It's not very often when the third game of the season could sway the entire season -- for better or worse.

This is the situation that the Penn State football team is facing as it heads into Nebraska tomorrow night for its showdown with the Cornhuskers.

"It's early in the year, but this is sort of a crossroads," linebacker Gino Capone said. "If we win this game, we've got things going...We're coming back home. But if we don't, we're going to have to continue to try to find ourselves."

The Nittany Lions with a loss will go under .500 for the first time since the end of the 2001 season, possibly sending the season in a downward spiral. A win could change everything, including sending Penn State's season in the opposite direction.

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno realizes how important the Nebraska game is. Paterno started early, stressing the importance of this game by putting his squad through a tough practice Monday, something highly uncharacteristic for a Monday during the season.

"Joe told us this is the most important week of our season," Michael Robinson said. "This is going to be a big game for us."

Robinson said that the Lions cannot afford another slow start like they had in the first two games, especially facing Nebraska.

"The next game has to be huge," said safety Chris Harrell following the Boston College defeat. "It's a big momentum game. Right now we're 1-1, we would rather be 2-1 rather than 1-2. It's a big game and we need to take it as serious as we can and come out playing as hard as we can."

Penn State quarterback Zack Mills knows that after a tough loss like last weekend it's easier to focus during the week being that they are playing on the road tomorrow.

"I really believe we can [win]," Mills said. "I think it's the ultimate challenge. I'd rather go out there than play here, because our backs are against the wall and we have to be ready. It's the perfect situation to play a great game."

Penn State has not yet seen a team with the talent level of the Cornhuskers, so how it will react remains to be seen. In each of the first three weeks, the level of play has gotten dramatically better. In addition, Nebraska has not forgotten what happened to them last season in Happy Valley when the Lions pounded them 40-7.

A lot of the first-year starters will be playing in its first road game. John Bronson said that all week during practice, he has been stressing to his inexperienced teammates how important it is to concentrate.

Even the experienced players like Deryck Toles are excited about the opportunity that is staring them in the face.

"Its always tough," Toles said. "It's a place you always dream of playing. All you'll see is a sea of red."

Bronson said that Lincoln is going to be tough place to play, but it won't be anything that Penn State hasn't seen before in Michigan or Ohio State.

"I expect the worst," Bronson said. "I'm sure if they could, I'd expect them to throw bottles, sticks and stones ... I don't expect them to be too happy."

And the next 60 minutes of football will tell a lot about Penn State.