The Nittany Lions (10-1 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) host No. 15 Michigan State on Saturday in a game that will wrap up the regular season and determine a conference champion. A win for PSU would also guarantee a Rose Bowl berth against the Pac-10 champion.

The regular season finale will mark the 26th meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Spartans (9-2, 6-1), who have played for the Land Grant Trophy since 1993.

"I think it's nice," Penn State head coach Joe Paterno said. "I think Michigan State is very similar (to us). We both started as land grant colleges in the first year. We're the oldest land grant colleges in the country. Both started in 1855, and so I think it's appropriate. And we've had some good football games."

Odds are another entertaining game will spring up this weekend, with so much on the line for both sides.

In an age where spread offenses seem to litter every football field across the country, Michigan State has maintained an old-school, smash-mouth style. The offense is led by running back Javon Ringer, who packs an overpowering punch despite his underwhelming size at 5-foot-9 and 202 pounds.

"I think he's a great football player," Paterno said. "I mean great. Maybe I overstate and use the term ‘great' sometimes, but I tell you what, he is so durable. He's so tough. He makes yards you don't even think he can make. He's really a top-notch player.

"He doesn't even look like he's 200 pounds, but he's so strong. And you look up and you think he's got two yards and it ends up it's second-and-3. I think he's a heck of a football player."

Ringer has rushed for 1,548 yards on 353 carries and is second on Michigan State's career rushing list. He ranks third in the nation in rushing (140.7 yards per game) and fourth in all-purpose yardage (173.2 ypg). He is the NCAA leader in scoring (10.9 points per game) and touchdowns (20), and with one more score will tie the Spartans season TD mark. Ringer leads the Big Ten in scoring, touchdowns and all-purpose yards and is second in rushing.

"He's a very unusual guy," Paterno said. "I go back to Marcus Allen, maybe, or a couple of kids like that that we've played against. You look at tapes of them and in the fourth quarter they look like they're just starting the game and everybody else is hanging on. He's that kind of back."

Michigan State depends on Ringer's durability to drive its offense, which depends heavily on ball-control and time of possession. The key for Penn State will be to limit the Spartans' possessions to keep the blue-and-white defense from getting worn down.

"Well, obviously it's important, if you can do it, but it won't be easy to do it," Paterno said. "We've got to keep (the defense) fresh. That's a big offensive line. Michigan State wears a lot of people down. Fortunately, I think we have some depth up front."

Although Ringer is featured on offense, senior Brian Hoyer steps under center for the Spartans and provides leadership and the ability to take advantage if defenses cheat too much towards the run game. Hoyer has thrown for 2,029 yards, nine TDs and six interceptions on 137-of-279 passing. He spreads the ball to wide receivers Blair White, B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell, with the sophomore White his favorite target (31 receptions, 577 yards, 1 TD).

The Michigan State defense allows only 19.5 points per game, but despite increasing its toughness over the past couple of years under head coach Mark Dantonio, still ranks only eighth in the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing 148.5 ypg on the ground.

"We're going to go out and play the football game, try to have a balanced attack, try to react to what they give us," Paterno said.

"I'm surprised to hear you say they're eighth. I don't even look at that stuff. I look at people.

"I think that Michigan State has a tremendous blitz package. I think they do that really well."

Sophomore strong side linebacker Greg Jones, who has 100 tackles on the year, leads the defense while fellow sophomore linebacker Eric Gordon is second on the team with 75 stops. Strong safety Otis Wiley provides senior leadership in the defensive secondary.

Even as the Nittany Lions close in on a Big Ten championship, interest is still peaked by off-the-field issues.

Rumors have thickened that Saturday may be JoePa's final regular season game on the sidelines. He doesn't think fans should worry about his potential retirement, though.

"Come to the game and enjoy it," he said. "It's a big football game. It's a big football game for this football team. A big football game for Penn State. If we win it, a lot of good things can happen to us. We don't know how good, but we know a lot of good things. Maybe there's bigger things than we think. You can't tell what's going to happen. But I don't think they should be coming because they think it's my last game."

His attitude remains the same when asked about his impending hip replacement surgery, which will correct the health issue that has kept Paterno off the sidelines and in the coaches' box for much of the season.

"Right now I don't even want to talk to anybody about it. This is a big game for us. We win this, we can win the Big Ten championship. And that's a big ‘if.'

"Michigan State is playing really well. So, for me to get involved in anything else except concentrating and trying to help the staff as best I can in my limited physical ability to just keep pushing on.

"We've done well. We've been very close to where we wanted to be. We're a couple plays away from being there but we've got a chance to have a heck of a year. Let's just concentrate on that because it's not going to be easy."

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Beaver Stadium and will be broadcast on ABC.