Rose Bowl bid on the line for Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A.Q. Shipley vividly recalls Penn State's collapse last year in the regular-season finale at Michigan State."I remember being up about three scores and watching it all come crumbling down," the fifth-year senior center said. "It kind of put us in a little bit of shock."The Nittany Lions allowed a 17-point, third-quarter lead to evaporate, and the Spartans rallied for a stunning 35-31 win in East Lansing, Mich.Jehuu Caulcrick's 1-yard touchdown run with a little more than four minutes remaining capped Michigan State's comeback. His biggest carry came on a fake punt on a fourth-and-5 play from the Spartans' 25. He bounced outside for a 17-yard gain and a critical first down with more than eight minutes left and his team trailing.The win clinched Michigan State's first postseason bid in four years while sending the four-loss Lions to the Alamo Bowl."We know what they've got," Shipley said. "They came back and beat us last year, so we've got our work cut out for us."No. 7 Penn State (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) and No. 17 Michigan State (9-2, 6-1) will meet again Saturday at Beaver Stadium in the final regular-season game for the two teams.There is a lot more at stake this time around.A Penn State win and a victory by No. 10 Ohio State (9-2, 6-1) against Michigan Saturday would make the Lions and Buckeyes co-champs of the Big Ten. The Lions would earn the Rose Bowl berth by virtue of their 13-6 win against Ohio State."We are tremendously ready and excited for it," safety Mark Rubin said. "If you would have told us at the beginning of the season that we were playing for the Big Ten title (this) week, then that is pretty much everything we could have asked for."We just have to have a great week of practice. Michigan State knows they have an opportunity as well for the Rose Bowl. This is what Big Ten football is all about."Michigan State needs to beat Penn State, which is eighth again this week in the BCS rankings, and have Ohio State lose to advance to the Rose Bowl. The Spartans, winless in seven trips to Beaver Stadium since 1993, have won three in a row since falling, 45-7, to the Buckeyes. And they have won nine of 10 overall since dropping their opener at California, 38-31."They have won nine games already and they have beaten some pretty good football teams," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "I haven't seen a lot of Michigan State. I would be dishonest if I told you otherwise, but with the replays of all of the games, I may have seen them play a couple of games."They have a great running back. Their quarterback is getting better all of the time. They have a great tight end and a good kicking game. And they play hard and play well."Michigan State tailback Javon Ringer has rushed for 1,548 yards on 353 carries and scored 20 touchdowns. And quarterback Brian Hoyer is completing 49.1 percent of his passes, hitting on 137 of 279 for 2,029 yards. He has thrown nine touchdown passes and six interceptions.A year ago, Hoyer tossed four touchdown passes against the Lions, including three to wide receiver Devin Thomas."Ringer's an outstanding player and the quarterback is outstanding, too," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.Defensive end Aaron Maybin, who leads the Lions with 12 sacks, knows Penn State will have to play well to win at home."I've watched a few of their games and they're very talented," he said. "They're definitely a team with a lot of talent and a lot of guys that play hard, that hustle."It will be the Spartans' biggest game since beating Wisconsin, 14-9, in the 1990 season finale to clinch a share of their last Big Ten championship.Penn State, meanwhile, is eyeing at least a share of its second conference title in four years."We know what's all at stake, and I think that's going to bring out the best in us," quarterback Daryll Clark said.E-mail Ron Musselman at rmusselman(at)post-gazette.com.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)