Mightier than the 'Penn'

Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State are considered the Big Ten's "big three."\nEvery year, when a season begins, it's expected that the three teams will contend for the conference title. But in 2000, a year where logic is being defied in the Big Ten, Penn State needs a perfect record in its four remaining games to qualify for a bowl game. \nThe Nittany Lions (3-5, 2-2) hope to inch closer to a .500 record, 6 p.m. Saturday against IU at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The Hoosiers (3-4, 2-2) also have some things to prove against the Nittany Lions.\nAn IU win against Penn State would:\n• Serve as IU's first victory against Penn State. The Hoosiers have never won in five contests against the Nittany Lions.\n• Give IU its first win against a "big three" team since a 41-7 victory against Ohio State in 1988.\n• Prove the Hoosiers can follow a big win -- IU defeated then-No. 23 Minnesota 51-43 last Saturday -- with another quality win.\n"We won a game, but we're still in the same situation," senior wide receiver Versie Gaddis said. "We've got to focus. We have to feel the same way we did last week and take the same approach as last week."\nCoach Cam Cameron, who started coaching in 1997, has never defeated a "big three" team. He said he's not concerned with teams the Hoosiers defeat, as long as they win.\n"It will give us one more win, which obviously we need at this point," Cameron said. "That's our approach. We aren't getting into the approach -- a win over this team, a win over that team -- it's a win."\nFor IU to defeat Penn State, the team needs another solid week of practice and a complete effort Saturday.\nPenn State isn't having its best season, they stumbled early in the season, dropping four of their first five contests, including an embarrassing 24-6 loss to Toledo Sept. 2 at home. The Nittany Lions are 2-1 in their last three games, including last week's 39-25 victory against Illinois and a 22-20 triumph against conference-leading Purdue, Sept. 30.\nBut last week's victory, before a Homecoming crowd of 96,745 at Beaver Stadium, sparked life into the Nittany Lions. Coach Joe Paterno, who is four wins from passing Paul "Bear" Bryant as college football's all-time winningest coach, gave his team an emotional speech the night before facing the Fighting Illini.\nPaterno's speech ignited the team, especially quarterback Rashard Casey, who completed 13-of-24 passes for 208 yards and rushed for 94 yards on 12 carries. Penn State's offense, which struggled early in the season, produced its second highest point total this season against Illinois.\n"We are getting better," Paterno said of the offense. "I thought we did some things well on Saturday. We have to do some things better and more consistently as we go down the road."\nJudging by IU's offensive performance last week and in every game except its 58-0 loss against Michigan, Penn State will have to score a lot of points to keep pace with the Hoosiers. IU scored its most points of the season and gained 611 yards of total offense against the Golden Gophers. IU ranks second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally, averaging 34.7 points per game this season.\nIU must win three of its remaining four games to qualify for a bowl game. The Hoosiers final three games are against Illinois, Wisconsin and Purdue. Penn State is in danger of missing postseason play for the first time since 1988, which was the last year the Nittany Lions finished a season without a winning record. After the Hoosiers, the Nittany Lions play Iowa, No. 15 Michigan and Michigan State.\n"It doesn't matter what their record is, they're still Penn State," Gaddis said. "To me they will always be a good football team. We have no reason to go in there and think we're playing a 3-5 team because they're a great football program"