It was announced yesterday that No. 17 Tennessee will face Penn State in the Outback Bowl -- and Joe Paterno said he expects to be on the sideline with no plans to retire afterward.

"This [injury] is just a setback," he said via teleconference. "I planned before I was definitely going to coach a few more years. At least."

The 79-year-old coach said physical therapy has been going well and that he's been "bored silly" since undergoing surgery four weeks ago. He's watched film -- on both No. 10 Auburn and Tennessee (9-3, 5-3 SEC) -- but only to get a feel for his opponent's defenses.

But even with rehabilitation and scouting the opposing team, Paterno has found time to butt heads with Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli. The team physician told Paterno he could put pressure on his left leg no sooner than six weeks from the time of his operation. But the 41-year head coach boasted he was ahead of schedule.

"The operation was, [as of yesterday], four weeks ago. And I've been bugging [Sebastianelli] that I can do it in five, so he keeps smiling at me," Paterno said. "I'm hoping a week from [today] I can put some weight on this leg."

Paterno said he's no longer in pain, although he's still confined to a wheelchair and walker. Regardless, Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said it was amazing all the Penn State coach was able to accomplish.

"His whole story is amazing. To be in coaching and do it like he's done it and do it at the level he's done for so many years, to do it the right way, is so remarkable," Fulmer said. "So him overcoming this injury would be phenomenal."

The Outback Bowl -- in Tampa, Fla. -- will mark only the fifth time the two teams have met. The series is currently tied, 2-2, with the last contest going to the Lions 12 years ago.

Neither team has lost to a squad ranked outside the top 25 this season. The Volunteers have fallen to No. 2 Florida (by one point), No. 4 LSU (by four points) and No. 12 Arkansas (by 17 points). Still, Fulmer said he had no qualms about competing against an unranked Penn State squad.

"I don't have any disappointment whatsoever about playing against a great Penn State on a New Year's Day bowl in a city like Tampa," he said. "We're thrilled with a chance to do that, and we're excited."

For Paterno, he's admittedly had quite a bit of free time -- "I'm bored in some ways because I can't even take a walk," he said. But that's likely to change soon since the Lions resume practice today. According to Paterno, the Lions will practice nine times in Happy Valley before flying to Tampa on Dec. 23 and hopefully practicing six times there.

"There's some things I think we can do better," Paterno said. "Our biggest problem is we're careless with the football sometimes, and we don't take advantage of our opportunities ... We're not a really good football team because we're making mistakes, but we're getting closer."