UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State outside linebacker Navorro Bowman tried not to let the one-point loss at Iowa ruin his Rose Bowl celebration party.

But ...

"That was a bad loss," he said. "Our goal was to bounce back and not let it dampen our whole season. We knew that we could still end up in a good bowl and still end up with a good record.

"It was a bad punch to take, but it happens."

Had the Nittany Lions (11-1) not squandered a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead 16 days ago and lost, 24-23, to the unranked Hawkeyes on a last-second field goal, they would be in position to claim a spot in the national championship game.

Penn State was No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings before that setback. Texas Tech jumped over the Lions to No. 2 after beating then top-ranked Texas. The Red Raiders remained in that spot until Saturday night's embarrassing 65-21 loss to Oklahoma.

Penn State, No. 8 in the BCS standings released last night, has five one-loss teams ahead of it: Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Southern California and Texas Tech. No. 1 Alabama and No. 6 Utah remain unbeaten.

But the Lions' season is over, and it is highly unlikely they will jump back into the national championship chase.

The Iowa loss proved costly for Penn State, which is No. 6 in The Associated Press poll.

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda," outside linebacker Tyrell Sales, from Butler High School, said. "It really doesn't matter. We lost the game for a reason. We ended up on top.

"I would be foolish to worry about 'what if.' A lot of guys don't get this opportunity, and it would be selfish to just want more."

Wide receiver Deon Butler said he is disappointed the Lions didn't earn a spot in the Jan. 8 national championship game in Miami. But he doesn't want the loss at Iowa to taint a season in which Penn State captured a share of the Big Ten title and earned its first trip to Pasadena in 14 years.

"You'll miss out on so many good times if you think about the one 'what if,' and obviously it's going to be there, but there are still a whole bunch of teams across the land that hope to be 11-1 and in the shoes that we're in," Butler said. "I don't think many guys will think about it too much."

Penn State bounced back from the Iowa loss to win its final two games, outscoring Indiana and Michigan State by a combined 83-25.

"I think throughout the season we've swayed people's hearts and minds and how people felt about our team," safety Anthony Scirrotto said. "Now I think people recognize us throughout the country as a great football team."

Penn State, which has a 40-10 record since 2005, could know its Rose Bowl opponent as early as this weekend.

If Oregon State (8-3, 7-1 Pac-10) defeats rival Oregon Saturday, the Lions and Beavers would meet in just the sixth rematch in the 95-year history of the Rose Bowl. Penn State whipped Oregon State, 45-14, at Beaver Stadium Sept. 6.

But if Oregon State loses Saturday, and Southern Cal (9-1, 7-1) beats UCLA Dec. 6, the Trojans would advance to the Rose Bowl. Southern Cal's only loss was to Oregon State.

This much is certain: When the Lions next play on New Year's Day, it will have been 40 days since their last game.

"I think one of these days, the Big Ten is going to have to sit down and look at this problem," coach Joe Paterno said. "Everybody we would play in a bowl game has played football during the period when we are not doing anything. There won't be a Big Ten team playing a football game in the next month, or at least until they go to a bowl game.

"I really think that hurts us a little bit. Some of the teams that will be in bowl games have two more games to play. I don't like it, but that's the cards you get and that's what you have to deal with."