From time to time, linebacker Tyrell Sales will be chatting with Penn State players, past and present, who haven't won a Big Ten championship.

He'll pull out his 2005 Big Ten championship ring and capture the reaction.

"You get the ring, it's like, 'Wow, man, I wish I would've had that opportunity,' " Sales said. "To have that, that was coming from a young guy talking to an older guy. ... If you can relay to them how special it is that I've got a Big Ten championship ring knowing you're a Big Ten champion, it's a great feeling and definitely something to play for."

A Big Ten championship and subsequent berth in the program's first Rose Bowl since the 1994 season is the highest objective when No. 8 Penn State (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) hosts No. 15 Michigan State (9-2, 6-1) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

A win against the Spartans would also bring a number of other accomplishments.

It would mean Penn State, which is sitting at 799 career wins, would become the sixth football program in NCAA history to win 800 games.

It would mean Penn State's senior class of 17 players would go out with its second conference championship, becoming the only Nittany Lions' group to do so.

It also could mean the final win at Beaver Stadium for Joe Paterno, who has said he will undergo hip replacement surgery. His contract expires at the end of this season, and his 2009 plans have not been publicly spelled out by Penn State President Graham Spanier or Athletic Director Tim Curley.

Paterno has indicated he would like to return, but it is unclear how his health may affect those plans.

Future of the head coach aside, there are plenty of implications from what transpires on the field.

"There's obviously a lot at stake, but once you start thinking about the stakes, things start getting out of hand," center A.Q. Shipley said.

Penn State's recent history on Senior Day indicates the Nittany Lions will be playing in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1. The Lions have won 17 of their past 18 games on Senior Day, with the only loss coming in 1999 against a Michigan team led by Tom Brady.

But few recent opponents on Senior Day have been as good as Michigan State.

The Spartans are led by standout running back Javon Ringer, whose 353 carries lead the nation. He also has 1,548 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns.

The rest of Michigan State's team has 78 yards combined.

"He's a great football player," Paterno said. "I mean great. Maybe I overstate and use the term 'great' sometimes, but I tell you what, he is so durable. He is so tough."

Penn State enters with some questions offensively despite leading the conference in scoring. The offense has only 13 points in its past six first quarters, and quarterback Daryll Clark turned the ball over three times against Indiana.

Clark said this week he'll rebound, and the Lions may need him to if they want to cash in on the weekend's ample opportunities.

"These are the types of games you come to Penn State to play in," senior safety Anthony Scirrotto said. "You dream about this as a kid to be able to have this opportunity and to be able to play for all the marbles."