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The week is here, and the question has been lingering for two weeks now, and maybe even longer than that.
Can Penn State beat Oregon? I've pondered this question a lot myself over the last few weeks over what was basically a makeshift preseason for the Nittany Lions the first three games of the season.
There's a theory that the Nittany Lions are hiding something from their opponents from their first three games of the season. James Franklin all but put that notion to rest on Monday, saying they may have practiced things they didn't use, which happens all the time.
That's all fair, but what about all the wrinkles, and smoke and mirrors, that offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki used all of last season? It wouldn't be fair for fans to expect the play where Tyler Warren snapped the ball and caught the touchdown last season at USC, but there hasn't been a whole lot of creativity, either.
Offensive lineman Vega Ioane is still here, and they used him in motion so much last season that you couldn't keep track of it anymore. Why not do that again?
Maybe they do on Saturday. One thing is for certain in that the defense has been outstanding so far. Yes, you have to consider the three opponents, but Jim Knowles could be the difference-maker that was needed.
You have to remember Knowles led the Ohio State defense last season that completely stopped Oregon in the Rose Bowl, at least enough until the Buckeyes were up so much it didn't matter anymore.
But then again...
"We didn't do so well against Oregon in our first game either," Knowles recalled.
Knowles also put it really well when he was asked about how good this PSU defense really is.
"You never really know until you face the top competition," he said.
This could play out a bunch of different ways. No one needs to be reminded of the 4-16 record that Franklin possesses against teams ranked in the top-10. One loss is not the end of the world in today's world of college football, but there's also Ohio State looming down the road with the game in Columbus.
On the other hand, a win would put PSU at least in an argument to be ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. It would make the Lions' resume look a whole lot better come playoff time after the joke of a non-conference schedule they just played.
Most importantly, PSU would still control its own destiny to the Big Ten title game. They aren't going to have a better time to pick up a signature win than on a White Out night in Happy Valley.
"Ultimately at the end of the day it's about us," Franklin said. "It's about how we prepare, our intensity, our focus. Is there other stuff outside the building that we can't control? Yeah, we embrace that. We're trying to tune out as much of that outside noise as much as possible."
Franklin said there will be 250 scholarship recruits on campus this weekend. It would be a good time to live up to the slogan of "the greatest show in college football." But it has to be a lot better than the first three weeks.
Andy Stine can be reached at astine@altoonamirror.com.