To win a conference championship, Big Ten players and coaches stress two things: Protect your home floor and split your road games.
As MSU sits atop the Big Ten, the Spartans (16-9 overall, 11-3 Big Ten) can be proud they have done both.
The Spartans are undefeated at 7-0 at home in conference play with one home game left (a March 2 contest against Wisconsin). Away from Breslin Center, despite struggling to find many of the road victories, the Spartans have a 4-3 record.
"We've always tried to sell that there is nothing like being a road warrior," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. "There is no better feeling than winning on the road. That's the most fun of anything.
"That is a pretty good formula - it usually puts you in the hunt. This is one of those years you have to win five or six games on the road."
In Minneapolis, the Spartans trailed by 23 late in the first half before rallying for an overtime victory. Against the Wolverines in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, the Spartans trailed by 12 with just more than 11 minutes to play before dominating down the stretch.
MSU's conference road setbacks came against Wisconsin, Illinois and Purdue, arguably the only other Big Ten teams that will be in the NCAA Tournament.
"We've done a good job of staying together through some adversity," junior guard Chris Hill said. "It was a big game against Minnesota, and we were down against Michigan and we fought back to win. We've just got to keep finding those ways to win, and Saturday is one more time.
"There is no greater feeling than winning a hard-fought game on the road and coming home to celebrate."
With one and a half weeks left in conference play, seven teams have a shot to finish .500 or better in Big Ten road games. Ironically, the only three teams in that group that can claim the Big Ten Championship - MSU, Wisconsin and Illinois - have, for the most part, protected their home floors.
The Spartans said they won't be content finishing with just a .500 road record in the conference. They know they should beat Penn State, regardless of the game's setting.
But one thing MSU does know is Penn State, despite its poor record, is no pushover. At one point, the Nittany Lions were tied for first in the Big Ten at 2-0. In the Nittany Lions' past 11 games, they have added just one more victory.
"I know if we play good, we'll be all right," Izzo said. "But if we don't play good, we're beatable. This is the opportunity of a lifetime."
In the teams' earlier season meeting, the Spartans' main objective was to shut down Nittany Lions forward Jan Jagla, Penn State's equivalent to Paul Davis. He entered the Big Ten season averaging 14 points and eight boards per game.
MSU held the 7-foot junior to just two points (1-for-8 shooting) and four rebounds. Jagla also turned the ball over three times and played only 25 minutes. The result was a decisive 76-58 victory.
Sophomore center Paul Davis, who will be defending Jagla on Saturday, said despite the 7-footer scoring just two points in the last meeting, the Spartans still have a bull's-eye on Jagla.
"I think if you do something once, you can do it again," Davis said. "It just takes that extra effort. They look to him a lot for scoring, so we got to shut him down."
MSU refuses to look ahead to Tuesday's game against Wisconsin, but the Spartans know a Big Ten Championship is theirs with two wins. They also know, with one slip and Illinois running the table, their hopes could evaporate.
