Another year means another high-stakes clash between Penn State and Ohio State.

BCS bowl hopes are likely on the line when the No. 11 Nittany Lions face No. 15 Ohio State at

3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Despite the winner not having an inside track to the Rose Bowl, the game amounts to an elimination match for a big-money bowl.

"It's a typical Penn State-Ohio State game," senior linebacker Sean Lee said. "There's gonna be high stakes. Usually, both teams are doing well when it comes to the conference. You know at one point or another, you're gonna have to get this win if you wanna become conference champions."

For both teams, winning doesn't mean a trip to Pasadena just yet. Penn State earns the Big Ten's automatic BCS berth to the Rose Bowl if it wins out and Iowa loses twice.

If Ohio State wins out, it will go to Pasadena for the first time since 1997.

But bowl destinations aren't the only subplot Saturday. One team will get its first win against a ranked opponent.

And then there's Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor making his homecoming to Western Pennsylvania.

But despite the ramifications of losing Saturday, quarterback Daryll Clark said the best thing to do is ignore the hoopla surrounding this game and focus on winning.

"I don't really pay attention to those things," Clark said. "When you fall into that trap, you're focusing on the wrong things."

The focus Saturday will be on two defenses regarded as leaders in the league and among the best in the country.

A low-scoring offensive struggle appears to be in the forecast Saturday. Neither team has surrendered an average of more than 12 points per game.

Lee said the game probably will be determined by a handful of plays, making every mistake loom large in the outcome.

But that doesn't necessarily mean the Lions have a conservative game plan, linebacker Josh Hull said.

"We don't go out as a team not to make mistakes," Hull said. "We go out on the field playing to win. When you do become cautious, that's when you make mistakes. When you do make a mistake, we're taught to make them at 100 percent."

Hull said a game like Saturday's is why players decide to play football for Penn State. Even with so much on the line for Penn State in recent matchups, Hull thinks most teams in the league are shooting for the same thing.

"Ultimately, it's every team's goal to win the Big Ten title," he said.