They don't get much bigger than this.

Here's all that needs to be said: No. 2 Texas (7-0) at No. 8 Penn State (4-1).

This is the kind of game that makes or breaks a season.

On Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center, Kelly Mazzante and the rest of the Lady Lions will be trying to prove to the world, and to themselves, that they deserve to be respected as one of the finest teams in all the land.

But it's not going to be easy.

The Longhorns, who return four starters, bring in one of the most explosive, well-rounded teams in all of college basketball, and a coach in Judy Conradt who's won more than every women's coach not named Pat Summitt.

Like the Lady Lions, Texas brings two of the 30 candidates who are eligible for the 2004 Wooden Award, Stacy Stephens and Heather Schreiber, which is presented to the best women's college basketball player in the country.

But the Longhorns biggest surprise may come off the bench in the form of 6-foot-3 freshman, Tiffany Jackson. Jackson leads Texas in both scoring and rebounding (14 pts, 9 rebounds) and adds depth to one of the best front courts in the country.

Both teams are coming off solid wins, with Penn State winning on Wednesday night at Maryland and Texas destroying Texas Tech, 88-27 (That's not a mis-print).

With a huge match up like this, every little advantage can make the slightest difference, and the fact that this game is at the Bryce Jordan Center gives the Lady Lions hope.

"I think the crowd is a major factor," Penn State coach Rene Portland said. "We have to give them something to cheer about."