While the Penn State men's basketball team is fighting to qualify for the National Invitation Tournament, this season the Nittany Lions have been stunned countless times by buzzer-beating game winners.

That, of course, doesn't show in the overall and conference records.

And it also doesn't show that the Lions reached a landmark of sorts with Saturday's 98-85 overtime win over then-No. 10 Ohio State.

For the first time ever, the Lions upended three top-25 teams in the same season and two top-10 opponents.

What's next for this dangerous team with the not-so-dangerous shell? A Big Ten Tournament title?

Such a feat sounds unrealistic considering the season the Lions have just experienced. But when assessing the year, it's easy to see the Lions really battled each conference opponent in those dramatic losses.

So with a 5-11 Big Ten mark, it seems rational to think they will make a quick departure from the United Center.

However, when the Lions (13-13, 5-11 Big Ten) take on Northwestern (14-12, 6-10) at 2 p.m. Thursday in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament, they'll be opening the postseason with ideas of a tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in their eyes.

Even though the winner gets top-seed Michigan State.

"We're going to go into each game, concentrating on that team, seeing if we can win that game," Lions guard Dan Earl said. "I really think we all think we can beat any team in this league, and we've obviously shown we can lose to any team in this league as well."

You may be scoffing at the Lions' whimsical plight of becoming one of the NCAA's final 64 teams. You may be smirking at their newfound confidence and overall optimism heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

But find comfort in the fact that they are not expecting an early loss, as is their only certain opponent, which struggled down the stretch losing its final six conference games.

"I'll be interested to see how we step up in this tournament," Northwestern coach Kevin O'Neill said. "And whenever the Big Ten Tournament's done, I'll be interested to see how we step up in the NIT -- because I don't plan on us winning four games. We ain't winning four games."

Way to show your players you have confidence in them, coach.

Even if Penn State is knocked out of the conference tournament as expected, it must top Northwestern in order to guarantee the .500 record necessary for postseason play.

Haunting Penn State in its quest for the NIT -- if it doesn't make the seemingly impossible run to win the Big Ten Tournament crown -- will be its two losses against non-conference foes the Lions should have beaten.

Following successive wins over then-No. 10 Temple and Villanova, the Lions traveled to Peoria, Ill., Dec. 9 and were upended by Bradley, 63-54. Then, Dec. 28 in the first round of the Fiesta Bowl Tournament, Florida International dropped Penn State, 85-67.

It's this set of disappointments that will disturb the Lions most if they are bumped out of the Big Ten Tournament's first round. They fought each of their conference foes this season, but usually came out heartbroken by last-second, game-winning shots.

"You look at some of the games we lost," Lions coach Jerry Dunn said, "they were close games … some guys made some tough shots to beat us."

The Lions have to believe the stunning shots that victimized them throughout the season simply can't continue to fall, and that the ball must literally bounce their way, eventually.

Maybe that's the reason they believe they can make a run in the Big Ten Tournament, ensuring an NIT invite, and if the buckets fall in their favor, possibly a tournament championship and ticket to the Big Dance.

"Coming into the season, I'd be lying if I told you our goals were to make the NIT," Earl said. "There's nothing wrong with the NIT, but our goal is to go to the NCAA. Unfortunately, we haven't played well enough in the regular season, so if we're still going to do that, we're going to have to do it the hard way."