Anthony Morelli has been nearly unbeatable at home, going 11-1 in his two seasons as Penn State's starting quarterback.

Todd Boeckman waited four years before finally getting his shot as Ohio State's starter.

Boeckman hasn't lost yet.

He is 8-0 since replacing Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, including 3-0 on the road.

The Boeckman-led Buckeyes are ranked No. 1 in the country entering Saturday's prime-time showdown against No. 24 Penn State at Beaver Stadium.

Morelli, a 22-year-old senior from Penn Hills High School, is seeking his first victory against Ohio State after losing to the top-ranked Buckeyes, 28-6, last September in Columbus, Ohio. Boeckman, a rare 23-year-old fifth-year junior, is looking to improve on his perfect record in front of a raucous crowd and keep Ohio State atop the national polls.

Morelli said yesterday there's nothing quite like playing at home, where his only loss was a 17-10 setback to then-No. 4 Michigan last year.

"It's always different when you got people behind you," he said. "We got these great fans here at Penn State who are screaming and yelling and trying to help us out. Every little bit helps, especially in a big game like this."

Penn State coach Joe Paterno believes Morelli's performance will be critical to the outcome.

"I think a lot of it depends on Morelli -- and everybody else," Paterno said. "Morelli, he can't carry us. ... We just got to be able to do some things at certain times that will be crucial, if he can do it, and I think he will.

"I think he has gotten himself in a position now that he can do it."

Morelli, 6 feet 4 and 232 pounds, has completed 59.5 percent of his passes (147 of 247) for 1,739 yards. He has 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Junior middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, the leader of Ohio State's highly rated defense and winner of last year's Nagurski Award, which goes to the nation's best defensive player, is impressed with Morelli's strong arm. "I think he does a tremendous job on the play-action stuff. He can whip that ball, he can make deep throws, he can make those tough throws. He's got a strong arm. I think he's just a good player."

Boeckman, 6-5 and 245, has been with the Ohio State program for 4 1/2 years. He turned down several other offers to sign with the Buckeyes. But he took a grayshirt season his first year, enrolling at Ohio State as a part-time student in the fall of 2003. He did not join the football team for the regular season and waited for a scholarship to come free in January.

Boeckman redshirted in 2004 and spent the past two years as the third-string quarterback behind Smith and Justin Zwick.

Coach Jim Tressel previously joked that Boeckman has been around so long, he's "older than I am."

Boeckman said the long wait has been worth it. "I know I had to wait my turn, but it's finally nice to go out there and get the opportunity to play, because it's been my dream to be a quarterback here."

Boeckman leads the Big Ten in passing efficiency (161.36) and ranks seventh nationally. He has completed 65.6 percent (120 of 183) of his passes -- slightly better than Smith's school-record 65.3 percent last season -- for 1,546 yards. Boeckman has thrown 18 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

"He's a very accurate, deep-ball passer," Penn State cornerback Justin King said.

Boeckman is not as mobile like Smith. "They're not doing some of the things this year that they did last year because this kid isn't quite the runner," Paterno said. "Football-wise, he is a smart kid, and knows how to protect the ball. He knows who's open, and they've changed their game. They've adapted to what they have."

The numbers

Todd Boeckman vs. Anthony Morelli

Name.....Att......Comp......Yards.....TDs.....INT.....Rating

Boeckman.....183.....120.....1,546.....18.....7.....161.35

Morelli.....247.....147.....1,739.....13.....7.....130.35