The Nittany Lions dropped their two biggest games of the season to Iowa and Ohio State, were outscored 30-0 combined in the second half, and both came at Beaver Stadium. But heading into the final weekend of the regular season, Penn State (9-2) has miraculously worked its way back into the mix for an at-large berth to a BCS bowl game.

Despite struggling early on Saturday against last place Indiana (before prevailing 31-20), the Lions leapfrogged five teams in the latest BCS standings and are now 14th. Ironically, all at-large candidates must be 14th or higher when the final BCS rankings are released Dec. 6 to be considered.

Penn State obviously has to beat Michigan State on Saturday – no sure thing, but the visiting Lions are a three-point favorite – in order to remain in contention. If that happens, however, they are not assured of anything. Conventional wisdom is that a Jan. 1st invite to the non-BCS Capital One Bowl in Orlando would be the worst-case scenario.

A whole lot of things will undoubtedly happen between now and Dec. 6, but we do know that Ohio State will represent the Big Ten at the Rose Bowl. If the conference gets a second BCS representative, it will probably be either PSU or Iowa (also 9-2).

The Hawkeyes are currently 13th in the BCS rankings, but that doesn’t mean that they would automatically get the nod over PSU should they win out. Even though Iowa won the head-to-head meeting, bowl officials care much more about how many potential fans will make the trip, and Penn State travels as well as anybody in the country. And the Lions have a draw that nobody else has: Joe Paterno, who has more wins that any major college football head coach.

But it isn’t that simple. The loser of the Florida (No. 1)-Alabama (No. 2) tilt in the SEC Championship Game will get one at-large spot. If both TCU (No. 4) and Boise State (No. 6) can stay undefeated, they will probably each get one.

That would leave just one available at-large berth, and there are other No. 2 teams from major conferences still in the running for consideration, including the loser of the Cincinnati (No. 5)-Pittsburgh (No. 9) clash in the Big East; and Oklahoma State (No. 12). And there is always a possibility that somebody currently ranked below the Lions could overtake them in the coming weeks. -- NEIL GEOGHEGAN.

The three major areas of concern heading into Penn State’s 2009 season – a rebuilt offensive line, revamped secondary and heavy graduation losses at wideout – all played a factor in the Nittany Lions’ 24-7 dud versus Ohio State last weekend.

But the biggest factor in the loss that knocked PSU out of the Rose Bowl hunt – special teams – wasn’t something that was even on the radar last summer. And, ironically, Penn State’s punt team was actually thought of as a strength, with returning punter, Jeremy Boone, who had all-conference ability.

Out of 120 football programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Lions rank near the bottom in net punting and defending returns. A blocked punt against Iowa was returned for a touchdown, providing the winning points in the Hawkeyes’ 21-10 triumph at Beaver Stadium. There was also another blocked punt at Michigan. And then a week prior to the OSU showdown, Penn State special teams were penalized twice for not having 11 players on the field against Northwestern.

The situation got even worse on Nov. 7, when the Buckeyes’ Ray Small broke loose for punt returns of 45 and 41 yards, setting up two of Ohio State’s three TDs.

“You knew this was going to be a field position game,” said OSU head coach Jim Tressel. “No one was going to drive up and down the field – it just wasn’t going to happen.”

But the punting woes gave the Buckeyes a short field, and they capitalized. Boone punted 10 times in the game, and seven were returned for 130 yards. Ohio State punted eight times, and just one was returned for zero yards (and was actually muffed but recovered by Graham Zug). That was a 130-0 edge, which is a lot in a battle between two solid defenses.

“Whoever wins the field position battle usually has the upper hand,” said safety Drew Asterino. “And we just couldn’t get control of that.”

During the post-game press conference, head coach Joe Paterno was asked if he needed to take a look at the way his program is doing things with the special teams. It was a thinly veiled question about the way Paterno chooses to set up his coaching staff.

Of the nine current full-time assistants on his staff, the special teams duties are split up five ways, with defensive line coach, Larry Johnson, handling the punt coverage team.

“We’ve done it this way before,” Paterno said. “I don’t know. We’ll obviously take a look at it. But I don’t know whether it’s a matter of changing things, maybe with personnel.”

But what if the problem isn’t with the personnel? – NEIL GEOGHEGAN.

Another Saturday of college football, another miraculous late game comeback by an Iowa team aided, once again, by a few second half calls that somehow always seem to go the Hawkeyes way.

Granted, Iowa showed great resiliency in its 42-24 comeback against Indiana. But would they have even had a chance if not for another group of inept officials who took 14 Hoosier points off the scoreboard on obvious TD catches?

The worst – which was on-par with a few horrible calls a week earlier at Michigan State – was the diving reception by IU’s Terrance Turner. It was actually called correct on the field (I know, they must have gotten lucky) and then, amazingly, overturned by the replay official, who watched it numerous times, in slow motion, and wronged a right. What is it about “indisputable video evidence” that these guys just can’t seem to grasp?

It means that the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes are still in the Big Ten driver’s seat at 5-0 (9-0 overall). The winner of Saturday’s Penn State-Ohio State clash will stay close on Iowa’s heels at 5-1. But even if the No. 11 Nittany Lions (4-1, 8-1) win out, they probably won’t be able to overtake the Hawks because the 21-10 setback to Iowa on Sept. 26 in Happy Valley would break any potential tie.

It’s difficult, however, to imagine any scenario in which PSU wouldn’t get an at-large bid to a BCS bowl game if they finish the regular season 11-1. And it is possible -- if the Lions stub their toe once more -- they could still slip in to the BCS mix at 10-2, although that wouldn’t be advisable.

But this much is certain: Unless Iowa losses at Ohio State (very possible) and then also drops one of its two remaining home games against either Northwestern or Minnesota (doubtful, especially with the Hawkeyes monopoly on favorable treatment from the refs), there is nothing Penn State can do the rest of the way to earn another trip to the Rose Bowl. – NEIL GEOGHEGAN.