A bowl sweeter than Rose for Penn State?
It was a nice picture. Penn State coach Joe Paterno holding some roses Saturday as his Nittany Lions celebrated their 49-18 victory over Michigan State, which puts them in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1.
Yes, Penn State won a share of the Big Ten title and clinched an invitation to the Rose Bowl.
But let's look at history, going back to the Big Ten champion of . . . last year.
On Nov. 10 of last season, Ohio State was upset by Illinois and dropped from No. 1 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings to No. 7.
A week later, the Buckeyes beat Michigan, 14-3, and were headed to . . . the Rose Bowl. Pictures of Buckeyes with roses in their teeth hit the wires.
Another nice story.
Then the next two weeks things happened and Ohio State climbed from the Rose Bowl to the BCS title game in New Orleans, where the Buckeyes were demolished by Louisiana State.
Back to this season.
Penn State is sixth in the Associated Press and coaches polls. Out of the mix for the BCS title game, you say? Perhaps.
But Florida must play Florida State in a rivalry game in Tallahassee. Alabama hosts Auburn, which has beaten the No. 1 Tide six straight times in the Iron Bowl. Oklahoma, fresh off its 65-21 rout of Texas Tech, plays at hated Oklahoma State.
And let's say Notre Dame finds some pride in its regular-season finale against Southern California and plays the Trojans closer than expected before losing.
If the results are upset, upset, and upset, next Sunday you could have BCS standings that have Texas No. 1 and Penn State No. 2, which would mean not roses, but some 50-plus sunblock and a week on the beach in South Florida in preparation for the BCS title game Jan. 8.
Penn State easily could jump the Trojans among the voters, and the computers would use a common game against Oregon State as the tiebreaker. The Nittany Lions beat Oregon State, 45-14, and two weeks later USC lost to the Beavers, 27-21.
Will this scenario happen? Probably not. But before anyone from Happy Valley does a ring around the roses dance, let's wait a few more weeks.
Joe Pa, 81, who had successful hip replacement surgery yesterday and expects to resume coaching Dec. 1, could be preparing for a national championship game as much as a Rose Bowl engagement against either Oregon State or USC.
Hungry Wolfpack
Who's No. 1 in North Carolina? That would be former Boston College coach Tom O'Brien's N.C. State Wolfpack. With Saturday's 41-10 rout of North Carolina, the Wolfpack are 4-0 against its in-state competition, with victories over East Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, and North Carolina. With a win over Miami next week, State will be 6-6 and bowl-eligible and could earn a berth in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.
Home sweet home
There were lots of things to highlight about Oklahoma's rout of Texas Tech, but one of the more remarkable achievements of Saturday's destruction was the overall home record the Sooners' seniors have achieved, with no losses since an opening-game loss to Texas Christian in 2005 . . . Oklahoma's victory was impressive, but it is hard to overlook the way Florida is playing. The Gators stomped The Citadel, 70-19, Saturday and averaged an astounding 10.7 yards per rush . . . Mississippi, under Houston Nutt in his first season with the Rebels, is 7-4, but two of the wins deserve mention. Winning at Florida (the Gators' only loss) and at LSU (31-13 Saturday) deserves some praise.
They're busy Beavers
Oregon State's 19-17 victory over Arizona brings the Beavers one game closer to getting to the Rose Bowl for the first time since January 1965. A win over Oregon Saturday will make that happen, and it will also be the Beavers' eighth win in Pac-10 play, which never has happened.
Eastern elite
Cincinnati is one win (it plays next week against Syracuse) from claiming the Big East title, which would guarantee the Bearcats' first BCS appearance . . . If Virginia Tech and BC win their home games against Virginia and Maryland, respectively, that will create a repeat of last year's ACC title game matchup of former Big East teams.
Mark Blaudschun can be reached at blaudschun@globe.com. 