OSU, Penn State are ready

COLUMBUS (AP) — No sooner had Ohio State and Penn State wrapped up their latest victories than both were looking ahead to their critical tangle at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

“The crowd is going to be against us, especially against me,” Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor said of a showdown with Big Ten title implications.

“But it really doesn’t matter. I got my family with me, all 75 [teammates] that travel, and we’re going to be ready to rock. I can’t wait.”

That emotion is at the other end of the spectrum from what the No. 15 Buckeyes faced last Saturday. They barely raised their pulse rate in eclipsing overmatched New Mexico State 45-0, holding the Aggies — statistically the worst offense in the Bowl Subdivision — to 62 yards.

On offense, the Buckeyes piled up 559 yards and had seven players amass more individual yards than the Aggies did as a team over 45 plays.

Still, coach Jim Tressel was well aware that about the only thing New Mexico State and No. 11 Penn State have in common is their last name.

“Are we consistent enough right now to be the contending champions for the Big Ten? Not yet,” said Tressel, whose team has won at least a piece of the last four conference titles. “That’s why we’re going to practice like crazy and get ready for the Nittany Lions.”

Those Nittany Lions rattled off three touchdowns in less than four minutes to turn a squeaker into a rout in a 34-13 victory at Northwestern.

As quarterback Daryll Clark was leaving the field, he encountered 82-year-old Penn State sage Joe Paterno.

“He called to me and told me that this was a good win,” Clark said. “We’ve got our big one next week. We all laughed about it.”

Neither team can afford many laughs this week. Both are 4-1 in the Big Ten and a game back of unbeaten Iowa, which defeated Penn State earlier in the year and still must play Ohio State.