Two quarterbacks, both magnets for criticism from fans with high expectations, will share the same field Saturday when the only two teams to win Big Ten titles over the last four seasons meet.

Penn State senior Daryll Clark and Ohio State sophomore Terrelle Pryor will attempt to keep their teams in the Big Ten championship hunt in a 2:30 p.m. game at Beaver Stadium.

"Terrelle Pryor is one of the best athletes I've ever seen in high school and you can put Clark in the same type of league," Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno said. "They both are exceptional athletes."

Both have been criticized following losses that dropped their respective teams one game behind league-leading Iowa.

Pryor's came following the Buckeyes' loss at Purdue on Oct. 17 and Clark's after the Nittany Lions' setback to Iowa on Sept. 26.

"The complaints aren't always fair, but that goes with being a quarterback," Paterno said. "Some people say Daryll didn't play well against Iowa, but I don't agree with that. We didn't play well as a team that game - we had a couple of drops, turnovers. If anything, he kept us in that game. He's having an outstanding season."

Clark leads the Big Ten in pass efficiency, completing 166 of 263 passes for 2,158 yards and 18 touchdowns, while Pryor leads the Buckeyes in rushing and passing, combining for 2,097 yards of offense.

"Terrelle has handled things well for what he has endured," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "Some people will never be happy with what a quarterback contributes, but he has done a good job of keeping his focus on the task at hand."

Conference call

Disputed plays that were overturned by replay officials last weekend led both Indiana coach Bill Lynch and Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio to contact the Big Ten office to seek clarifications on what transpired in road losses at Iowa and Minnesota, respectively.

Both have had conversations with Big Ten coordinator of officials Bill Carollo but have not received written reports yet. Both say they are also moving on.

"We never brought it up with the team at all," Lynch said. "We talked about the positive things we did in the game and the things we didn't do in the fourth quarter, things that we had some control over. I don't ever want to give my guys an excuse. There were 173 plays in that game, so we had plenty to focus on."

Polling place

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez suspects last week's second-half collapse at Illinois has tested the patience of Michigan fans, who have watched the Wolverines lose their last four Big Ten games.

"I'm not walking around the streets conducting polls, though. I just come to work and try to build the program," Rodriguez said. "Patience is a tough thing and I'm sure everybody is disappointed, like we have been the last couple of weeks."

Four-down territory

Illinois: The loss of Minnesota receiver Eric Decker to a foot injury has impacted the way the Illini are preparing this week. "With him in there, you knew where Minnesota was going with the football. Now you don't, and they've become harder to prepare for," coach Ron Zook said.

Michigan State: With a loss to Central Michigan already among five setbacks this season, the Spartans aren't looking past visiting Western Michigan this week. "This isn't only a big game for Western Michigan, it's big for Michigan State," Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said.

Northwestern: Not only is quarterback Mike Kafka expected to play this week against Iowa, the Wildcats also expect senior cornerback Sherrick McManus to return after missing three games with a quadriceps injury. Northwestern has started nine players in its secondary this season.

Ohio State: With Penn State, Iowa and Michigan left on the schedule, things are getting serious for the Buckeyes. As coach Jim Tressel puts it, "When I worked for Earle Bruce, he used to say that October was for pretenders and November is for contenders and we'll see where we stand."

By the numbers

8

Number of teams still alive in the chase for at least a piece of the Big Ten title

85

Offensive yards needed by Illinois senior Juice Williams to reach 10,000 yards in his career

5

Number of Big Ten players who have gained 10,000 yards, a group headed by Drew Brees' 12,692 total yards