The talk about a Bowl Championship Series game has slowed down now. The locker room is no longer buzzing with hype about Rose or Orange bowls.

Instead, safety Anthony Scirrotto said it's about something else. It's not about throwing oranges into the crowd two days after New Year's or about hoisting a diamond-encrusted football at the season's end.

"It's a lot about competing. We're not satisfied with the record we have now, but we want to get to the best bowl possible," he said.

A Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl is the best the Nittany Lions (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) can realistically hope for -- but a loss to Purdue at noon tomorrow, and that dream would be all but crushed.

It was a point that wasn't lost on offensive tackle Levi Brown.

"Every game that we have left is a big game," Brown said. "It can be a turning point for our season. We can win one game or we can win all four."

A win tomorrow would qualify -- and virtually guarantee -- Penn State a bowl bid. A loss, and Penn State would be on its way to a Champs Sports Bowl, the fourth most prestigious Bowl in the Big Ten's field of six.

Obviously, that's one of the last things Penn State wants to happen.

"This is a chance to get our game together and put together the season we wanted," linebacker Dan Connor said. "This game is the first step in finishing out really strong."

But a victory on the road tomorrow won't come easy. Purdue (5-3, 2-2) boasts the No. 8 offense in the country and averages about 100 more yards per game than the Lions.

Like Penn State, Purdue has only lost to strong teams -- Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Still, Purdue coach Joe Tiller labeled the Lions as underrated and said his opponent's three-loss record didn't exactly make him comfortable.

"Offensively, they're a little different. They're a hard-nosed team with some skill on the outside that sends chills up and down your spine at times," he said. "It's been interesting to hear people talk about the big two [Ohio State and Michigan] in the league. This team was 12-1 last season; people have short memories."

Like Illinois, Purdue also runs an option, and quarterback Curtis Painter is renowned for his quick, three-step drops. So, linebacker Paul Posluszny admitted, getting to the quarterback will be no easy feat for the Penn State defense. The Boilermakers have only allowed eight sacks this season.

According to Posluszny, since Painter is accustomed to those quick plays, the Lions are setting their sights on putting the Boilermakers in 2nd-and-long or 3rd-and-long positions. That way, "he'll have to sit in the pocket a little bit more" -- which, Posluszny said, should lead to more pressure.

Penn State will have to string together a few more wins to make a comeback in the top 25 and earn a decent bowl, but it's a challenge that begins with this game.

"I feel like our team is one of the best in the nation," Scirrotto said. "Rankings, I really don't pay attention to; all that is a number to me. We can't get ourselves all wrapped up into that.

"But it'd be nice to be in there."