Sandusky Conviction: Is This the End of the Bad News at Penn State?

As reported by the New York Times and many other media outlets, Jerry Sandusky has been convicted on 45 of the 48 counts of sexually abusing young boys, and he faces between 60 and 442 years of prison time.

The jury only took two days to deliberate, but the evidence appeared overwhelming against Sandusky. With his bail revoked and parole virtually impossible, this is a true life sentence for a man who used his position of trust within the Penn State community and as leader of charity The Second Mile to take advantage of young men.

It has been a rapid eight months since these allegations first broke in the middle of the 2011 football season. Within the blink of an eye, Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were sacked. Within weeks, Sandusky was charged and Paterno had passed away from lung cancer.

As the evidence mounted more and more against Sandusky, other Penn State officials such as athletic director Tim Curley became wrapped up in their own legal problems as a result of the scandal.

A strange public interview between Sandusky and Bob Costas did nothing to help his case. Even tonight following the verdict, the defense attorney for Sandusky said that this interview was helpful because it allowed his client to say he was not guilty publicly and in the courtroom without having to put him on the stand (the prosecution introduced that interview into evidence during trial for other reasons).

But the bottom line is that whatever the defense attorneys did, it would not be enough. There was simply too much evidence against Sandusky for the jury to come to any other conclusion.

So Friday night's verdict is another step in the healing for Penn State, the victims of these heinous crimes and the State College community. With college football and the Bill O'Brien era beginning in just over two months, will this verdict end the bad news for Penn State?

The short and unfortunate answer is no.

Penn State's Board of Trustees commissioned one of many investigations still ongoing about the knowledge around Penn State at all levels about how Sandusky's transgressions were missed for so long. If there were a cover-up, then more than just the head football coach and the university president could be in serious trouble.

The investigation for the Board of Trustees is being led by former FBI director Louis Freeh, and over 400 people have been interviewed already in this investigation. When this level of digging goes on for this long, it is hard to believe that there is nothing coming from the Freeh investigation.

Until that report is released and the depths of the scandal fully located, the storm clouds will not clear over State College.

The worst case scenario is that multiple board members and university officials could be found to have covered up this scandal to prevent the downfall of the university and the football program. Should this happen, the negative effects that have not yet been seen in university applications and alumni donations could come sweeping in, leaving a negative mark on the university for years.

However, it seems far more likely that there will be only a few more officials drawn into the scandal, but none holding the same fame and stature of Sandusky, Paterno and Spanier. These bad actors, if they exist, will be removed with swiftness and probably little effect.

While the trials against Penn State officials and the investigations are not yet over, the worst has passed. There might be cheering in the streets tonight, but true closure is probably still months or years away. This is justice, but no occasion to cheer.

The college football season cannot come soon enough for Penn State. Only then will there be something worth cheering about in State College again.