Recent Collapses in Football

By Brogan Larose Last updated Nov 2, 2025

Ja’Quan McMillian (29) and Pat Surtain II (2) of the Broncos defend a pass intended for Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (17). PHOTO CREDIT: JUSTIN EDMONDS/GETTY IMAGES

This article will examine the recent football collapses of the Penn State Nittany Lions and the New York Giants. I thoroughly enjoyed one of these collapses, while another was a complete disaster from my perspective. So, let’s get into it!

1. Penn State Collapse

As many of you know, the Penn State Nittany Lions are usually a powerhouse when it comes to football. Having been successful for many years, the Nittany Lions have continued to enjoy success under Head Coach James Franklin. However, this has come with a price over the last decade or so. To simplify it, I’m referring to “the scandal” that has tarnished the University’s legacy and its football program for the foreseeable future. (I will not explicitly cover this topic, as it’s a very dark and complex issue.) In turn, some football fans, including myself, approach this perspective and feel uneasy towards the University, but not necessarily the football team. As time has passed, Penn State has attempted to move past this scandal and regain its status as a gold standard in college football.

This led into this season as the Nittany Lions got off to a 3-0 start, with wins over the University of Nevada, Florida International University, and Villanova University. After these wins, one of my sisters-in-law, who is from Pennsylvania, tried to hype up Penn State as they began to head towards the more challenging part of their schedule. For context, she has been a Penn State fan her whole life, while my brother and I despise the Nittany Lions. Regardless of the scandal, I feel that the Nittany Lions have a cocky fan base and believe they are a god-given gift when it comes to football, even though they haven’t won a national championship since 1986. Fast forward to their game against Oregon, with a whiteout in hand, the Nittany Lions lost to the Ducks 30-24 in heartbreaking fashion. This isn’t where the collapse starts, since Oregon is an excellent football team, and losses like this happen all the time. However, after this, Penn State hasn’t clicked on the right cylinders, signaling the start of the disaster.

The Nittany Lions are currently on a three-game losing streak, having been defeated by the University of California, Los Angeles, Northwestern University and the University of Iowa. UCLA was 0-4 heading into the matchup against the Nittany Lions and put on an offensive clinic, scoring 42 points in a 42-37 victory over Penn State. Northwestern won a nail-biter of a game at State College, 22-21, which is the first win against the Nittany Lions in 10 years, and the Iowa Hawkeyes knocked off Penn State, 25-24, at home in a competitive, back-and-forth matchup. Also to note, James Franklin was fired after the Northwestern game and is now seeking another head coaching gig somewhere in Division 1. All of these components align with the Penn State collapse. It might get even worse for them, as they have a road game against the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes and then host the #2 Indiana Hoosiers at home.

2. The New York Giants Disaster

Man, do not even get me started. This collapse from the New York Giants against the Denver Broncos might be one of the worst collapses in the history of the National Football League. Even with the Giants coming on a roll after defeating the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, 34-17, this choke job will be remembered by Giants fans for years. The Broncos dropped a jaw-dropping 33 points in the fourth quarter against the Giants, which featured some incredible plays. After a Theo Johnson touchdown in the fourth, New York had the lead of 26-8 with only 10:14 remaining in the game. From there, it was all a downhill spiral for the Giants. With 5:13 left in the game, Bo Nix escaped from the pocket and was able to carry it himself for seven yards to find the end zone and convert the two-point conversion. Then, with 4:56 remaining, Jaxson Dart threw an interception to Justin Strand, who returned to the New York 19-yard line and set up a touchdown for RJ Harvey with a two-yard reception.

After having to punt the ball away, Denver was able to score again as Nix again carried the ball himself to the end zone for the lead of 30-26. New York responded with a touchdown of their own as Dart found himself in the endzone carrying it himself after multiple penalties by the Broncos. With the lead now at 32-30, I genuinely thought that the Giants were going to win. But this did not happen. Nix was able to connect with Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims on deep receptions, and he was able to spike the ball with two seconds left to ensure a game-winning field goal. With that, Will Lutz was able to connect on a 39-yard field goal that gave the Denver Broncos the victory over the New York Giants 33-32.

To say that I was shocked would be an understatement; I couldn’t believe what I had just seen. This game will be remembered for all the wrong reasons for Giants fans. That is all I have for today, and be on the lookout for more articles.