UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State's potential Rose Bowl opponent is a thorny issue.

The Nittany Lions are happy to be headed to the Rose Bowl for the first time in the past 14 years. They are just not all that thrilled about a possible New Year's Day rematch against Oregon State.

The Lions thumped the Beavers, 45-14, Sept. 6 at Beaver Stadium as quarterback Daryll Clark and tailback Evan Royster accounted for three touchdowns each.

"I really don't want to see Oregon State again," Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler said. "They're a great football team, don't get me wrong. So if they deserve to be there, they'll be there.

"But, obviously, if you go to a bowl game, you want to play someone that you haven't played all season."

No. 6 Penn State (11-1) has not played the same team twice in one season in 120 years. There have been only five rematches in the 94-year history of the Rose Bowl, but a sixth might be just around the corner.

If No. 17 Oregon State (8-3, 7-1 Pacific-10) beats rival No. 19 Oregon (8-3, 6-2) today, the Beavers would clinch the conference's automatic bid and advance to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1965.

Should the Ducks win, the Lions would have to wait another week to find out their opponent. If No. 5 Southern California (9-1, 7-1) beats UCLA Dec. 6, the Trojans -- who lost, 27-21, to Oregon State -- would claim the crown and head to Pasadena for the fifth time in the past six years.

A Southern California loss would set up a three-way tie with the Beavers and Ducks for the conference title. Oregon State, 8-1 since being trounced by Penn State, would go to the Rose Bowl based on the tiebreaker system.

"I've just got to sit around and wait and see what happens," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said after the season-ending win against Michigan State last Saturday. "I'm certainly not going to sit around and play with the roses."

Rose Bowl officials would prefer a marquee matchup like Penn State-Southern California, as would ABC. But keep in mind that the Trojans have outscored the last three Big Ten teams they have faced in the Rose Bowl by a combined 109-49 margin.

Southern California, which plays Notre Dame in a non-conference game today, likely would open as a two-touchdown favorite if it faced Penn State.

"We're going out there to win that game," Penn State defensive tackle Jared Odrick said. "At the same time, we've got a few people in mind that we want to play, that we'd rather play, that we'd rather have a matchup against."

The Lions, who shared the Big Ten Conference title with Ohio State, have won their past three postseason games: Penn State beat Florida State, 26-23, in triple-overtime in the Orange Bowl; Tennessee, 20-10, in the Outback Bowl; and Texas A&M, 24-17, in the Alamo Bowl.

The Lions will be making their third trip to the Rose Bowl. They are 1-1 in previous trips. They lost to Southern California, 14-3, in 1923 in the first game at the Rose Bowl Stadium, then defeated Oregon, 38-24, at the end of the 1994 season to finish 12-0 and second in the polls behind Nebraska.

"It's very exciting," Clark said. "We are on top of the Big Ten. Nobody thought we would be in this position at the beginning of the year. So, to be able to do something like this is really a blessing."

Safety Mark Rubin said he doesn't care whom Penn State plays in Pasadena.

In its rich history, the Rose Bowl has showcased 18 Heisman Trophy winners, produced 28 national champions and featured 189 consensus All-Americans.

"Playing in a BCS game, if you're not excited for that, then you shouldn't be playing. Period," Rubin said. "Center stage, national TV, the whole country will be watching."