University Park, Pa. -- Big Ten champion Penn State will take on ACC champion Florida State in the Orange Bowl at 8 p.m. on Jan. 3 (broadcast nationally on ABC), marking the Nittany Lions' fifth appearance in the Miami postseason contest and their first there since the Jan. 1, 1986 game against Oklahoma. In the four previous contests, all played under the direction of Coach Joe Paterno in three decades, the Lions have a 3-1 record. In each of the four games, Penn State entered with an undefeated record, but never earned a national title following any of their Orange Bowl appearances.

Now take a look back at each of Penn State's Orange Bowl appearances, with a glimpse of what was happening off the field at Penn State each year.

Jan. 1, 1969
Penn State 15, Kansas 14

1968-69 total University student enrollment: 41,373

Penn State President: Eric A. Walker

Notable events on campus: Students create a tent city, "Walkertown," on Old Main lawn to a protest shortage of on-campus housing; Students occupy Old Main to protest the Vietnam War, racial injustice, campus issues; Penn State Worthington Scranton campus opened; Graduate program established at Penn State Erie; University Faculty Senate approves pass-fail grading policy

The game: Afterwards, the Pittsburgh Press would write, "There was no way Penn State could win… The last two minutes were pure, unadulterated insanity." That aptly characterized Penn State's first Orange Bowl victory, which remains one of the school's most dramatic bowl wins to date. In the final 1:16, the Nittany Lions transformed what appeared to be a certain victory by the No. 6 Jayhawks into an unbelievable win and an incredible cap to an 11-0 season, the first of Paterno's five unbeaten, untied seasons and the program's first since 1912.

Late in the game, with the Lions down only 14-7 thanks to an earlier goal line stop of Jayhawk running back John Riggins by Paul and Pete Johnson, tackle Mike Reid dropped Kansas quarterback Bobby Douglass for 13 yards in losses on Kansas' final two offensive plays and Neal Smith partially blocked a Kansas punt. With just over a minute left, the Lions took the ball at the 50. Quarterback Chuck Burkhart hit Bob Campbell for a 47-yard pass to the Kansas 3, just as Kansas running back Donnie Shanklin was being announced as the game MVP. After two tries up the middle by fullback Tom Cherry, Burkhart faked a handoff to Charlie Pittman and carried around the left end for a touchdown with eight seconds remaining and Kansas ahead 14-13.

Never fond of ties, Joe Paterno elected to go for the two-point conversion and the win. Burkhart's pass to Campbell was knocked away and Kansas began to celebrate as fans started to rush the field. But a penalty had been called against the Jayhawks for 12 men on the field, and replays would later show Kansas had 12 men on the field for four plays, including Burkhart's touchdown. On Penn State's second chance, Campbell swept around to the left side and into the end zone for a 15-14 Penn State win. The Lions became the first eastern school to win the Orange Bowl since 1937 and finished the season ranked No. 2.

Jan. 1, 1970
Penn State 10, Missouri 3

1969-70 total University student enrollment: 46,981

Penn State President: Eric A. Walker

Notable events on campus: Renaissance Fund for disadvantaged students established; Old Main occupied again in protest of social issues; Behrend Campus in Erie expands offerings to four-year baccalaureate programs; Seven students dismissed for campus disruption on recommendation of Woodside Commission; Women undergraduates (other than first-year students) permitted to live off-campus; Organization of Town Independent Students (OTIS) founded; Outdoor pool at Natatorium opens; Penn State Harrisburg awards its first baccalaureate and graduate degrees; First women admitted to Penn State ROTC programs; President Eric Walker completes his final year at the helm of Penn State.

The game: The Nittany Lion defense turned in a superlative effort to shut down the high-powered offense of Big Eight champs Missouri and cap a second straight 11-0 season. Penn State forced turnovers in nine of Missouri's 19 possessions, including seven interceptions, an Orange Bowl record to this day. The offense, meanwhile, got all the points it needed in a 21-second span in the first quarter. Mike Reitz kicked a 29-yard field goal and seconds later on the ensuing kickoff, Mike Reid forced a fumble that was recovered by Mike Smith. Chuck Burkhart then connected with Lydell Mitchell for a 28-yard touchdown.

But once again the Nittany Lions finished No. 2 nationally, despite an unblemished record in 22 consecutive games and 30 consecutive games without a loss. President Richard Nixon in December had declared that the winner between unbeaten Arkansas and Texas would be the national champion. The Longhorns won, securing the national championship -- and outraging Paterno, his squad and Nittany Lion fans everywhere.

Jan. 1, 1974
Penn State 16, LSU 9

1973-74 total University student enrollment: 56,953

Penn State President: John W. Oswald

Notable events on campus: Division of Undergraduate Studies established; Penn State Bookstore on campus opens; Helen I. Snyder, associate professor of educational psychology, first woman elected chair of the University Faculty Senate; Program to name chairs, professorships and faculty fellows established; Alumni Fellows program instituted; Long-life rechargeable heart pacemaker developed at The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center with assistance of College of Engineering personnel. Implanted in first patient, a 76-year-old Harrisburg woman.

The game: For the third time in six seasons, Penn State found itself in the Orange Bowl attempting to complete a perfect season. The Lions again rose to the occasion, fending off Louisiana State, 16-9, for the Lions' first 12-0 season.

LSU scored on its opening possession, but the Lion defense adjusted and the Tigers only other points would come on a safety went punter Brian Masella downed a bad snap in his own end zone. After a first-quarter Chris Bahr field goal got Penn State on the board, the Lions seized control in the second period. Chuck Herd made a memorable one-handed grab of a Tom Shuman pass on the LSU 20-yard line and ran in for a 72-yard score. Later in the first half, Penn State's only Heisman Trophy winner to date, John Cappelletti vaulted into the end zone from one yard out to complete the Penn State scoring.

Despite being one of only two unbeaten, untied teams in the nation following the bowl games, Penn State finished fifth in the polls, with 11-0 Notre Dame taking the title.

Jan. 1, 1986
Oklahoma 25, Penn State 10

1985-86 total University student enrollment: 62,318

Penn State President: Bryce Jordan

Notable events on campus: "Penn State Heart" developed by team head by Prof. William S. Pierce at Hershey approved for use as temporary "bridge" implant by U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- Anthony Mandia, 44, of Philadelphia is first recipient; Corporation for Penn State established to conduct support activities on behalf of the University -- Trustee officers and committee chairs and senior University administrative officers constitute the Board of Directors; NASA chooses Penn State as prime contractor to design sensors for the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility -- the orbiting x-ray telescope scheduled to be launched from the space shuttle in 1991; Applied Research Laboratory awarded three-year $80 million contract by U.S. Navy for research and development of undersea technology; College of Health and Human Development created by merger of Colleges of Health, Physical Education and Recreation with Human Development.

The game: Ranked No. 1 and undefeated entering the Orange Bowl contest against Oklahoma, the Nittany Lions had their shot for a second national title under Coach Joe Paterno. They would have to wait another year to achieve that. Penn State scored first, but the Sooner defense quickly clamped down to win the national championship with a 25-10 victory.

Penn State quarterback John Shaffer marched the Lions 62-yards, capped by a one-yard Tim Manoa touchdown run, for a 7-0 lead. Though the Lion defense played well against the Sooner wishbone offense, Oklahoma got two big plays -- a 71-yard touchdown reception by tight end Keith Jackson on third and 24 and a 61-yard game-clinching touchdown run Lydell Carr -- plus four field goals to seal the win. The stingy Sooner defense, which held opponents to under 200 yards during the regular season, allowed Penn State just 14 first downs and 267 yards of offense. Penn State finished third in the final polls.