NCAA Football Preview – Penn State Nittany Lions

Still, the Nittany Lions did play football games in 2011 and they actually
started strong enough, winning nine of their first 10 games, with the lone loss
coming to eventual national champion Alabama. However, in early-November,
details began to emerge of a grand jury investigation regarding a child sex
abuse scandal on campus, setting off a chain of events that would forever
change the Penn State community.

Joe Paterno, serving his 46th season as the Nittany Lions’ head coach, was
fired on Nov. 8 for failing to take the necessary steps to protect kids from
convicted sexual predator Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator under
Paterno. The team stumbled down the stretch, dropping three of its final four
games under interim coach Tom Bradley. In January, Paterno died of lung cancer
as Sandusky awaited trial and the FBI investigated 14 years worth of child sex
abuse claims, and the school’s role in covering up those allegations.

Weeks before Paterno’s death, Penn State announced the hiring of former New
England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien as the new head coach. In
July, the NCAA imposed heavy sanctions on the football program, banning the
Nittany Lions from bowl games for the next four years, fining the school $60
million and vacating all of Paterno’s wins dating back to 1998, including the
nine wins compiled last season.

2012 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: In the fallout from the NCAA’s sanctions against Penn State, several
players have since left the program. One of those players was running back
Silas Redd, who rushed for 1,241 yards in 2011 and was poised to be one of the
top backs in the Big Ten. Redd announced on Aug. 1 that he was transferring to
USC. Around the same time, his backup, Curtis Dukes, was considering leaving
for Syracuse (he later decided to stay), while second-leading receiver Justin
Brown packed his bags for Oklahoma. And so it goes for O’Brien and the rest of
his coaching staff.

As preseason camps around the country were getting started, O’Brien was simply
trying to figure out who he’d have on his roster come Week 1. One of those
players is quarterback Matt McGloin, who took a step back last year as a
junior.

“Matt McGloin is our starter,” O’Brien declared. “He’s smart, tough,
competitive — I’m proud to have him as the starting quarterback at Penn
State.”

Despite the vote of confidence, it would be wise to keep expectations in
check. After all, it took Tom Brady the better part of a decade to master New
England’s offensive schemes. O’Brien recently told the story of a film session
prior to spring practice when he showed some Patriots game tape.

“I looked back at the team and I saw a lot of white eyes, because they were
watching that film as fans,” he said. “So I shut the projector off and I said
‘Look, guys, we’re looking at the schemes here. Don’t worry that that’s Tom
Brady and don’t worry that that’s Wes Welker and Gronkowski and the other
guys’ and that was a pretty fun moment in our team meeting room.”

If the players pick up O’Brien’s schemes rather quickly, perhaps the Nittany
Lions can have some fun on the field this year, too.

DEFENSE: As if Penn State didn’t have enough problems already, the defense
must somehow find a way to replace star tackle Devon Still, the 2011 Big Ten
Defensive Player of the Year. Fortunately, the team has another potential star
in the making in Jordan Hill (6-1, 298), who will also provide some much
needed senior leadership. Both of last year’s starting defensive ends are
gone, but former starter Pete Massaro (8.0 TFL in 2010) is back from a torn
ACL that cost him all of last season.

Linebacker U is alive and well, as PSU is locked and loaded. Seniors Michael
Mauti (6-2, 239) and Gerald Hodges (6-2, 233) cover lots of ground on the
outside, while junior Glenn Carson (6-3, 238) had a breakout year in the
interior. However, the cupboard has been left completely bare in the secondary,
and opponents will no doubt look to test that unit by airing it out early and
often.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The special teams took a big hit just before preseason camp –
and the deadline for Penn State players to transfer without losing eligibility
— when all-conference punter and kicker Anthony Fera chose to transfer to
Texas. He averaged 42.0 yards per punt in 2011, his third year handling that
role. Fera also doubled as the kicker, and last year he made 14-of-17 attempts,
showing off his strong leg on occasion, too. Now that he’s gone, sophomore
kicker Sam Ficken will likely step into a starting role, while Alex Butterworth
(38.5 yards per punt) figures to handle the punting duties.

OUTLOOK: At his Big Ten kickoff press conference, coach O’Brien would not make
any predictions about his team this season, but he did express lots of
confidence in the players that decided to stick around.

“These kids have a lot of pride in Penn State and pride in the university,” he
said. “And most importantly they have tremendous commitment to each other.”

With the child sex abuse scandal putting a serious dent in this year’s
recruiting class, and with several players jumping ship prior to camp, that
commitment will have to take the Nittany Lions a long way.

For the seniors, that means pushing forward despite knowing they won’t be
playing in a bowl game or challenging for the conference title. While O’Brien
will deploy a lot of the same schemes he used in New England, Matt McGloin
won’t be confused for Tom Brady anytime soon. The defense boasts some serious
talent in the front seven, but the secondary is a huge question mark. In all
likelihood, the Nittany Lions will struggle to win on a consistent basis as
they adjust to a new coaching staff, and a whole new culture at Penn State.