It's not hard to see that the Big Ten conference is a powerhouse in the wrestling world. Four Big Ten teams rank among the top 10 in the nation, including No. 1 Minnesota. No. 12 Penn State finds itself among the other eight Big Ten schools listed in the top 25.

The Nittany Lions were confident opening their conference schedule against now-No. 9 Wisconsin and No. 1 Minnesota last weekend. Instead of putting themselves in a good position both in the rankings and standings, the Lions dropped to an 0-2 in the Big Ten.

After a long, weary road trip, the Lions (9-4, 0-2 Big Ten) will begin its homestand against Ohio State at 7 tonight and No. 11 Illinois at 1 on Sunday.

The tough start to the conference schedule provided a reality check for many of the wrestlers. The losses have already brought motivation and lessons that will be tested this weekend.

"It was like a smack in the face, last weekend," senior captain Aaron Anspach said. "It opened our eyes. [Those were] our first Big Ten matches of the year, and Big Ten style is a lot different, I would say, than any other conference. Just because its more like in your face and pounding.

"I think some of the younger guys weren't ready to see that yet, and weren't aware of what was coming. Now that we have a taste, we'll be a little more confident this week at home."

The Buckeyes (5-3, 1-0 Big Ten) will bring four ranked wrestlers to tonight's match. The 197-pound bout will be the only match with two ranked opponents, pitting Penn State's No. 3 Phil Davis against No. 7 J.D. Bergman. Davis was one of only two Lions to come away with two wins last weekend.

Although Ohio State is not listed in the rankings, it has been receiving votes for the past three weeks.

The Lions last faced Illinois two years ago in a 26-6 loss in Champaign, Ill. Although unfamiliar, head coach Troy Sunderland is confident that his squad will come out strong against Illinois, who boasts seven ranked grapplers.

All of the Lions' six remaining matches are against ranked opponents, and the field of competition will continue to be more challenging. Even though it ranks among the best in the nation, Penn State will look to rebound to try to stand out in its powerful conference.

"We stepped it up on them when we came back from the trip," Sunderland said. "Not that they were wrestling poorly, they just weren't wrestling a complete match, and we talked about it in the Big Ten and not giving up easy.

"What we try to impress upon them is that seven minutes, you can train all year long and do everything right, and if you don't go out and show it in those seven minutes no one is going to know."