Tomorrow may be the wackiest, fun-filled, exhilarating Senior Day to ever unfold at Beaver Stadium.

The weather should be September-like, there will be points aplenty and the Nittany Lions have a chance to show what they've got against a true Heisman Trophy contender.

That would denote a good day for the 18 Penn State players who will step onto the Lions' home field for the last time in their career.

However, all that enjoyment and ecstasy could easily be transformed into gloom and doom.

The bottom line is if the Lions (3-5, 2-4 Big Ten) lose, they will essentially be playing for pride the rest of the way. One more loss will make for a long final two weeks of the season, as it will be impossible for the Lions to reach a bowl game for the second straight year.

Similarly, their opponent for this weekend's event is in the exact same boat.

Indiana (3-5, 3-3 Big Ten) will likewise try to keep their season from capsizing as the Hoosiers invade Happy Valley tomorrow. Kickoff is slated for 12:10 and will be televised by ESPN Plus.

For those of you who think this should be an easy win for the Lions, guess again. Sure Indiana isn't one of the Big Ten's perennial powerhouses like Michigan or Ohio State, but the Hoosiers have a never-say-die attitude and college football's most exciting player in quarterback Antwaan Randle El.

"I think (Indiana coach) Cam Cameron has done a good job with them," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "They are a little bit like we are . . . their kids are starting to feel better about themselves and they are playing good football."

Much like the Lions, Cameron's crew faltered out of the gates to an 0-3 start. But in their fourth game, Indiana stormed into Madison and absolutely whipped Wisconsin, 63-32, shocking everyone in the conference.

And although the Hoosiers have lost two more games since then, they are still very much in bowl contention. That's due in large part to the flash of Randle El, who for some reason started the season as a wideout after receiving Heisman Trophy votes for his play at quarterback last season.

"They have always been a great offensive football team," Paterno said. "I think they settled down and had Antwaan Randle El just play quarterback and they got into a groove and they have been very, very effective."

But the Lions' had better not put their sole focus on Randle El alone. Indiana senior tailback, Levron Williams, has rushed for 1,093 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season. Combine that with a legit threat in fullback Jeremi Johnson and the Hoosiers have a true triple option attack out of the backfield.

Yet Randle El said if Indiana has any hopes of winning tomorrow, as well as the final two games of their season, the Hoosiers need to upgrade their passing game.

"In the next three or four weeks, our receivers know we will have to throw the ball more," Randle El said. "Everybody will be sitting on the run and putting eight, nine or even 10 people in the box. We may to have to throw the ball more than we have all season in these next three games."

Meanwhile, Cameron isn't quite sure what to expect from the Lions. Will his team see a lot of shotgun, the normal Penn State offense, or the Lions' version of the Power I?

"The game is really a game between personnel match-ups," Cameron said. "Some weeks it is and some weeks it isn't. This may be one of those weeks where you substitute when they substitute."

While the intangibles surrounding the game are indeed highly significant, the game itself is sure to be more than entertaining.

Beaver Stadium's scoreboard operator will certainly earn this week's paycheck.

Why, you ask? Truth be known, both teams have not had stellar seasons on the defensive side of the football. The Lions are ranked 91st nationally in total defense -- giving up 382 yards per game -- while the Hoosiers are allowing over 30 points per contest, ranking 84th in the country.

Blend that with two vastly improved offenses and you have a recipe for a fireworks display that rivals an Independence Day celebration.

Indiana averages over 444 yards a contest and 35 points a game while the Lions have averaged 430 yards and 33 points since their season turnaround at Northwestern four weeks ago.

This could be one of those classic cases where the team who scores last will prevail.

"They're in the exact same situation that we're in," Randle El said. "It's literally going to be a fight but we see them like any other team because they are a talented football team."