STATE COLLEGE, — Penn State appears headed for a bowl game over the holidays, though their destination remains uncertain.

Last week's win over Purdue qualified the Nittany Lions (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) for a bowl for a second straight season, meaning this Saturday's contest at No. 17 Wisconsin could go a long way toward determining Penn State's December travel plans.

Linebacker Dan Connor isn't thinking too far ahead.

"It's still early. We talked about that we were bowl-eligible with the win," Connor said. "As far as specifics like where we are going to go and stuff like that, it's not really on the agenda yet. We are taking it week by week."

Good thing, too. The physical Badgers (8-1, 5-1) and their effective running attack might be a handful for a Nittany Lion defense coming off a shutout of the Boilermakers. Wisconsin freshman P.J. Hill, a 5-foot-11, 242-pound tailback, rushes for a Big Ten-leading 135.8 yards a game.

"It's real difficult. Real big tailback. Power running game," Connor said. "Old-school Big Ten. Buckle your chin straps and get ready to hit."

Hill missed much of the second half of the Badgers' win last week over Illinois with what coach Bret Bielema described as injured nerves in his neck. Bielema said Monday that Hill would be re-evaluated and his status for this weekend was uncertain.

That could be a break for Penn State, which is 0-3 against ranked opponents this year. Each of those opponents (Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan) were in the top 5.

The Nittany Lion defense hopes it can keep rolling after throttling the Boilermakers' potent offense in windy West Lafayette last week. It was Penn State's first shutout in four years.

"I don't look at it, 'Well, it's a shutout,"' Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "I look at how we performed, how we did, how we kicked and the whole picture. I think it was an overall good game."

The Lions weren't without problems, though. While the running game got back on track behind tailback Tony Hunt, Penn State was plagued by fumbles and penalties. Dropped passes by receivers have hampered the offense at times through the season — windy conditions or not.

One fumble last week came inside the 20-yard line, an area of concern all year. Paterno seemed a little exasperated on Tuesday.

"I don't know whether it is inexperience or whether it is a question of people getting too excited about getting down in there and wanting to get it in," he said. "I am not quite sure, but we spend an awful lot of time on our practice field simulating the situations in the red zone. I don't know what else you can do."