STATE COLLEGE — Linebacker Dan Connor is still thinking bowl.

Penn State's three losses this season have come against top-five teams. A second straight Bowl Championship Series contest and Big Ten title are highly unlikely, though playing somewhere warm down south on New Year's Day might still be possible for the Nittany Lions (4-3, 2-2).

"That has been the goal all season, finish out with a good schedule and finish with a big-time bowl game," Connor said Wednesday.

Penn State may need to win out to ensure its New Year's prospects, starting Saturday with a visit from Illinois (2-5, 1-2).

The Nittany Lions hit the road for two critical games, against Purdue on Oct. 28 and No. 21 Wisconsin on Nov. 4. Penn State finishes at home against Temple and Michigan State.