Penn State Football: 10 Reasons Why Joe Paterno Has One Good Season Left in Him
The game of college football certainly has not passed Joe Paterno by just yet, despite what may be said elsewhere. The game is still about moving the football downfield and preventing the other team from scoring.
From the looks of it, Penn State should have one of the more interesting teams to watch in the Big Ten in 2011, and Paterno may be able to make an outside run for the Big Ten title in the final year of his current contract.
We do not know yet if this will be the final season for Paterno or if he will continue coaching in 2012 and beyond. We have already organized Paterno's bucket list and a listed some expectations for the 2011 season.
Now is time to take a look at some reasons why Paterno may have some tricks up his sleeve when Penn State takes the field this fall.
1. Solid Running Game
1 of 10
If Penn State is going to be successful in 2011 it may just be because of the running game.
Sophomore Silas Redd (pictured) has fans buzzing about the future at the position and quickly forgetting about Evan Royster's production out of the backfield over the past few seasons. It is easy to see why.
Redd has good size and build and has moves that will bewilder or overpower defenders more often than not. Redd has studied the best of the best running backs in the NFL and Penn State history, including the likes of Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Curt Warner.
If he takes pieces of each of those players' traits and utilizes them to his best ability there is no doubt that Redd will be one of the top running backs in the Big Ten as early as this upcoming season.
The running game has other weapons too.
Stephfon Green, entering his final year with the Nittany Lions, would like nothing more than to leave the program with a bang after a pair of seasons in decline in terms of offensive production. Green is a great compliment to Redd and if both are on the field the opposing defense could certainly have their work cut out for them.
Brandon Beachum is also looking to make his impact on the field after recovering from a leg injury late in the 2009 season. Beachum, Redd and Green will make up one of the best trios of running backs Penn State has seen in some time.
2. Improved Linebackers
2 of 10
Linebacker U needs to see a revitalization at its trademark position. Injuries kept the position from making too much of an impact in 2010 but if they stay healthy in 2011 there should be plenty of tackles being made in the middle of the field or on the outside of the line.
Michael Mauti is virtually a lock to get the start in the middle of the linebackers, with Gerald Hodges set to flank one side and Nate Stupar looking to man the other side. A rising star on Khairi Fortt will also make an impact in the rotation this season, and could work his way in to a significant role by the end of the season.
When Penn State's linebackers are at the top of their game, Penn State's defense generally follows suit.
If the top four players stay on the field then Penn State's defense should be in good shape overall.
3. Emergence of Rob Bolden
3 of 10
The closer we get to the summer and the next college football season the more likely it is starting to look as though Rob Bolden will remain on campus and be in contention for the starting quarterback job once again.
Penn State will benefit from the next progression of Bolden, who will be more likely to recognize defensive packages and be more likely to produce points in the red zone, which he struggled with in 2010.
If Bolden wins the starting job over Matt McGloin look for his athleticism to pave the way to more production on offense.
If Penn State can start converting on red zone opportunities it will be due to the improved passing game of Bolden and the dynamic running game offered by Redd, Green and Beachum.
Bolden has the ability to tuck the ball and run as well, which he may do from time to time this season but the coaching staff will work more on his passing game this summer, preparing him to lead the offense with a firm grasp this season.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
4. Joe Paterno Is Looking for Redemption
4 of 10
It seems that every few years the rumors and speculation that Paterno has lost a sense of the game. What happens then? Penn State bounces back in a big way and proves that not much has changed.
This season has all of the ingredients for that same kind of season.
Penn State is coming off a seven-win season and Paterno enters the final year of his contract with media starting to forecast the future in Happy Valley and call for a change. Paterno knows this game all too well.
The Nittany Lions have some attractive home games (more on the schedule in a little bit) with Alabama and Nebraska each paying visits to Beaver Stadium this year and everything sits well for a possible double-digit win season if the offense and defense improve in the areas already mentioned.
If Penn State gets to November with one or two losses it is likely they will control their own fate in the Big Ten Leaders Division, and that in itself would set the stage for the Paterno critics. Will Penn State be able to handle that kind of pressure?
History would suggest that they may be more ready than you would think.
5. The Schedule
5 of 10
There is no question that this could be one of the tougher Penn State schedules in some time. Before one of the toughest three-game stretches any school will face this season at the end of the schedule Penn State will have to host what may be a BCS title contender as well as defeat a conference nemesis and get revenge in another conference tilt.
Penn State hosts Alabama in week two in the second game of a home-and-home series. The Crimson Tide have some questions of their own to answer this season but they have plenty of reason to be optimistic about the 2011 season.
Nick Saban's team could be the favorite in the SEC, and with that usually comes a BCS favorite designation. If Penn State can win this game it could lead to a very rewarding season.
Picking up a win against Iowa has been next to impossible for Penn State over the past decade but Penn State will hope the home-field advantage plays in their favor this time around.
