Oranges look sweet for Penn State

After an exciting season that saw just one loss, in the last second mind you, the Penn State Nittany Lions are about to show America just what they're made of. As if the number three ranking isn't enough, a trip to the Orange Bowl to take on Florida St. is in store for them this Tuesday.

The coaching matchup provides some added intrigue. It pits no. 1 (FSU's Bobby Bowden, with 359) vs. no. 2 (PSU's Joe Paterno, with 353) in Division I-A football victories in what could become the bowl-game equivalent of Bobby Fischer against Boris Spassky. Neither coach wants their team to pack it up with a loss hanging over them, and both are proven victors.

So who has the better team? According to ESPN.com's "Bowl Pick-em," 88.6 percent of the voting public thinks that Penn State will reign victorious. I couldn't agree more. A team that went 10-1, took home the Big Ten title, and has earned a slew of major awards has to be the front runner.

I may be biased, but this season felt like the Big Ten was an all-around stronger football conference than the ACC. Sure the ACC sported Boston College, Miami and VA Tech. Yet beyond them the conference is full of major cupcakes with the likes of Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, N.C. State, Virginia and Wake Forest.

Ranked or not, the teams in the Big Ten are not cupcakes, though Illinois did stink it up this season. These teams have records that take a hit because their conference schedule is strong. For Penn State to have the season it did against this level of competition proves that they belong among the NCAA's elite.

Come Tuesday, the forecast in Miami will be calling for a white out. Too bad for FSU, it's a little too late to run and hide. The Lions are on the prowl.