PENN STATE Time's running out for home-field advantage

Despite the Nittany Lions' 2-3 record, don't tell Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez they aren't good.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Each game is important. You play one game at a time.
Set aside the clich & eacute;s, and Penn State's homecoming game today against Wisconsin looks to be one of the biggest games of the year for the floundering Nittany Lions.
Not only is Penn State (2-3, 0-1 Big Ten) struggling to remain bowl eligible after a slow start, after playing Wisconsin (4-1, 1-0) the Nittany Lions will have four of their last six games on the road.
The Nittany Lions are running out of chances to use their home-field advantage. And after two home losses in September and a series of slow starts in all five games, the team may be burning what home field advantage it has.
"I feel like it's kind of neutral, because sometimes we get a bad rap," safety Yaacov Yisrael said. "If things aren't going well ... sometimes the fans might take it out on the players. If things are going well, it seems like they're with the players. Sometimes it feels like we've got a home field advantage, and sometimes you're not really sure about it."
It's been hard to characterize the Penn State crowds this year. No one expected a full house against Kent State, a low-profile opponent just one day after Tropical Storm Isabel tore across the state. But there were thousands of empty seats last week for Penn State's Big Ten opener against then-No. 24 Minnesota.
Those fans who do show up haven't shown their characteristic loyalty to the program, occasionally booing after bad offensive series.
Alvarez's take
But if Penn State's fans are becoming critical of the team, Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez isn't buying it. When a reporter began a question by asserting that Penn State "isn't that good," Alvarez interrupted to disagree.
"Defensively, they're loaded with tremendous athletes," Alvarez said. "They lost those three great defensive linemen last year as well as a couple other players, yet they have a good nucleus back. They're very athletic, they're very fast on defense and physical. No one gets anything cheap on them."
What teams do get on Penn State is rushing yards -- the Nittany Lions are last in the Big Ten, allowing 213 yards per game. That means Anthony Davis' return to the Badger lineup is bad news for Penn State. Davis averaged 207 yards through Wisconsin's first two games before being injured early against UNLV.
Moreover, Wisconsin has a veteran quarterback and a deep receiver corps led by Lee Evans, who averages more than five catches and 93 yards per game.
"I definitely think this is probably one of the best groups we've played," Yisrael said. "They run good routes. Evans is definitely the leader, and we're all going to have to come to play this week."
Penn State's players believe a win today would begin a turnaround that would not only prevent them from seeing their third losing season in four years, it would also win back the fans.
"The crowd wants to win just like we want to win," center David Costlow said. "Penn State's been a good program for a long time, and they expect us to win."