Six teams ranked in the top 12 nationally.Three defending NCAA individual champions. Twenty-five combined NCAA team championships. Fourteen returning NCAA All-Americans.

That is the type of competition the No. 4 Penn State men's gymnastics team (15-1, 2-1 Big Ten) will face in its quest for a second consecutive Big Ten team title.

Beginning tonight, the Nittany Lions will face five other top squads, including host Illinois, to defend their crown, and gain much-needed confidence and momentum for the NCAA championships, April 2-4. Both events are in Champaign, Ill.

"We're not going into the meet worrying about defending our title," Penn State men's gymnastics coach Randy Jepson said. "The biggest thing is just to remain consistent and don't beat ourselves and put ourselves in a position for teams to have to beat us. Consistency is really the main thing. Another big thing is this team hasn't peaked yet, and we've been aiming for these three weeks all year."

To accomplish their goals, the Lions will rely on a combination of team depth and a solid lineup. All season, Jepson has prepared the squad for the postseason by resting top competitors and utilizing different rotations.

"Big Tens will be the first time that we are competing with our top lineup together all year," Jepson said.

While team depth will be key to a repeat victory, there are several competitors expected to lead the Lions. Sophomore Luis Vargas finished sixth in the all-around at last season's Big Ten championships and claimed four event crowns in last week. Other key competitors for the Lions include sophomore Chad Buczek and reigning Big Ten and NCAA rings champion Kevin Tan.