They also get a crack at Illinois in Beaver Stadium. The Illini shut down Penn State in Happy Valley last season. With Ron Zook's job security a little more insecure this season who knows how Illinois will turn out.
Then there are the final three games of the season. Home against Nebraska and then two games on the road at Ohio State and Wisconsin.
If this schedule doesn't have BCS-worthy all over it, what does?
Of course, Penn State will have to take care of their own business. Win and the schedule speaks for itself.
6. Paterno Owns Indiana and Temple
6 of 10
Joe Paterno is 41-0 all-time against Temple and Indiana, two schools on Penn State's schedule once again in 2011.
The Hoosiers and Owls are both undergoing a coaching transition this season, with Kevin Wilson taking over Indiana and Steve Addazio taking over at Temple. Both former assistants are hoping they can finally pick up a win against Paterno, but neither will have an easy time doing so.
Temple will have a better chance with a better team returning in 2011 and looking to pick up where Al Golden left the program. Temple came close to pulling out a victory in State College last season and will get to take on Penn State closer to home this season at Lincoln Financial Field.
The last time Penn State made the trip to Philadelphia though the Nittany Lions took advantage of mishaps by Temple in a 31-0 victory. The game was much closer than the score would indicate. The game may be played in Philadelphia, but the crowd will predominantly be a Penn State crowd.
The Hoosiers moved their home game against Penn State to FedEx Field last season, giving Penn State a decided home field advantage.
This year the game will remain in Bloomington as Penn State and Indiana begin a new chapter in their series as division rivals. Wilson has plenty of work to do with the Hoosiers, who need help on offense and defense.
7. Trust the Assistants
7 of 10
The assistant coaching staff at Penn State has been almost as constant as Joe Paterno has been in terms of personnel. This season will be no different, but perhaps a couple of changes would do Penn State some favors moving forward.
Joe Pa has allowed his assistant coaches to take on an increased role in calling plays during the games but the final calls are still up to the elder statesman in college football. The time may be now to let the assistants make a few more final calls and see what happens.
Opening up the playbook, especially on the road, could be more realistic this season if the younger players such as Bolden and Redd show ability early to master the scaled back packages.
If they are having some field days early against inferior opponents then the assistant coaches should convince Paterno to let them try some new plays in the bigger games.
Anyone who has watched Penn State over the years knows that the game plan often tends to be a little more limited on the road in big games, such as Ohio State and Wisconsin. And if Penn State gets down early the tendencies often lean toward protecting the ball and taking a chance of moving the ball down slowly.
This cannot be the case in 2011 with a new era of Big Ten play opening up, especially when the end of the season comes and Penn State is possibly in the mix for a trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship game.
8. Contract Year?
8 of 10
Picking up on a previous slide, it seems as though when the pressure is on for Paterno's job security, he seems to take it in stride and come out on top.
Don't expect Paterno to field any questions about his contract at the Big Ten media days this summer or at any point during the 2011 season. The last thing he'll want to do is talk about it publicly. But he will secretly let his performance speak for itself.
Paterno has been around this game long enough to know how it all works. Win on the field and people will not be so quick to dismiss your team or position. Paterno's current three-year contract was a result of the Nittany Lions coming through with a Big Ten championship during the 2008 season. That came a year after Penn State had a relatively average season at best in 2007 and with people already suspecting Paterno had reached the end of the line.
Will we see a similar story unfold in 2011?
9. The Joe Paterno Story Will Inspire the Team
9 of 10
It is often said that players on a team, regardless of the sport, will rise to the occasion to win for a coach in the face of adversity. That mold might fit Penn State in 2011.
With all of the talk surrounding Paterno's future it could deflect some of the attention off of the players and serve as a motivating factor during the season. Not only will the coach and his staff be asked about Paterno's future against their will, but so will the players.
Is there a better way to honor the coach that ultimately brought them on board than to win a few meaningful games and make a run at a Big Ten championship? Probably not.
Paterno may not be the coach he once was but the players still have a special relationship with him. The pride in speaking about Paterno always brings a smile to a number of former players' faces and that bond can inspire a team to rally behind their coach, just as Penn State did for his 400th career victory.
10. Joe Pa Knows How to Win
10 of 10
A coach winning 400 games does not happen by accident.
It is validation for decades of hard work and results. The sport of college football may have seen a number of changes through the years in terms of style of play and some tweaks to the rules, but Paterno has won no matter how many times the game has changed and allegedly passed him by.
Paterno will likely move in to second place all time in college football coaching wins this season, which will further cement what everybody already knows; Paterno is one of the best of all time.
To reach this point in his career proves that Paterno not only can adjust to the changes in the game, but can also relate with his team and staff. There is something to be said about that.
Don't expect much to change in 2011. Paterno is a winner.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
