White hot lights beating down. Lie detectors and billy clubs in the small locked room. A burly guard barks to a calm man being harshly interrogated.

"So who's it going to be?" asks the inquirer. "Who's the starting quarterback?"

But despite the chronic pressure, Joe Paterno just shakes his head. The coach is not talking. The reason? Simple. Even he doesn't have the answers. Not yet anyway, but he's working on it.

"The sooner we establish which one it is," Paterno sighs, "the better off we'll all be."

The problem, one in which many other Big Ten programs wouldn't mind having, is an overload of quality quarterbacks for the Nittany Lions.

There are juniors Kerry Collins and John Sacca, who split the majority of the starting duties last fall. Or there is the young and able Wally Richardson, who stepped up when the others succumbed to injuries.

But no matter who Paterno and Co. decide to place behind center on Sept. 4 against Minnesota, one thing will be certain -- the Lions will have a talented starter and a talented back-up. If only all problems were oh so horrible.

Paterno is looking for the one who executes the offenses and draws response from his cohorts. A commander for the corps.

"One of them will come to the front and do something to indicate they can lead this football team," Paterno said.

Presently each of the three continues to take snaps with the first team during practice. It is not a case of no one stepping up, rather a case of no one sliding down.

The most likely case scenario would have Collins and Sacca staying aboard and Richardson taking a redshirt. That would give Richardson, who was baptized by fire last season, the Chicago Fire that is, a chance to learn without wasting a year of eligibility as a back-up. He says that will be determined by the powers that be.

"That's a decision the coaches will have to make, I'm not worrying about that right now," Richardson said. "I'm worrying about making it through preseason."

Paterno put it simply: "Richardson has the least experience of the three but in the long run might end up being the best of the three."

With his cool composure and arsenal of an arm, that is very possible. Witness his impromptu performances against Cincinnati and Temple. The key phrase though being, "in the long run."

Most likely Collins and Sacca, each of whom had the starting job stripped from him last season due to injuries, will battle to be the king of the Nittany Mountain. But don't look to either for early concession speeches. Each, in their own minds anyway, is still the head honcho.

"I think going into camp, I had the edge," Sacca said. "I went through the spring, and I've been around here a little longer than some of the other guys."

Translation: Kerry Collins missed the spring while doctors tried to glue his fingers back together, and Wally is still just a teenager.

Sacca, brother of Penn State record book author Tony, was catapulted into the starting spot last season after Collins crushed his fingers in that infamous volleyball game last summer. Showing a penchant for a soft touch on the long ball while being a bit erratic on others, Sacca completed 53 percent of his passes for 1,118 yards. More impressive was his touchdown/interception ratio of 9-3.

Sacca's incumbency came to a screeching halt during week seven against Boston College. With the Lions trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter, Sacca reinjured his shoulder and left the game. Like a knight in shining shoulder pads, Collins galloped the Lions into the endzone on his first drive of the season. His second drive ended on an interception.

Collins started the final five games for the Lions and showed a rifle arm and good mobility. Standing 6-foot-5, Collins has size and strength to complement his speed. But at times his long layoff was apparent and his accuracy went AWOL. Considering he had more surgery on his finger in the off-season, Collins is again scraping off the rust.

"He's probably the biggest, strongest of the group," Paterno said. "But he's fallen behind because of the fact that he has not really done anything since the end of last season."

Collins disagrees. He insists he is 90 percent healthy and 100 percent ready.

"I don't think (the injury) set me back at all," Collins said. "I'm healthy, I'm throwing the ball well. No excuses."

So it remains a three man race. A marathon. Eleven more days. Of course there can be only one winner, but no matter what, the person who can't lose is Joe Paterno.