Actually a very tough question.  I was always an Ohio fan, but the Pitt game and following hoops tourney run made me a diehard.  My gut reaction is Penn State, but I don't think I'll appreciate it for a couple years.

I thought about this too.

The Penn State win should be, but I honestly expected to win. The second half is what I expected to happen. We are better than Penn State. Hell! We may be better than half the Big Ten and all the Big East right now.

On that thought, the Idaho bowl was the biggest because it made me believe that this group could win at Penn State. Expectations are earned and the game in Boise confirmed this reaction.

Excellent thoughts from LC and others - but I had to go with the PSU game. The level of national exposure before, during, and after the game certainly has never happened before. Especially the potential impact of influence on recruits - along with the references to Solich signing the extension part of all the stories broadcast and print.  

Prediction: none of the three will be in consideration at the end of this season. Got Frank!

Wow, there are sure alot of "Potato heads" in our fanbase. Or was it the Idaho lobbyists that got to you?

Look I know PSU is devalued these days, buy they are still a Big Ten team, with Big Ten starters, playing at home in a 100,000+ stadium (ok, with 96K+ in attendance). Oh, and we were playing in front of a TRUE national audience. On a Saturday. Literally the eyes of the nation were fixated on this game.

And somehow a victory against Utah State in a run-of-the-mill bowl game is a bigger win in program history???? Really????

For crissakes, if PSU is devalued than the whole bowl system is seriously devalued (of which in its dregs lies the Potato Bowl). Picture a post-WW2 old Italian peasant woman pushing a wheelbarrow full of Pizza Bowl, International Bowl, Gilden New Mexico Bowl trophies around like they were lire. Mamma mia!

Yet many (most???) poll respondents think beating Utah State in a dregs bowl was the biggest win... in history???? Damn, that 5-3 loss to the Aggies really must have stuck in your craw all those years.

There are so many bowls these days that teams actually elect not to go to them. We've been to some, and will most likely will go to more. It's not easy going to a bowl game and win- but these days it's not the most farfetched idea out there. It was a lot more farfetched to think Ohio would ever cast aside the role of a MACrificial lamb and win in a historical powerhouse's stadium.

Saturday's win was a rare defining moment. We beat a historical power in their home. Opening week to boot. But some just cluck their tongues and say, "t'was a comforting victory, but not of the calibre as winning the prestigious Potato Bowl." If you voted for the Potato Bowl that is exactly what you just said with a click of the mouse. 

Look, I love how the fanbase keeps things in perspective, but this really gets to me for some reason. It's like there's a fear of big time success... maybe you guys are afraid of losing your Ohio? No big crowds/rush... No more $5 seats... that's gotta be it, no?

Your fear is Ohio is leaving you. Like people who never like their favorite band's album that comes out after they were "discovered." Now a bunch of knuckleheads will profess that Tettleton is their favorite player but won't know the back-up QB's name. No one will know the names Muncy, Cox or Hoofkin. But they'll be like, "that there Rufus look pretty damn tough on that bike, I reckon. And he done beat up that there chick in that turd suit a few years back. I like beatings."

The bowl win against Utah State was nice that we won a bowl game. But no way it's bigger than PSU or the Pitt game (which showed the culture here could change). And in comparison to these games, even Hymen Roth would agree that the Potato Bowl win was "small potatoes."

Maryland in 1997 was mine.  We had been so bad for so long.  I think that was our first BCS victory under Grobe.  I grew up a Maryland fan and was a Terp season ticket holder at the time.  Proudly wore my green and white that day.  

The game actually played out a lot like yesterday.  Maryland was leading at half thanks to mistakes by the Bobcats but we dominated the second half along both lines leaving the home fans shaking their heads.

I've been around and go back to the 60's. To me, this one compares to the 60-48 win over Cincinnati in 1968. It was the next to last reg. season game and got us the lead in Sports Illustrated's college football story that week.  In those days that was the equivilant of today's lead story on ESPN wrap up show. The high score was also very very unusual for then so that got national attention that day. 

The challenge is that this win still is "active" within the season and I'd have to defer judging its significance until year end.

Another interesting win in the past would be over Kansas in 1967 as it defined a time when we had been "Small College" champs in 1960 and teams from leagues like the MAC were starting to get bigger dollar dates at "big leagues."

Others have named other exciting wins so I will not go into them here.

I do think it is very significant that two of the most important wins in our history are the last two games we have played.  If that doesn't define the opportunity for a bright future I don't know what does.

One thing to keep in mind. Every big wins creates an opportunty for an even bigger one. 

GO BOBCATS! 

Sorry, FirstStreet, but you don't recognize the significance of Potato. 

If we lose that game, we end a decent year with an absolute heartbreaker in the MAC title game followed by another bowl loss and we're the same old Ohio and....

season ticket sales don't go up 71% (they prob go up 5%)...and we fans don't go into PSU with about 50% predicting a W...and I have to wonder if this team knows--knows--it can win at Penn State, if this team done at halftime, down 14-3 yesterday--instead of being not at all worried about a 14-3 deficit in front of 97k on national TV in one of the most anticipated college football games ever.

