Are Penn State Suspensions a Blessing In Disguise?

Usually, I am very critical of my Nittany Lions. I watch each game on edge and think they can always do more.

Last week, I was disappointed with the one touchdown they gave up because I saw it as the linebackers being out of position and getting beaten against a far inferior team. Yes they won 66-10, but I thought 66-3 would be much better.

However, for some reason, with the current news coming out of State College, I went from extremely nervous to thinking this could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

On Tuesday night, University police were summoned to the Nittany Apartment Complex, which is where all the football players live. A complaint about a loud party at Apt. 5204, as well as the smell of burning marijuana, is what the police report said.

(Let me just say that loud music and some burning marijuana at 8 p.m. should not attract four police cars. Student housing has Resident Assistants for these types of matters. There does seem to be a chip on the shoulder of the State College Police against Joe Paterno and the football team.)

No charges have been filed yet, police said. Players Abe Koroma, Andrew Quarless, AJ Wallace and Maurice Evans were named as the apartment's residents.

All but Cornerback AJ Wallace will sit out this weekend’s game against the Oregon State Beavers. Word is that Wallace was not involved with the incident, however, there are reports that both Koroma and Evans were not present at the time the Police came either.

Again, details are still being investigated, and no charges have been pressed against any of these players. The suspension is a punishment by Joe Paterno to send a strong message to his team.

"It's unfortunate. We preach, preach, preach and they stepped out of line. They deserve what they're going to get. Whatever that's going to be, I don't know” Joe Paterno said during his weekly radio show yesterday.

“My feeling on all of this is they have a responsibility to the program, they have a responsibility to themselves, to their family. They have responsibility to their teammates. And if they do something as dumb as it appears they did, and I'm not saying if they did or they didn't yet, but even being close to that kind of thing, I'm not going to play any one of those three kids this weekend."

As evidence comes out, the fate of the other three will be determined. Already, rumors are swirling that all three passed their urine tests and that early next week we should get some good news.

These are all just rumors right, but of course Nittany Nation is anxiously waiting and hoping for good news as Koroma and Evans are a major part of the Defensive Line. Losing them would be a major blow to any hopes of a Big Ten title that the Nittany Lions have.

With that being said, you may ask why I think this can be a positive situation. Well, assuming (and we all know what happens when you assume, but let's hope) nothing major happens to these other three players, and they are back in time (at the latest) for the Big Ten schedule starting on Sept. 27 against Illinois.

Penn State will have three weeks to develop some of these second-team guys who do have experience and have proven themselves but now have a chance to really step up.

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