One short second changed the face of Penn State's season last year. Fans mourned and players fell to their knees when the clock struck zero in Ann Arbor, effectively ending the Nittany Lions' national title hopes.

The Lions were careful not to mention any words of revenge this week. But with Michigan in the midst of an undefeated season, it seems like the perfect setup for Penn State: A chance to ruin the Wolverines' title run and, in the process, keep its Bowl Championship Series (BCS) hopes alive.

"We might not be able to play for the national championship. But if we win this game, it's huge because after this, if we win the rest of our games, we can probably end up in the Rose Bowl," defensive tackle Jay Alford said.

It might come one year later than planned, but the Lions would still gladly accept a Rose Bowl invitation after suffering two away losses in their first four games. But, to contend for another prestigious Bowl, they'll have to get past the No. 4 squad in the nation at 8 p.m. tomorrow.

Joe Paterno admitted that would be no easy feat.

"If they are not one of the two or three best football teams in the country, somebody has to show me somebody better," he said.

Penn State hasn't beaten the Wolverines in a decade -- its last win a 29-16 victory in 1996, eight meetings ago. Then again, Michigan hasn't played in Beaver Stadium in five years.

The Lions haven't boasted homefield advantage in the series since 2001. Wideout Jordan Norwood said that will make a huge difference when the two teams meet tomorrow.

"It just helps knowing that you've got a tenth of a million people behind your back at all times," Norwood said. "That's a lot of noise and a lot of encouragement you have every second of the game."

The Lions will need that encouragement, especially on offense -- Michigan boasts the No. 1 run-defense in the nation. Michigan's opponents have been averaging about 40 rushing yards per game, along with an incredibly low 1.72 yards per carry.

That could cause problems for Penn State workhorse Tony Hunt, who had 31 carries last week, and has

been a big reason why the Lions offense hasn't sputtered as much.

Hunt is No. 11 in the country, averaging 111.5 yards per game, but -- even in that department -- Michigan has the statistical advantage. Running back Mike Hart is the No. 8 tailback in the nation, averaging more than 130 yards per contest.

"I never really see him lose yardage. He's always falling forward," Alford said. "He has huge offensive linemen in front of him, so you can't really see him until he's right there on you. A few cuts, and he's pretty much gone."

If Penn State loses, a BCS Bowl would be a virtual impossibility. If the Lions win, they'll likely make a return to the rankings while making a run at a BCS Bowl.

And it's also an opportunity to move on from last year's game with an exclamation mark.

"It means the world," Penn State linebacker and Michigan native Tim Shaw said. "Not because I'm from there, but because of the history these teams have.

"We need to get this one to get our season to go the way we want it to go."