Again, do not underestimate that grab by LaVon.  It wasn't huge.  It was program-over-the-hump huge.

Yesterday was a good win.  Potato was a marker.

I'm sticking with Minnesota, but I couldn't help but put together a list of the games that really made me feel great to be a Bobcat. I know two were losses and barring a heartbreaking BCS bowl loss, I think that recent success would prevent any future loss going on the list...

2011: Utah State (only b/c bowl) & Marshall (only b/c of how bad we beat them)

2008: Loss to Ohio State (a loss, I know, but watching boatloads of Ohio alum in Columbus establishments become embarrassed they were wearing Scarlet and Gray instead of Green & White with the game in doubt in the 4^th quarter was priceless)

2006: Illinois (no, they weren’t very good, but still fun to beat)

2005: Pitt

2004: Kentucky (see Illinois above)

2000: Minnesota

1997: Maryland & losing to #8 Kansas State by 3 on a miracle field goal. I know it’s a loss, but it showed how legit the program was becoming.

1996: Hawaii- just because we beat someone that people who didn't go to school in Ohio or Michigan had actually heard of

 

I voted for "other" thinking of the 30-15 win 1967 win at Kansas.  I'm trying not remembering the very next game in which we lost at home to William and Mary!  (This could be a word to the wise about NMSU game.)  That same season, btw, we lost to 35-14 to PSU.  I might add that a few seasons later in 1970 we "almost beat" PSU.  Late in the 4th Quarter we were down by 3 points after a TD.  Coach Hess called for an onside kick, which failed and PSU went in to score an insurance TD and won 32-22.  The best we'd ever done against the Nittany Lions until yesterday.   

Memorable games of my lifetime (not an inclusive list):

Ohio 12 WVU 0 -- 1897  (just kidding!)
Ohio 48 SIU 6 -- 1960 (college division championship game)*
Ohio 30 Kansas 15 -- 1967 (the next week KU beat Nebraska, 10-0)
Ohio 60 UC 48 -- 1968 (UC QB Cook, later was Bengal's QB, was out-dueled by Cleve)
Ohio 35 UK 6 -- 1971 (Hess ordered team not to score at end, RB Garry was tackled by turf monster on goal line.)*
Ohio 21 Maryland 14 -- 1997 (spotted the Terrapin's a 14-0 lead in first half)*
Ohio 23 Minnesota 17 -- 2000 (listened to end of this game in my mother's hospital room; she a U of M alumna)
Ohio 28 UK 16 -- 2004 (a rare reprieve from the Knorr era doldrums)*
Ohio 16 Pitt 10 -- 2005 (The beginning of the Solich era, most dramatic ending to a Ohio game in my memory)*
Ohio 20 Illinois 17  -- 2006 (Exciting FG as time ran out to win game, watched it on ESPN3)
Ohio 24 USU 23 -- 2011 FIPB (Agree with Monroe, "The Catch" gave us the Big Mo!)
Ohio 24 PSU 14 -- Yesterday (Win over B1G Super Team, tarnished by sanction-weakened team)*

I also have a favorite non-loss game:

Ohio 35 Minnesota 35 -- 1969 (U of M kicks FG in waning seconds to tie 'Cats, Todd Snyder wins AP lineman of the week award for what I believe was 4 TD catches, that's from memory and I stand to be corrected)

*=was present in stadium for game

With more than half of all team participating in bowls, a Potato Bowl win is not that meaningful to me as a fan. I'm happy they won, but a last second win against Utah State in a game witnessed live by 150 Ohio fans is not in my top three. Beating a storied program in the atmosphere that existed was a defining moment. We actually had the better team and the better coaches. Pitt was a shocking win, and my second place vote. Pitt started it all in this era. Penn State is the best win, however, because it is representative of a our program being as strong as it has ever been.

1. Mediocre - maybe for PSU standards, but how many of those players do you think went thru any agonizing trying to decide whether to go to a Big TenDozen or a MAC school?

2. We have only played a few games in such an intimidating atmosphere. There was A Lot of pressure, 1st game of the season type aside, the place was FULL of emotion, they were LOUD. Certainly the best win in most intimidating/daunting atmosphere.

3. If we were to beat ANY of the teams PSU wins against the rest of this year - it would be one of our "Greatest Wins" (well, not Temple, but would be great if it was on their field).

4. We beat Pitt - at home.

5. Records for some of the teams/games above on the thread considered as other "biggest wins" options: Pitt 2005 5-6, UC 1968 5-4-1, Illinois 2006 2-10, Kentucky 2004 2-9, Minnesota 2000 6-6, Maryland 1997 2-9, Kentucky 1971 3-8. Pre '71 requires more Googling.....