Even though Penn State fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with Saturday's loss to Michigan, the Nittany Lions still managed to impress national poll voters in the process.

Penn State did drop from No. 8 to No. 12 in the Associated Press Top-25 poll, but a four-spot drop after losing to an unranked team is actually very small.

The Lions also dropped four spots from No. 10 to No. 14 in the USA Today poll, which accounts for one third of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) rankings.

The BCS rankings were released for the first time this season yesterday and found Penn State ranked at No. 10. The Lions would automatically receive a bid to a BCS bowl if they managed to win the Big Ten Championship, something that is still a plausible possibility.

The other factors that are used to compute the BCS -- the Harris Interactive Poll and a set of six computer rankings -- currently rank the Lions at No. 12 and No. 6, respectively.

Not that Penn State coach Joe Paterno cares, though he was outspoken on his thoughts concerning the BCS and other polls during his press conference during last Tuesday afternoon.

"Honest to goodness where are we? Eighth, that is great. I don't know why we have polls week by week, except to sell newspapers. I really don't. Heck, you lose a couple of games and you will be 88," Paterno said.

Saturday's loss obviously didn't make the Lions drop quite that far, and Paterno should be careful lest he give the University of Eastern Michigan some bulletin board material.

The Eagles are currently ranked No. 88 in this week's poll, according to USA Today college football analyst Jeff Sagarin's Sagarin Rating Index.

Day to remember

Offense: Michael Robinson. Robinson did turn the ball over twice but he still managed to lead the Lions offense back from the brink, only to have it all go for naught. In the first half, he threw nothing but short passes, but, with a little luck, Penn State still could have entered half time with at least six points on the board. He simply imposed his will on the game in the fourth quarter and bounced back nicely from what could have been a devastating interception.

Defense: Tamba Hali. Not too many people on the Penn State defense will want to remember this day, but Hali actually played fairly well. Matched up against a strong offensive line, Hali recorded a sack and made a number of tackles downfield after the linebackers failed to bring down running back Mike Hart upon contact. Hali finished with nine stops, six of them solo, and continued his steady climb up NFL draft boards.

Day to forget

Offense: Deon Butler. Butler's statistics, one catch for six whopping yards, tell the whole story. On a day that Penn State needed to throw the ball, and on an afternoon where it proved it could do so, Butler was a non-factor. Even when Williams left the game with Penn State needing a touchdown, it was freshman Jordan Norwood who stepped up and made the big plays. Butler didn't drop anything thrown in his direction, but he didn't get open much either.

Defense: The secondary. Chad Henne is a quality quarterback, but he proved in the first half that he is definitely human, and the secondary made him look like the next Michigan immortal in the fourth quarter. It's not that the secondary was even horrible -- heck cornerback Alan Zemaitis scored a touchdown -- but if Penn State's defensive backfield is as good as it, and others, seem to think it is, 53 yards with less than a minute left on the clock should have been more than enough of a cushion.

Quotable:

Penn State coach Joe Paterno on whether he would normally like to have his defense on the field needing only one play to secure a win: "Oh, sure ... sure you would. But not today ... not today."

Did you notice?

How Michigan's band plays "Hail To the Victors" incessantly ... How the entire student section sings along to said song in a really cool display of school spirit... How Chad Henne did his postgame, 50-yard line TV interviews with his helmet on? All he needs is a black visor and we've got the next Ricky Williams ... Penn State safety Chris Harrell lingering on the field, quietly watching the Wolverines celebrate, after most of his teammates had retreated to the locker room?

Extra Point?

There has been a lot of grumbling about the officiating of Saturday's game from the Penn State faithful, but the bottom line is, it shouldn't have mattered. Yes, the referee put two seconds back on the clock, and that ended up killing Penn State. But had Penn State taken advantage of its first-half opportunities, or had they covered kickoffs better, or had the defensive line managed to generate a pass rush on the final series, it wouldn't have mattered. Lots of ifs. It will be interesting to see how the team reacts Saturday to the loss, but it will be even more interesting to see if the Nittany Nation still has the same fervor the next time the Lions return home.