Confident Gophers like their chances

There will be noise, lots of it. More than 100,000 fans in college football's biggest stadium.

Bring it on, said Lee Campbell. "You embrace it," the Gophers linebacker said.

There will be pressure, plenty of it. The upper half of the Big Ten Conference is waiting, if the Gophers can navigate a couple of difficult road trips.

Couldn't be better, said cornerback Traye Simmons. "I like it, I like it a lot," he said. "I want the pressure."

After starting the season 4-2, after going 2-1 in Big Ten play, the Gophers will play at No. 14 Penn State today. It is the first of a two-game swing that also goes through Ohio State and will show just which road the 2009 Gophers season is on.

Call it a journey of self-discovery.

"These next two games are why you play football," Gophers quarterback Adam Weber said. "This is why you put on the pads, why you do the winter workouts. It's to be in this type of game, in this type of situation. To have a fair shot at a great team."

There is a trophy at stake, the Governor's Victory Bell. But there is more. A victory would be coach Tim Brewster's first against a ranked team. Just a split in the next two games would send the Gophers back to Minnesota for a three-game homestand -- against Big Ten foes Michigan State and Illinois and then South Dakota State -- with a 5-3 overall record, a 3-2 mark in the conference and an upper tier finish within grasp.

Of course, the Gophers are 17 1/2-point underdogs today and will be big underdogs again next week in Columbus. But the opportunity is there and more than a few players and coaches want to grab hold of it.

"It's going to tell us a lot about our character," wide receiver Eric Decker said. "Going on the road, having our backs to the wall? It will tell what kind of guys we got, you know? If we give ourselves a chance to win at the end of the game, pull something out? That's all you can ask for, going against two top-tier teams on the road. I think we should be excited."

Actually, this is a game of self-discovery on both sides.

The Nittany Lions are 5-1, but given who they've played, what do we really know about them? Their victories have come against an OK Football Championship Subdivision team (Eastern Illinois); two teams from the MAC, including a one-victory Akron team; Syracuse (2-4); and Illinois (1-4). Then there's Iowa. The Hawkeyes, one of the surprise teams of the Big Ten, went into Happy Valley and won.

The Lions' statistics are gaudy, but the schedule has been grungy. Still there is a veteran, dual-threat quarterback (Daryll Clark), a top-notch running back (Evan Royster) and a defense that can get after the quarterback.

"We understand the challenge that we face," Gophers coach Tim Brewster said. "It's one which our football team is going to be very excited for, to get on the plane on Friday and go into this environment and this situation with a tremendous sense of confidence. The group that gets on the plane Friday to go to Penn State is going to be a group that expects to win."

A win could spark visions of an upper-division finish and a potential January bowl bid.

The Gophers have posted two strong running performances in the past three games and will need to run well again if, as expected, the weather is cold and wet.

"We're still trying to find that right mixture of run and pass," said Weber, who threw the ball only nine times against Purdue. "A lot of that is still coming. We're looking forward to that one game where we tie it all together, have a solid game and give Penn State a run for their money.

"We're not going in there timid. We have as good a shot as anyone in this conference and we haven't played a solid game yet. I think Purdue was our best team win. The special teams play has been great. Now it's time for the offense and defense to play a sound game. What better place to do it?"

An upset victory in front of 100,000-plus fans against a one-loss team looking for a signature win could put the Gophers in a rare position.

"We've been preparing for this kind of game for some time now," Weber said. "We believe we have a solid team that has yet to show its solid potential. What better place to be tested? I can't wait for the opportunity."