UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Big Ten Conference showdown Saturday between Penn State and Ohio State could be considered an elimination game.

The winner of the 300th game in Beaver Stadium history will remain in contention for a piece of the Big Ten championship and if not a Rose Bowl berth at least another BCS game.

The loser almost certainly would be left out.

"The consequences of winning or losing are obvious to everybody, but you can't go at it that way," coach Joe Paterno said yesterday during his weekly news conference. "We've got to concentrate on doing the best we can against Ohio State. It's not going to be an easy situation for us. They are very, very solid, and they've gotten better. ...

"So I think we got to just say, 'Let's play it. Let's go out there and have a little fun, and let's not beat ourselves.' "

Ohio State (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten) has the toughest stretch of any of the three Big Ten contenders, but it controls its own destiny.

The combined overall record of the Buckeyes' final three opponents, which includes a Nov. 14 home date with Iowa, is 22-5. The Nittany Lions' final three foes are 15-12, while Big Ten leader Iowa (9-0, 5-0) faces teams with a 17-10 mark.

If No. 15 Ohio State wins its final three conference games to finish 7-1 along with Iowa, the Buckeyes would earn a share of their fifth consecutive Big Ten title. But more important, they would clinch the conference's automatic Rose Bowl bid.

If No. 11 Penn State (8-1, 4-1) wins out and Iowa loses once, the Lions would earn a share of their second consecutive Big Ten crown, as well as their third title in five years. But the Hawkeyes would go to the Rose Bowl because of their victory against the Lions earlier this season.

Penn State can only go to the Rose Bowl by winning out and having Iowa lose twice, which is unlikely.

But the Lions still would have a decent shot at another BCS game if they can beat the Buckeyes and Indiana at home and Michigan State on the road to close out the season.

"This is a huge game for us," outside linebacker Sean Lee said.

Penn State and Ohio State have played 24 times, with each team winning 12 games. Three of the past four meetings at Beaver Stadium have been decided by a total of 10 points.

"It's a typical Penn State-Ohio State game," Lee said. "There's going to be high stakes. Usually both teams are doing well when it comes to the conference. You know, at one point or another, you're going to have to get this win if you want to be conference champions."

Penn State won last year in Columbus, Ohio, for the first time since 1978, beating the Buckeyes, 13-6, behind backup quarterback Pat Devlin, who took over for Daryll Clark after he sustained a concussion with the Lions trailing, 6-3.

"It's going to be a tough, physical game," said tailback Evan Royster, who has run for 100 yards or more in four of the past five games. "Both teams have great defenses."

Ohio State, which has recorded three shutouts, ranks sixth nationally in scoring defense (11.7 points per game), run defense (86.4 yards per game) and yards allowed (260 ypg). Penn State is first in scoring defense (9.3 ppg), and fifth in both run defense (84.1 ypg) and yards allowed (254.8 ypg).

"It's going to be tough to run outside," Royster said.

Backup tailback Stephfon Green, who has missed the past two games with an ankle injury, could return against the Buckeyes after returning to practice Monday.

"I'm anxious to see if the ankle is going to act up on him," Paterno said.

Penn State, criticized for its soft non-conference schedule, for the first time this season is playing an opponent that is ranked at the time of the game -- unless Eastern Illinois, which was No. 25 in Division I-AA, is included.

Iowa was unranked when it scored 21 unanswered points to beat the Lions in late September at Beaver Stadium.

"People who might question their validity, they're just looking for something to talk about, because I think Penn State is for real," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.

Ron Musselman's Penn State blog and videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.