Chris Harrell played in zero games last season, so he can't do much commenting about how bad things went on the field. He can't talk about the frustrations of playing on the conference's best defensive unit and having only two conference wins to show for it.

Sidelined the entire 2004 season with a neck injury, it had been a while since the Nittany Lions senior safety played in a big game. On Saturday he regained that feeling of importance on such a prestigious stage.

With the Lions leading Ohio State, 14-3, in the first half, Harrell, for the first time in his Penn State career, experienced a feeling like never before.

"That was the first time in my five years that we've really felt confident on the sideline," Harrell said. "Once we got a lead, once we got momentum on offense, there was a lot of comfort over there."

That comfort came from a defense that prides itself on playing huge when put in pressure situations. A defense that was first in the Big Ten a season ago in points per game allowed. This, coming from a unit that has shown its ability to keep the Lions offense, struggling or succeeding, in every game the past two seasons.

But any defender will admit that it's always nice to play with a lead.

So when freshman Derrick Williams ushered a Michael Robinson toss into the end zone early in the second quarter, a little bit of weight fell off the defense's shoulders. And when Robinson scored on an option keeper, which was set up by safety Calvin Lowry's interception return, a bit more weight fell after that.

"There wasn't a lot of anxiety, people weren't nervous. We were real comfortable in what was going on," Harrell said. "We knew we were gonna be able to make plays."

Truth is, this season's undefeated team may have a lot of the same players it had a season ago, but in all actuality it is a totally different squad. And it doesn't hurt to have a handful of skilled wideouts that can stretch the field and keep opposing safeties from lingering around the line of scrimmage.

"They were afraid of that, and it opened up some things underneath," Robinson said of the Buckeyes secondary.

Though unsuccessful at connecting on deep patterns against the Buckeyes, the Lions certainly posed a threat in the first half at attempting to throw the ball downfield. All season the Lions have used the big play to their advantage against teams, something the Buckeyes were aware of but apparently didn't respect coming in.

"A lot of times during the week they were talking about shutting us down, but they respected our speed [as the game progressed]," redshirt freshman Deon Butler said. "At times in the beginning, we had the deep ball. Guys were open, the ball would just be off a little here or there."

The deep ball is a tiny threat that has already done substantial damage. It's why Harrell and the rest of the defensive unit don't mind going to the sidelines anymore.

That fact has allowed the defense to breathe easier. It is still stout and reliable for the most part, close to what it was a year ago. Only now it has the comfort of knowing every game doesn't garner a flawless performance.

" [Just] going out and doing our scheme, knowing that the guy next to me was doing his job, and the guys on offense would take care of what their job is," Harrell said.

And knowing that halfway through this season, he already has a lot more interesting things to talk about than he did a year ago.