STATE COLLEGE — With a favorable conference schedule and an offensive scheme that proved to be potent in the past, Purdue was a popular preseason pick to surprise in the Big Ten.

Instead, it's Penn State that has turned heads in the conference and around the country.

After handing the Boilermakers their sixth straight loss, the Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-1) moved up a spot to No. 10 in the Associated Press poll released Sunday. Penn State can win the conference's BCS bid with victories in their last two regular season games, starting with this weekend's showdown against No. 14 Wisconsin.

"Next week is huge," defensive end Tamba Hali said Saturday after the 33-15 win over Purdue. "Everything is on the line."

Purdue's defense had some success in disrupting the Nittany Lions' potent offense by blitzing quarterback Michael Robinson early and often. But Penn State succeeded on short passes and, in the fourth quarter, went almost exclusively to the run to thwart a late Purdue rally.

Tony Hunt ran for 52 of his 129 yards in the fourth quarter. Robinson was 13-of-29 for 213 yards passing in the game, while also running for 96 yards and a touchdown. The straight-ahead, bull-rushing style of running shared by Hunt and Robinson excited the homecoming crowd.

"We feed off each other," Hunt said. "We complement each other well."

Penn State's defense was solid and frustrated both Purdue quarterbacks, though senior Brandon Kirsch had a little more success against the Nittany Lions after entering the game in the second half when redshirt freshman starter Curtis Painter was pulled for ineffectiveness.

Kirsch ran for a 4-yard score early in the fourth quarter to help Purdue (2-6, 0-5) close within eight, 23-15. However, Penn State safety Calvin Lowry sealed the win after intercepting a Kirsch pass with more than five minutes left.

The Nittany Lions will be traveling during the holidays to a warm locale for a bowl game after having losing records four out of the previous five years. Coach Joe Paterno can cap this feel-good season with his first Big Ten title since 1994 if his team can beat the Badgers on Saturday and Michigan State on Nov. 19.

"Everyone is always talking about, 'Oh, Penn State is turning things around.' But we never felt like we were that far off," said Robinson, who became the first Nittany Lion quarterback to have 10 rushing TDs in a season.

"Coach Paterno has been telling you guys all the time that we were only a few plays off from winning most games."

The Boilermakers had a Top 25 ranking and lofty aspirations before the season started. A Big Ten title was a reasonable goal, especially since Purdue didn't have to play conference powers Ohio State and Michigan this year because of a scheduling quirk.

Instead, Joe Tiller is now assured of his first losing record and bowl-less season in his nine-year tenure as Purdue coach.

"I only think about who we're going to play this week. For me, I've been to a number of bowls and we'll go to bowls again," Tiller said. "Our football team needs to win a football game more than they need a bowl game."

Tiller said he needed to watch practice before naming his starting quarterback for Purdue's next game, Saturday against Michigan State. The Boilermakers have three games left and cannot finish better than 5-6 even if they win all three.

That means they are assured to be home for the holidays.

"I've got so many mixed emotions right now," said senior defensive tackle Brandon Villareal. "I'm angry, I'm disappointed, I'm anxious at the same time to get out and want to continue to play, and I'm sad I'm going to be home for Christmas."