TicketCity Bowl: Is Bill O'Brien the Best Option for Penn State?

Rumors have been swirling that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is all but a contract away from being Penn State's next head coach. Both sides have come back quickly, however, and said that no such deal is in place at all.

We all know how these things sometimes work, though. The rumors come out, both sides deny them and then an announcement is made that shows the rumors to have been true all along.

Should this be another such instance? Is Bill O'Brien the best option for the Nittany Lions?

O'Brien Would Ignite a Struggling Offense

Penn State's bread and butter over the last few years has been a solid defense. Their offenses have been serviceable at best, though.

With QB Rob Bolden, Penn State has the potential to have a high-octane offense, but Bolden has a lot of growing yet to do before he can effectively lead this offense. He's mobile enough to be a serious threat with his legs, but he absolutely cannot pass on the run, and his pocket passing isn't a whole lot better.

Matt McGloin is more of a pure pocket passer, but he hasn't been Penn State's savior either. He's completed just over 54 percent of his passes for 1,571 yards and has eight touchdowns to his credit.

Those aren't gaudy numbers by any stretch, but making them worse is the fact that he's also thrown five interceptions in counter of those touchdowns.

RB Silas Redd is only a year or two away from being one of the best backs in the Big Ten, if not the nation. Redd averaged over five yards per carry this season and garnered 1,188 yards with seven touchdowns.

Again, the potential is there. For many reasons, though, Penn State has been unable to put the pieces together to make an effective offense. They're 11th in the Big Ten in scoring offense, ninth in passing offense and 10th in total offense.

There's no question that anyone taking over the program has a lot of work in front of them.

O'Brien might be the guy to get that done. He has worked with the likes of Tom Brady, who has completed over 65 percent of his passes this season for more than 5,200 yards and almost 40 touchdowns.

O'Brien knows what a good quarterback looks like and can bring that knowledge to a team in desperate need of a quality signal caller. The only real question in that arena is how good O'Brien would be at developing that kind of talent because Penn State certainly doesn't have it on roster at the moment.

At the very least, O'Brien brings a solid offensive mind to the team. His Patriots are third in the NFL in points scored. One would have to think that his offensive intelligence would be a major upgrade for the Lions.

There's a Recruiting Advantage Involved With a Guy Like O'Brien

It's a reality of life that very few college athletes go on to play professionally. The sheer numbers are against any single player of making it to the next level.

It's still a very real hope for many of the young recruits looking for their collegiate home.

It's one thing to have pro connections. Several coaches have those connections, including South Carolina's Steve Spurrier, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz and Florida's Will Muschamp, just to name a few.

However, it's something entirely different to pluck a guy responsible for one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL for your next head coach.

Young recruits want to play for a winner, especially if that winner knows people who can help get the youngster onto an NFL roster.

It's true that there's only so much O'Brien can do in that case. He can advise good agents when the time comes, can make recommendations to his friends in the NFL and can help his players improve in the areas that matter most to the pros.

What matters most to Penn State at this point, however, is the perception of what O'Brien can do. The perception that he can develop and lead top-flight NFL talent has to be a boost to recruiting efforts.

While Penn State typically recruits very well already, the recent off-field issues at least threaten to impede future recruiting efforts. A coach with O'Brien's pedigree can help counter that threat and keep Penn State competitive on the recruiting trail.

"Best" is Subjective, but O'Brien Would Be a Good Fit

Would O'Brien be the "best" fit for Penn State? Personally, I'd say no. He's not.

In my opinion, Tony Dungy would be the best fit for Penn State. Not only does Dungy know how to win at the game of football and have tremendous NFL connections of his own, but Tony also has a squeaky clean image.

That would be a huge boost for Penn State, who is trying desperately to repair its image following the Sandusky scandal.

Unfortunately, Coach Dungy doesn't appear interested in coaching college football, and I wouldn't blame him for not wanting that particular situation even if he were interested.

Who does that leave?

Interim Coach Tom Bradley is likely a consideration, but he has been on staff for quite a long time already. Is he institutionalized into a Joe Paterno system that wasn't working? Can he do anything to really regain the image of Penn State?

One thing is for certain, however. Bradley would continue Penn State's defensive dominance. He just might not do much to improve their offensive struggles.

Miami's Al Golden was mentioned as a top candidate at one time, but signed an extension with Miami (Fla.) not long ago. He would have been an interesting choice, but there would have been little reason for him to leave the Hurricane to take over a program in the situation Penn State is in.

Mississippi State's Dan Mullen is a solid choice and top candidate. A native of Pennsylvania, he knows Penn State football and would bring an SEC twist to the table. He's certainly done good things with the Bulldogs, including putting together a nine-win season last year and stomping Michigan in the Gator Bowl a year ago.

There are arguments to made for and against all of these candidates (and non-candidates). 

O'Brien brings a fresh start to Penn State, though. He brings success from the professional ranks and a solid offensive mind that could go a long way toward making Penn State one of the most dangerous teams in college football.

Whether or not he's the best choice is debatable, but short of getting Tony Dungy, he's as good a choice as any.