No. 3 Penn State faces final road game at Iowa

"I don't know if we've faced a squad quite as good as this one. In fact, I'm pretty sure we haven't," Ferentz said. "This is a much stronger team."

If Iowa has any hope of springing the upset, it must protect the football. That's something the Hawkeyes and sophomore quarterback Ricky Stanzi are struggling with.

The Hawkeyes might feel a bit cursed, having dropped three Big Ten games by five points or less while winning two by an average of 29 points. But the simple reality is this: when they turn the ball over, they lose; when they don't, they win.

Last week's 27-24 loss at Illinois was a perfect example. Stanzi threw a pair of picks, and the Illini forced a fumble deep in Iowa territory and returned it for a crucial second-half touchdown.

Stanzi, who replaced junior Jake Christensen after four games, was turnover-free in wins over Indiana and Wisconsin.

"The challenge for us is for us to be at our absolute best in every area, every phase," Ferentz said. "All that being said, we'll still need to have some things, some breaks, whatever, happen."

Even with a win, Penn State will have a tough time moving past No. 1 Alabama and second-ranked Texas Tech if those teams win this weekend.

The Crimson Tide has a major challenge in trying to win at LSU, and the Red Raiders will likely see their reputation grow if they can beat Oklahoma State.

The Nittany Lions get an opponent that, while off the national radar, will be a tough out. The Hawkeyes share Penn State's affection for field position, defense and the running game - remember, they played a 6-4 game in 2004 - and Iowa, despite four losses, has been in every game it has played.

"I just think that sometimes people don't realize how good Iowa is," Paterno said. "It's going to be a tough football game for us."