Last year's 17-10 win against Ohio State was the defining moment of the 2005 season. Don't expect this weekend's matchup against the No. 1 Buckeyes to be the same for the 2006 Penn State squad.

Not after the way the Lions have looked in their first three games.

"It can be a big moment for us," junior quarterback Anthony Morelli said of the upcoming game against Ohio State. "You know, they're No. 1 in the country, best team in our conference and the country."

Key word: can.

Yeah, senior running back Tony Hunt did rush for 143 yards against Youngstown State Saturday. Sure, freshman A.J. Wallace has impressed everyone with his playmaking abilities, especially after his 76-yard touchdown run. Of course a 37-3 win looks great on the scoreboard.

But it was Division I-AA Youngstown State. Nothing less than a blowout win would have been acceptable for Penn State. And really, did Saturday's win even feel like a 37-3 game? Not at all.

And what about Morelli's 40 percent completion percentage? After the first-year starter threw for just 154 yards against Youngstown State, the prospects of a big day for Morelli and the Penn State offense in Columbus aren't exactly promising.

Add in the fact that Penn State hasn't beaten a ranked opponent on the road since Oct. 5, 2002, when it upended No. 19 Wisconsin in Madison 34-31, and a prediction for a Penn State win this week would look pretty bold.

The game against Youngstown State should have been a great opportunity for a tune-up before Ohio State. With talent like Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Morelli on offense, Saturday's game should have been over after one Penn State drive. Starters should have been happy with the performance, and content to rest for most the second half.

But it didn't turn out that way.

Instead, Morelli called it a "learning experience."

Instead, the Lions answered more questions about their psyche heading into Ohio State after the game than questions about Hunt's impressive performance.

"We're going to be ready to play," Morelli said Saturday. "Today we won, and that's a good thing. We'll get in the film room, and we'll learn from the little mistakes we had."

For three weeks now, the Lions have talked about fixing mistakes. And for three weeks, the Lions have continued to make them.

A clipping penalty nullified what would have been a 68-yard punt return for Williams against Youngstown State. In the same game, Morelli acknowledged that he didn't catch on to the Penguin's coverage schemes quick enough, continuing to throw downfield even as the Youngstown State defenders routinely dropped back into easy coverage.

But perhaps the most glaring problem with Penn State's performance this weekend was the slow start. By the end of the first quarter, the Lions had already punted twice and kicker Kevin Kelly had badly shanked a 30-yard field goal attempt.

Penn State needed four drives to score against the Penguins' defense. Honestly, did anyone expect the score to be tied 0-0 at the end of the first quarter?

"We just didn't have that fire in the first quarter," Morelli said.

That's exactly what a fan wants to hear.

The Lions have been playing uninspired football to date. It happened against Akron. It happened last week against Notre Dame. And it especially happened against Youngstown State.

So with that said, don't be on the lookout for inspiring moments this weekend.

After all, it's not 2005.