The game, and the latest chance for the Big Ten to prove itself in a marquee game, is 20 days away.

This time, Penn State will be the conference's representative when the Nittany Lions play USC in the Rose Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 1, in Pasadena, Calif. Plenty will be on the line for the Lions, who also will be trying to atone for the poor showing of the Big Ten in recent BCS bowls.

Daryll Clark knows all about the conference's reputation that has been sullied nationally, and he's heard enough.

"People keep saying the Big Ten can't play outside their conference, and I'm tired of it," Clark said. "I'm tired of hearing people say things like that. We've proved people wrong in the Big Ten, and eventually, we're gonna play another game and somebody will have something else to say."

The 95th Rose Bowl matchup features enough glitz and glamour to match the star power in Southern California. Penn State won a share of the Big Ten and the conference's Bowl Championship Series automatic bid, and Joe Paterno, college football's all-time winningest coach, said Sunday he hopes to return to the sideline after hip replacement surgery.

USC is playing in this game for the fourth consecutive year, just a short distance from its home field.

"Every single day we walk off the practice field, we see the Rose Bowl at the end of the tunnel," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "Everybody knows that's what we're shooting for."

The Trojans have a dynamic coach of their own in Carroll, whose enthusiastic personality helped transform USC into a national power after lackluster seasons in the 1990s.

"Obviously, this game has got so much riding on it with Pete Carroll and his coaching background and Joe Paterno," said Clay Matthews, a senior defensive end for USC. "Both teams have great tradition and background to them. ... I like to think of it as another national championship game."

In a bigger context, Penn State's opportunity before a national audience tuning in to what could be the best bowl game that won't decide a national champion is another chance for the Big Ten to save some face nationally and restore respect.

A Big Ten team has not won the Rose Bowl since 2000, though Ohio State has won a national championship since and the Lions came away from the 2006 Orange Bowl with a victory.

Still, the Buckeyes are a primary contributor to the Big Ten taking a bad rap by virtue of their losses to LSU and Florida in the two most recent national championship games.

"When Florida and LSU can perform the way they did, vis-à-vis the Big Ten, they clearly showed they were stronger than Ohio State," Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delany said Sept. 20, a week after USC thumped the Buckeyes, 35-3. "I think people drew the inference that, one through 12 or one through 11, they're a stronger conference. ... The last two years, we haven't competed at the highest level against the best teams that way."

A win would give Penn State all kinds of steam heading into next season and would be one of the Big Ten's best bowl wins since the Buckeyes won the 2002 national championship.

The Lions are a 10-point underdog, and USC's defense allows the fewest points in the country at 7.8 per game.

Clark said the Lions are "going to try and shock the world."

Could the Lions use Jan. 1 to make a statement?

"I'm going to let the game speak for itself," tackle Gerald Cadogan said. "We'll see."