5 Things the Nittany Lions Learned from Last Year

Penn State had unexpected success last season. The Nittany Lions finished the season with nine victories, and had a shot at a Big Ten Championship berth.

The Nittany Lions did many things well last season, but they also struggled in key facets of the game.

Learning from what they did well, and what they did not do well, will go a long way in determining their success in 2012.

Here are five things Penn State learned from last season:

Winning Close Games

Penn State played their share of nail-biting, down-to-the-wire games last season. By the end, fans may have sweated on their couches as much as Nittany Lion players did on the field.

Seven of Penn State's nine victories were by a margin of 10, or less. Wins are always a good thing, and close wins should pay major dividends for Penn State's returning players this season.

Experience and mental toughness will play a big role for Penn State this season. The returning contributors must showcase leadership for the new starters this year.

Close victories last season sent Penn State through the fire. Every starter that experienced those close victories will be more equipped to lead this Nittany Lion team.

Penn State's makeup will be very similar this season. There will be new starters on both sides of the ball, but the ideas will remain the same.

Expect a lot of close games again this season, and Penn State to be ready for victory.

Do Not Underestimate MAC Teams

The Temple Owls gave Penn State everything they could handle in Week 3 before Penn State handled Eastern Michigan with ease the following week.

A victory over Eastern Michigan feels good for Penn State, but a near upset at the hands of the Owls should make fans uneasy.

Yes, Temple did have future-NFL running back Bernard Pierce carrying the football, but that is not an excuse. Penn State should beat Temple by a larger margin than 14-10.

The Ohio Bobcats are on the docket for Penn State this season. The Bobcats won the MAC East division last season, and return plenty of talent this time around.

The MAC is not a BCS conference, but Penn State should know better than to overlook these teams.

If Temple could give Penn State a run last season, Ohio will certainly test Penn State's mettle in 2012.

Get Creative on Offense

Penn State's offense was vanilla and stagnant for much of the season. However, wrinkles in the offense opened their attack up, ever so slightly.

The Wildcat formation, in particular, helped Penn State move the ball down the field. It can be a slow process, but can be very effective if used correctly.

Penn State may not have a reliable quarterback, but they have plenty of speed at the skill positions. The Wildcat can be devastating with the right set of players lined up.

Curtis Drake, Bill Belton and Eugene Lewis will all have Wildcat-quarterback talents next season. These three, and others, will also be able to line up as the running back in the gimmicky formation.

Bill O'Brien may not normally run the Wildcat, but he should consider it given his current group of players. It was successful last season, and provides some much needed excitement when Penn State has the ball.

Silas Redd Is the Real Deal

Silas Redd burst onto the Big Ten scene last season with a 1,200-plus yard, seven-touchdown performance.

Redd showed consistent explosiveness, shiftiness and strength in the open field en route to an excellent sophomore season.

Redd cleared 100 yards in seven contests, four of which came in October.

The bottom line is, Redd is the real deal. Penn State's offense has issues through the air and struggles to move the ball vertically. That leaves Redd is Penn State's No. 1 option.

Redd's endurance is still questionable because of his smaller stature, but he has depth behind him on the depth chart. That allows Redd's legs to stay fresh, and his burst at the line of scrimmage to remain top notch.

The Nittany Lion passing attack may not be much better this season. Redd will be counted on again for a big season toting the rock in Happy Valley.

One Quarterback Is Better Than Two

Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden combined to throw more interceptions than touchdowns last season.

Their talent could certainly reflect on their poor performances last season but continuity—and chemistry—played a role as well.

The Nittany Lions shuffled these two signal-callers all season. McGloin was eventually tabbed as the normal starter, but he had to look over his shoulder for Bolden's No. 1 jersey at all times.

If you have two quarterbacks playing for your team you may as well have none barring very rare circumstances. Chemistry and cohesiveness play a huge part in the quarterback's ability to perform in big-game situations.

Penn State will have a tough time picking one guy this season, but picking one guy is exactly what they must do. Not one guy sometimes and another guy the next game, but allow one quarterback to settle in and gain confidence.