After last week's season-best score, it could be easy for the No. 2 Penn State men's gymnastics team to get overconfident and lose focus.

But this is not the case.

Penn State head coach Randy Jepson said he knows his team will not have a let down this weekend when No. 2 Penn State gets a visit by No. 4 Ohio State at 7 p.m. Saturday in Rec Hall.

He said all he has to do is remind the team of the legacy and tradition of the Nittany Lions to keep his gymnasts from getting too confident.

After all, the program has won 11 team national championships, more than any other program.

"I just point at the wall [where the NCAA banners hang on]. They know they can be much greater," Jepson said. "It's still in the heart of the season. The most important meets are still to come."

But that doesn't mean the dominating victory over Illinois means nothing to the team.

As the season continues to roll on, the Lions may just be hitting their stride at the right time. Junior Tommy Ramos was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week for his scores against Illinois. Ramos is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation on the still rings. And the team is top-ranked on the still rings and No. 2 in the country on the high bar, an event that Penn State initially struggled on this year.

The result against the Illini not only gave the team more confidence, but also made the Lions more determined and excited for the Buckeyes.

"The team is loose and excited," senior captain Matt Cohen said. "Because of that everyone is doing better. The guys are more aggressive and confident."

And the team is even enjoying its time outside of gymnastics.

This past weekend, the team also attended Thon and bonded. Jepson said that it was great to see his team have some fun.

"They did great at Thon," Jepson said. "It was nice to see them perform so well. You need little extras -- shot of confidence."

That Penn State is feeling positive and loose makes matters a little more difficult for visiting Ohio State.

The Buckeyes haven't been in action as a team since beating Temple almost three weeks ago. But head coach Miles Avery said he wasn't overly concerned about the long lay-off, as six members of his team competed in the Winter Cup a couple of weeks ago.

Ohio State also has to deal with the injury to sophomore Eddie Hay, who injured his ankle while practicing for the Temple meet. Hay could be back as early as the Big Ten Championships.

While Avery said Hay's injury weakens the depth of his team for this Saturday's meet, he said he is more concerned about this team in the long term.

"He's one of our best guys on his best events," Avery said. "But the season is all about the end of the season. That's what's most important. The end is when you have to be your best."

The NCAA Championships are less than two months away, so Penn State's improvement is happening at just the right time.