Penn State Football: Joe Paterno in Good Health at Big Ten Media Days

A year ago, sports writers across the Big Ten foot print were ready to submit their obituaries for Joe Paterno.

The elder statesman of college football coaching battled illnesses all spring and summer and looked and sounded as though he was on the decline last summer when the Big Ten media days got underway.

This time around it was quite a different story.

"I feel a lot better than I did a year ago," Paterno said just one question in to his press conference with the Big Ten media. "I had two tough years physically. The kid from Wisconsin running into me in the sideline, when I broke my knee that time."

"Then I threw my hip out showing off, trying to show the kids how to kick a football. I couldn't kick when I was healthy. I sure as hell couldn't kick with a broken knee."

Paterno's health has been well-documented over the years, whether it be from his football related injuries to his bouts with the flu and other diseases. But on Thursday, Paterno showed everyone watching that he was in much better condition than many would seem to believe.

"I feel good," Paterno said. "I'm back to doing a lot of things I used to do, walking a lot more. I've been watching what I eat. I feel good. I enjoyed this spring, have a lot more enthusiasm."

Paterno has plenty to be excited about as Penn State and the rest of the conference enter a new era in Big Ten history.

The addition of Nebraska opens up a new division format and a conference championship game, considered a game changer for the conference. Nebraska may not have been Paterno's first choice when the Big Ten was looking to expand, but he certainly has no complaints about it now.

Paterno had made a case for bringing in an eastern school to join the conference, which would rekindle at least one of Penn State's old rivals from days as an independent.

"I think most people know I was trying to get another eastern team in the Big Ten," Paterno said. "I was hoping we could either get Rutgers or Pitt or Syracuse because it would be more convenient for us as far as the media and things like that."

"When we got Nebraska, that was a real coup. It's going to make the league tougher."

Nebraska instantly improves the conference in the national stage, and has the weight to ensure that the Big Ten can compete head-on with the SEC and the expanding and growing Pac 12 moving forward.

"The tougher the other guy is, the better you get, if you're a competitor," Paterno said. "I think bringing Nebraska in was a real big asset and I think the league's great.

"And the fact that it gave us an opportunity to play for a conference championship game, I think it's kind of exciting, it really is.

"It's something we want to do. If we end up winning the division in a big game in Indianapolis, I think that's great. It will be fun and something I look forward to." 

Kevin McGuire is the national college football writer for Examiner.com. Follow his college football discussion on Google+ and Twitter. Become a fan of him on Facebook.