STATE COLLEGE — Joe Paterno abides by a one-game-at-a-time philosophy when it comes to preparing during the football season.

So when asked if this Saturday's game versus Wisconsin might be his last as Penn State's coach at Beaver Stadium, Paterno appeared a little taken aback.

"It might be my last home game? You know something I don't know? Have you talked to my president? I haven't even thought of that," Paterno said jokingly at his weekly news conference on Tuesday. "That has not come across my mind right now."

The 14th-ranked Badgers (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) are the more immediate concern for Paterno, 78, who has a four-year contract with No. 10 Penn State (8-1, 5-1) that expires after the 2008 season. Both Wisconsin and Penn State have two conference games left, including Saturday's contest in which the winner gains an advantage in the race for the conference's BCS bid.

"I'm more interested that we play real well the next two games. If that ends up with a Big Ten championship, that's great, but I'm not naive that it's going to be easy," Paterno said.

"We gotta stay focused, and let's take care of this one," he said. "And if we win this one, then we take care of the next one and go from there."

He is well aware of the hype surrounding the game, though. On Sunday, a day after the 33-15 win over Purdue, students began camping out in front of the stadium for good seats — as they did the week leading up to the Ohio State win — in a makeshift tent city dubbed "Paternoville."

"Why don't you guys interview some of those kids in that village?" the coach quipped.

Saturday's game also marks the last home game for Paterno's seniors, who endured losing records the two previous seasons before this year's comeback campaign.

Perhaps no player is as much of an extension of Paterno on the team than Michael Robinson, who in his first full year as starting quarterback has directed an offense that can beat opponents through the air or on the ground.

Robinson, a fifth-year senior, even sits next to Paterno on the bus that transports the team to games.

"I never would have thought my senior day was going to come ... It's the last time that we are going to run out into Beaver Stadium," Robinson said Tuesday. "It's definitely going to be emotional, but at the same time, we have a job at hand. Wisconsin is not going to be easy."

That kind of short-term mind-set would please Paterno. He is worried about trying to stop Wisconsin running back Brian Calhoun, who rushed for 197 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries against Illinois last week.

As if there wasn't enough motivation for Penn State, Saturday will also mark the first time that the teams have met since last season, when the Badgers beat Penn State, 16-3. Since-graduated starting quarterback Zack Mills and then-wideout-and-backup-QB Robinson were knocked out of that game with injuries.

Paterno suffered a big hit himself in warm-ups before last Saturday's Purdue game when he was accidentally knocked off his feet by reserve defensive lineman Jim Shaw. The hit sent Paterno's glasses flying to the turf.

Paterno joked, "If in pre-game warm-ups I can't get away from those big, fat, slow linemen, then maybe I might give it up."