Penn State football will be on record watch Saturday in Beaver Stadium.

Of course, more importantly, the Nittany Lions need some important tune-up work coming off a choppy performance and then a bye.

They must keep smoothing out personnel and communication with their new offensive and defensive plans before the toughest tests arrive.

But do they need Kent State on Saturday in Beaver Stadium?

Does anyone, really, right now?

That's because the Lions must accomplish their necessary duties against what, so far, has been the worst team in college football.

The Golden Flashes have already lost a game by 71 points. They've lost, at home, to an FCS team (formerly Division I-AA).

They are ranked near the bottom of every statistical category of worth among the NCAA's 133 top-tier teams. They're dead last in scoring defense, total defense, total offense and ...

Kent State may well be historically bad. That means that Penn State players must somehow retain the proper perspective Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network): Focus on your development tasks at hand, score early and often and get the starters on the sideline by the second quarter. Give your backups as much time and space as possible against a live opponent.

Because the Lions are favored to win by seven (!) touchdowns. They may be able to score at will with second- and third-stringers.

Which leads to this: Could they break their points record in Beaver Stadium (81 vs. Cincinnati, 1991) or even all-time (109 vs. Lebanon Valley, 1920)?

Maybe not. When offered mercy with a running game clock last Saturday at Tennessee, the Golden Flashes refused - then gallantly yielded only six second-half points.

Which brings just a bit of hope for true competition Saturday, after all.