Yes, is it possible to chant, "BCS,'' with heartfelt gusto.

Less poetic than, "We smell roses,'' but it worked Saturday, not just as something for Penn State's fans to yell but, apparently, to motivate its players.

The Nittany Lions had moved up four spots in the BCS standings since last week's 31-20 defeat of Indiana, not because that win was impressive (it wasn't), but because of the dominos that fell in front of them.

In short, Penn State was No. 18 in the BCS before that game. Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17 all lost that day, helping the Lions move up to No. 14, the minimum rank needed for eligibility for a BCS at-large bid.

They sure aren't moving down after their best performance of the year here Saturday, in a 42-14 spanking of Michigan State.

Three BCS bowls - the Orange, Fiesta and Sugar - will have at-large openings. The point of this is not to delve into the arcana of which teams may go where, but it appears, at this moment, that the Orange is Penn State's likeliest suitor, for a matchup with the ACC champion (Georgia Tech? Clemson?)

But do they deserve it?

Deserving isn't the right idea, of course. The BCS exists for two reasons: 1. To get No. 1-2 on the same field in an ersatz national championship game, 2. to give the TV networks, major conferences and pastel-sportcoated bowl officials a rough framework to make deals for money-making matchups.

It's all probably going to come down to Penn State or Iowa. One of them is likely to get a BCS bid, the other not.

(In fact, the other can't, since each conference can only get two BCS bids, and Ohio State is already locked in to the Rose Bowl.)

Anyway, Iowa beat Penn State, decisively, at Penn State.

Yes, that game was in September. But two weeks ago Ohio State came to Happy Valley and pushed the Lions all over the field, winning 24-7.

The following week, Ohio State was fortunate to get past Iowa at home.

If it was about deserving, Iowa would be going, and Penn State would not.

What Penn State has going for it is the TV-friendliness of its 82-year-old cultural icon of a coach, its gargantuan alumni network [many of whose members own televisions] and those people chanting, "BCS ... BCS,'' here Saturday night.

They're the same people who are willing to gas up the Winnebago for Eastern Illinois and Akron.

JoePa even copped to this after the game.

"We have the best fans anywhere,'' Paterno said. "We had eight home games this year and filled our place, over 100,000, for every one of them.

"And a couple of those games weren't exactly attractive matchups nationally. When you think about inviting us, our fans should be a plus.''

Everybody said that, essentially: Our team is good. Our fans are great.

"Our fans are our best argument,'' Jay Paterno, Joe's son and quarterbacks coach, said. "The last two BCS bowls we were at [the 2006 Orange Bowl and last season's Rose], it was like a white-out in the stands.''

 "I think we've proven we deserve a chance,'' Graham Zug said. "We have great fan support.''

"I think we can play with anybody in the country,'' Sean Lee said. "I know we'll bring a lot of people, because we have the best fans in the country.''

You get the idea.

Although the Big Ten season is now over, the major-college season is far from it. Most of the other BCS conferences have games after Thanksgiving and into December.

This probably won't hurt Penn State in this case. They're not going to drop from No. 14.

But somebody asked Paterno what he could do to keep his team in the national consciousness.

After most games this would have been quickly brushed aside. But Joe was in an oddly expansive post-game mood.

"What do you want me to say?'' he asked. "Pick us!"

"What do you want me to do, jump off the roof of my house? ... If [only] I could get on the phone and call some people and say you owe me, you better watch out, there might be a horse's head in your bed.''

That's the way it used to be. Not horse's heads, but coaches got on the phone with bowl guys and made deals.

That wasn't fair, either. How many calls do you think Boise State's coach could make?

"Please, don't get me into the ethics of college football every time I get up here,'' Paterno pleaded.

End of expansive mood.

Mike Gross is assistant sports editor of the Sunday News. E-mail him at mgross@lnpnews.com.