Every week, the local Wonder Bread man in Hoboken, N.J., delivers his goods to Barbara Casey, whose son Rashard is the starting quarterback at Penn State.

Every week, Barbara thanks the man and unconsciously sets him on his way.

Three weeks ago, however, the bread man decided to stick around a little longer.

For he came not only to deliver bread to Barbara, but for Barbara to deliver something to him as well -- ideas on how to get tickets for this Sunday's Kickoff Classic, which will feature Rashard and his Nittany Lions against Southern California in Hoboken's proverbial backyard, the Meadowlands.

"He wondered how he could get tickets, and I left a number, and hopefully he can get them that way," Barbara said.

"But I don't know."

Sounds like wishful thinking from the fifth-year senior's mother.

But with the game so close and already sold out, wishful is about all she can afford to be.

For a while, Penn State coach Joe Paterno was wishful, too.

He was wishful he hadn't opened his "big mouth," as he calls it, to his team earlier this summer in the locker room about the possibility of playing the Trojans.

"I didn't accept that, believe me," Paterno said, chuckling. "The athletic director said, 'Hey, we need to play this year or next year.' I said, 'Well, the kids will probably want to play this year.' "

He was right.

He got wind of Michigan turning down an invitation to play Virginia Tech in the same game, so that left choice No. 2 — his Lions against USC.

Upon hearing the news, he entered the locker room, complete with nearly 100 faces staring in anticipation of what the 73-year-old coach would say next.

"So, you want to play USC in the Kickoff Classic?" he asked.

"It means you are going to start a week earlier, and you are going to give up a lot."

Around the time Paterno said "means you are going. . ." Rashard's palm shot up in the air.

A chorus of hands followed, first by tailback Eric McCoo, who hails from Red Bank.

Then by offensive linemen Kareem McKenzie and Jordan Caruso, out of nearby towns Willingboro and Medford, respectively.

"That's like playing in my backyard, being in Jersey," McCoo said.

"Actually, anywhere in Jersey is like my backyard now that we're in Pennsylvania."

Hillsborough's Shawn Mayer raised his, too, but as fate would have it, the redshirt sophomore hero's season would be lost two months later with an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee.

So did Jimmy Kennedy and Francis Spano, who live in boroughs of nearby New York City.

Kennedy is from Yonkers, while Spano comes from Bellmore.

Among the lesser-known New Jersey players who joined in the vote are linebacker Dave Benfatti, defensive end Michael Haynes, tight ends Terrence Glover and Brad Karson, center Eric Rickenbach and defensive back James Millon.

McCoo began taking ticket requests as soon as the public knew of the team's decision. But like Rashard's mom, he knows the demand greatly exceeds the supply.

"I'm still working on it," McCoo said. "I'm still trying to get enough to bring everyone. I could, if I had the tickets. I'm sure I could fill half the stadium. I'm sure I could probably fill the other half, if that was the case. I'll see what I can do."

As soon as Paterno could once again see the heads, rather than the hands, of his players, he sighed.

He knew his team was hurting, having lost nine starters on defense. He knew USC was a possible Top-10 squad. And he knew an early season loss, which is very possible, would kill the morale of a team trying to prove its doubters wrong.

Yet, he said the Lions have worked hard -- harder than they have in years -- in the preseason. He feels ready, and his team feels ready.The problem is, though, that USC feels ready, too.

"I am not going to second-guess myself or second-guess the squad," Paterno said. "I think we are looking forward to playing against a very, very fine football team in a big-time game."

So is everyone else in New Jersey, including the Hoboken Wonder Bread man, who may or may not find his way there.

"I think this town will be empty that day," Barbara said. "Everybody's asking me how they can get tickets.

"I don't know," she said. "I have my tickets."