One of Joe Paterno's main goals when Penn State joined the Big Ten was to go to the Rose Bowl, where the Nittany Lions have not played since 1923.
No. 2 Penn State (8-0) is close to achieving that goal in its second season in the conference, but the Big Ten's contract with the Rose Bowl could cost the team a shot at the national title.The Nittany Lions could go 12-0 and still have trouble convincing pollsters they deserve a national title because none of their regular season opponents is currently in the top 15.
Each of the potential Pac-10 Rose Bowl representatives has at least two losses. No Rose Bowl winner has been ranked No. 1 by The Associated Press since Southern Cal in 1972, and no Big Ten team has won the AP title since Ohio State in 1968.
"I wouldn't say getting pigeonholed into the Rose Bowl is the worse thing that could happen to you," Paterno said Tuesday. "I'd like to be around some of those pigeons."
Penn State would clinch a Rose Bowl berth with a win Saturday at Illinois (6-3), making Paterno the fourth coach to take a team to the four traditional major bowl games: the Rose, Cotton, Orange and Sugar.
Paterno also has a chance to coach his fifth undefeated and untied team. Three of those teams did not win national titles.
"We have not really talked to the team about bowls or polls," Paterno said. "We'd like to take each game as it comes, and we're playing a tough Illinois team this week."
As an independent in 1986 and 1982, Penn State was able to play the No. 1 team in a bowl game and win the title. This year, the team's second season in the conference, Penn State won't have that mobility.
"I don't think you ever get anything for nothing in life," Paterno said. "When we moved into the Big Ten conference, we were aware that there were a lot of positives and there might be a negative included, which is true with every conference in the country."
Several teams are in position to beat Penn State for the title. No. 1 Nebraska has no remaining ranked opponents and appears headed to an Orange Bowl matchup with No. 5 Miami. No. 6 Alabama would also be in the national title hunt if the Crimson Tide beats No. 3 Auburn, No. 4 Florida and wins the Sugar Bowl, probably against No. 7 Florida State.
Nebraska is locked into the Orange Bowl as Big Eight champion, and the Southeastern Conference champ must go to the Sugar Bowl.
"There will be some other people - such as Alabama maybe - that will be undefeated, and I'm sure they're not sorry they're in the Southeastern Conference even though they might have some of the same problems we have," Paterno said.