222 | Denver Broncos | |||
| 9th | 24 | 247 | Indianapolis Colts | |||
| 10th | 17 | 268 | New York Jets | |||
| 11th | 7 | 286 | Tight End | Detroit Lions |
| WMAJ AM 1450 |