Forget the 12-2 season record of the No. 41 Penn State men's tennis team. Forget all of those non-conference games meant to tease a team expected to do great things this year. Forget about it. For the Nittany Lions, the real season begins now.

Finished with their non-conference schedule and ready to make their run toward the Big Ten title, the Lions (2-1 Big Ten) will now head into their final seven matches, each against a conference opponent. The reality is, no matter how successful the Lions are during non-conference play, these final matches provide the team with the realization of how good they really are.

Although one of their two losses this season has come at the hands of a non-conference opponent, the caliber of play is unmatched when compared to the Big Ten. The Lions dropped a close match to Virginia Tech on March 4, the only slip-up in the out-of-conference schedule, but the other teams were pushovers, comparatively. Teams like Duquense and Army might provide the occasional scare, but they aren't the kinds of matches that test the true skill of a team ranked in the top 50 in the country.

Having already played three Big Ten contests earlier in the season, it's evident that these conference matches hold more consequences for this young team than any other contest this season.

Don't get me wrong. Even matches against Duquense and Army are very important when it comes to building a successful season and developing your skills, but winning the remaining conference games will put the stamp on this year's season. These teams will force the Lions to bring out their best each week just to earn each point.

"I would say there's definitely more importance in conference matches," head coach Todd Doebler said. "You always want to do well in your conference, and the fact that the players all know each other makes it more exciting to watch."

Why put so much weight on the Big Ten matches? This is where some of the top teams are battling, waiting for their chance to seize the conference title. Coming into this season, the Big Ten boasted five teams in the top 50 according to collegetennisonline.com, and two teams, No. 3 Ohio State, and No. 5 Illinois looking to make a serious run at a national championship.

The schedule is downright brutal. But the Lions have seen this high level of play before.

Last season, Penn State finished the Big Ten schedule with a 5-5 record but flourished in the conference tournament, knocking off the No. 3 seed, Minnesota, and finishing tied for third overall.

But this season, a .500 Big Ten record will not be acceptable for Doebler and the Lions.

In his first year with Penn State, Doebler has brought a sense of urgency and passion to the team, which has seen its shining moments so far this season. Doebler will have to bring out his best efforts when guiding the Lions during conference play, and believes that he is well on his way to taking this team to the next level.

"Honestly it's a little too early to tell, but I think we've had some success up to this point," Doebler said. "Our goal is to get better each week, and as we stick to that goal, I think the success will follow."