The Nittany Lions have three losses already, but are still in good standing to make an appearance in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day.

For that, they should consider themselves blessed.

Through eight games, Penn State has yet to play a complete game. In that time, the Lions have been drawing on the same tired line: We've made some mistakes. We need to improve. And we will.

The question is when will that happen? So far, the Lions haven't shown much improvement. The offensive line has actually regressed, and Joe Paterno called his team "lousy" six times after a disappointing 26-12 win against Illinois last week.

It's clear the answer to that question is next year, maybe even later.

This year's Lions just aren't that good, aren't capable of taking that next step to become a solid team and certainly aren't close to having the identity that last year's team did.

Michael Robinson, Alan Zemaitis and Matthew Rice all had a sense of the moment. Anthony Morelli, Justin King and Tony Hunt have struggled to even create a moment worth remembering.

Think about it. Penn State had a chance to jumpstart its season against Minnesota three weeks ago. At that point, the Lions hadn't won a game on the road, falling to Notre Dame and Ohio State.

After blowing a 14-7 lead in the fourth quarter, Penn State found itself trailing 27-21 in overtime when Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito connected with Eric Decker for a 25-yard touchdown pass.

But then a string of breaks gave Penn State a chance to win. Minnesota kicker Jason Giannini missed the extra point. And on the Lions' ensuing drive, the Golden Gophers were wrongly flagged for pass interference when Morelli's pass to Deon Butler on fourth-and-9 fell incomplete, the result of good coverage by Minnesota defensive back Trumaine Banks, not a penalty.

Three plays later, Hunt barreled into the end zone, kicker Kevin Kelly hit the extra point and Penn State left Minneapolis with a win it didn't earn.

Last week, the Lions couldn't even get excited against Illinois in their homecoming game. They let freshman quarterback Juice Williams baffle them with the option. For a team that relied heavily on the option last year, it should have been a system that the Lions could have figured out.

If it hadn't been for the defense and special team's ability to make timely plays (Dan Connor's safety, Tony Davis' fumble return for a touchdown and Anthony Scirrotto's touchdown on a kick return), Penn State would have lost that game, too.

Granted, all of Penn State's losses have come to top 5 teams. But really, there was a sense at the beginning of the season that the Lions could have won at least one of those games, especially one at home against Michigan, the team that kept the Lions from a chance at the National Championship last year.

"It's no game that we've walked away thinking we couldn't play with those guys," sophomore wide receiver Derrick Williams said this week.

But there's not been one game where the Lions have walked off the field knowing the other team shouldn't have been playing with them.

This week, defensive tackle Ed Johnson was asked if he could do anything as senior to motivate the team.

"At this point there's not a lot you can say," he said. "You just gotta go out and perform."

Truer words have never been spoken this year. There's not much more this team can say to change this year. It's time for them to do something.

That, though, may have to wait for another year.