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		Matchup Who: Penn State (8-4) vs. Tennessee (9-3). When: 11 a.m., Monday. Where: Tampa, Fla. TV: ESPN. Related article Outback Bowl Notebook: Paterno wants to be on sideline

TAMPA, Fla. -- It was a bitter pill to swallow then, but looking back, Penn State defenders can appreciate what they accomplished 13 weeks ago on a late September afternoon in Columbus against No. 1 Ohio State.

The defense gave up just two offensive touchdowns in the 28-6 loss. Ohio State did not score until midway through the third quarter. Two defensive touchdowns late in the fourth quarter made the final score look like an easy victory.

It turned out to be Ohio State's least productive offensive performance of the season. The Buckeyes scored fewer points against Texas (24) and Illinois (17), but the offense accounted for all the points.

The Ohio State game was a turning point for a Penn State defense that two weeks earlier had been blown out by Notre Dame in a 41-17 loss.

"When we started really getting confidence was Ohio State, when we shut them down in the first half," Penn State linebacker Sean Lee said. "At that point we knew we could play with anybody."

Against Penn State, Ohio State's Troy Smith, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, was made to look mortal. Smith was 12 for 22 for 115 yards and threw two interceptions, a far cry from his usual production.

"We always compare what we did against Ohio State to what other teams did," Lee said. "Look at what they did to Michigan, and Michigan has a pretty good defense. That was a pretty good accomplishment for us."

So forgive the Lions if they're not overwhelmed at the thought of containing Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. The Volunteers have a nice offense led by quarterback Erik Ainge and some playmaking receivers, but Penn State has seen better this season.

Wisconsin and Michigan are 20th and 21st in the nation in scoring offense, both teams averaging more than 30 points a game. Penn State held Michigan to 17 points and Wisconsin to 13.

Tennessee averages 29.3 points per game.

"We go into every game confident as a defensive unit," safety Anthony Scirrotto said. "There are not many teams, if any, that we can't play with. There are a lot of great players on the other side of the ball, but we've felt like we've done a good job of handling them all year long."

Penn State was particularly tough on defense the last part of the season. In the final 21 quarters -- from the fourth quarter of the Michigan game to the fourth quarter of the regular-season finale against Michigan State -- the Lions allowed two touchdowns. Wisconsin scored a touchdown near the end of the first half in its 13-3 victory and Michigan State scored the other after a fumble set the Spartans up deep in Penn State territory.

The Lions posted shutouts against Purdue and Temple.

"You don't end up being the No. [11] scoring defense in the country without having a really fine defensive football team," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. "They don't give up big plays. Their linebackers are tremendous and their front is very, very active. They're very well-coached. They are easily in the top two or three teams that we've played this year. It's not the looks they give you. It's the people, the active front, the pressure from the linebackers. They don't make any mistakes."

Penn State's defense is ranked among the top 20 in the country in the four most important statistics kept by the NCAA. Penn State is 10th in rushing defense (87.8 yards per game), 11th in scoring defense (14.8 points per game) and pass efficiency defense (104.4) and 16th in total defense (279 ypg).

This is the third consecutive season Penn State ranked among the top 20 in those categories, extending an impressive run by coordinator Tom Bradley and his players.