Penn State Football: 5 Biggest Question Marks of Training Camp

There is no other team in the country that would like the season to begin more than the Penn State Nittany Lions. With everything that has taken place in the last six months, playing the game of football will be therapeutic for this program.

The Nittany Lions have a new head coach in Bill O'Brien, who is committed to putting this team back on track somehow. As a team, the Nittany Lions returned nine starters, but with the new NCAA sanctions in place, many of those players have decided to take their talents elsewhere.

With fall camp fully underway, here are five questions that the Penn State Nittany Lions must answer before the season begins.

Who Is Going to Kick?

While everyone is so focused on running back Silas Redd leaving for the USC Trojans, another devastating blow is kicker Anthony Fera leaving for Texas. What makes this even worse is that Fera handled the punting duties as well as kicking field goals.

He made 82.4 percent of his field goals attempted, as well as averaging nearly 42 yards per punt. For an offense that isn't going to light up the scoreboard this season, having a reliable kicker is something this team so desperately needs.

It is likely that Alex Butterworth handles the punting duties, while Sam Ficken takes over as the field-goal kicker. Neither have much experience in either department.

Is the Defense Really Going to Repeat Last Year’s Efforts?

If it weren't for Penn State's defense being ranked 20th in the country, the Nittany Lions likely wouldn't have even won the nine games they did. They returned a few starters from that squad, but the depth has gotten thinner over the past few weeks.

Cornerback Derrick Thomas has left the team, linebacker Khairi Fortt has transferred to Cal, and safety Tim Buckley has transferred to North Carolina State.

With a secondary that already lost starters and wasn't experienced as it is, this defense is a major concern heading into the regular season. You will likely see many first-year starters, who will see significant playing time this season.

The front-seven must be able to generate pressure or things are going to get ugly for this unit.

Is Matt McGloin Really Going to Be Better?

Penn State had no answer for the quarterback position last season, but when Bill O'Brien, a former quarterback coach, stepped onto the field, he knew who his quarterback for the 2012 season was going to be.

The guy who is going to lead this offense is Matt McGloin.

"He has good command of the offense at this point. He’s a tough kid. He’s a competitive kid. He’s shown good leadership qualities. I just felt like he is the No. 1 quarterback." O'Brien said. (Via Bob Flounders of The Patriot News)

McGloin barely completed 54 percent of his passes last season, threw for 1,571 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. If this offense is going to average more than the 19 points it scored last season, it is going to start with much better quarterback play.

Who Is Next?

With the NCAA sanctions that are in place, any current Penn State football player has the right to transfer without penalty. Many players have already exercised this right, as players such as Silas Redd, Rob Bolden, Justin Brown and Anthony Fera, among others have all packed up and left. 

Although head coach Bill O'Brien believes that many of the remaining players are here to stay.

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I'm very confident the guys that are here today are committed. O'Brien said. Again, it's day-to-day, but I'm confident in these guys. They got up at 5:15 this morning and they came out and practiced. It wasn't great. It wasn't all pretty. But there were some good plays out here, and we've just gotta keep getting better. (Via Nate Mink of USA Today)

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Even if the players are saying they are riding the storm with Penn State, the option still remains on the table for any player to leave whenever they like. With the odds stacked against the Nittany Lions, this is a question that has to be in the back of everyone's mind.

Can This Team Overcome Everything That Has Happened?

Right now with everything that is going on, Bill O'Brien is saying all of the right things. The players that have decided to return seem like they are coming together and doing all of the right things. But it is when the team hits the field that we will see how this team responds to a horrible offseason.

"We do have some restrictions, but we all know why they're there," O'Brien said. "We're going to make sure we're focused on that in addition to doing the really good job of playing some good, tough football." (Via ESPN)

The Nittany Lions open up the season against Ohio and a road trip to Virginia to take on the Cavaliers, two games that are no cakewalk. If Penn State gets off to a fast start, it will give this team some much-needed momentum, but if things start off slow, we will then find out exactly what this squad is made of.