College Football 2011: 10 Dream Scenarios for the Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State will enter the 2011 college football season with a tremendous amount of uncertainty, but also with some upside potential.

Looking at the team of paper, the Nittany Lions look like the kind of team that can keep their record slightly above the .500 mark or make a legitimate run for an appearance in the Big Ten Championship game in early December.

They may need some help around the conference, but there could also be enough done on the field to take care of business themselves. Here is a look at some of the dream scenarios that could play out in 2011 for the Nittany Lions.

Kevin McGuire is the national college football writer for Examiner.com. Follow his college football discussion on Twitter.

1. Rob Bolden Wins and Keeps the Starting QB Job

Rob Bolden won the starting quarterback job as a true freshman last season. After an offseason of "Will he or won't he?" surrounding the possibility of a transfer, Bolden is on campus and ready to prepare for 2011 with Penn State.

Now he is hoping to win the starting job once again, and that could have a positive impact on Penn State's chances to be successful this season.

Bolden showed some positive signs of potential a year ago, but needs to learn from some of his freshman mistakes. He never seemed to be rattled behind center, and he will need that same poise in 2011 with games against Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin on the road, not to mention Iowa at home.

If Bolden shows more maturity in 2011 and can convert on some red zone opportunities his second season in the offense, that could bode very well for Penn State. Red zone opportunities were a significant problem area for the Nittany Lions in 2010, especially under Bolden.

Dream Scenario: Bolden plays well and is recognized as an All-Big Ten quarterback.

2. Silas Redd Becomes a Household Name

Penn State fans know they have something special in running back Silas Redd, but the rest of the country may be slow to hop on the Redd bandwagon.

It's fair because Redd is entering his sophomore year. Fans may be dreaming of a Heisman campaign for Redd at some point, but this season should be more about becoming a household name.

If he stays healthy, Redd should be the primary running back, and a season of 1,500 yards would be within reach.

Dream Scenario: Redd rushes for 1,850 yards and 20 touchdowns.

3. "Linebacker U" Holds Up to Its Name

The entire Penn State defense needs to regroup after a year of injuries held back each section of the defense in different ways. If they stay healthy, the linebackers should figure to play a vital role in an improved defense in 2011.

Michael Mauti appears to be the top player at the position and should be a lock to play in the middle of the defense. Gerald Hodges is a likely candidate to be taking up a flank on one side. The others hoping to fill out the 4-3 defense will be Nate Stupar and Khairi Fortt.

All four should give Penn State an above-average linebacker crop, but look for Fortt to make a push for a starting job by the end of the season.

Dream Scenario: Penn State's linebackers stay healthy, have two players lead the defense in tackles and named All-Big Ten.

4. Penn State Beats Alabama

In Week 2, the Alabama Crimson Tide make a trip to Happy Valley for the back-end of a home-and-home series between the two traditional powers. Penn State could score a major victory to set a tone for the remainder of the season by knocking off a team that is being hyped as a possible BCS title contender, if not just a favorite in the SEC.

Alabama will be one of the toughest teams Penn State plays all season, and they will need to hope the home-field advantage can get their youthful offensive stars over the hump against a stingy defense. The Tide may have lost Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones, but the offense will still be tough to slow down.

Getting them early on though could play in Penn State's favor.

Beat Alabama, and Penn State would make a statement not just for their team, but for the rest of the conference and critics around the nation. Victory against the Tide is not impossible, but it will be tough—and that will only make this team stronger in the long run.

Dream Scenario: Penn State jumps on Alabama early and stays ahead for the entire game with the defense holding Trent Richardson to under 100 yards on the ground.

5. Penn State Beats Iowa

Penn State will play Iowa at home in early October, looking for a couple years' worth of revenge and looking to knock a monkey off the shoulder pads because Iowa has had Penn State's number.

Iowa was hyped as a favorite in the 2010 Big Ten race, and they handed Penn State a dominating defeat to go home with. Not many people are talking about Iowa this year, so maybe this is a good year to finally grab a win against the Hawkeyes. Then again, Iowa seems to be most dangerous when nobody is talking about them, so who knows.

The importance of beating Iowa is diminished now with division play in the conference, and with this being a crossover matchup, Penn State can survive in the Big Ten race with a loss.

But if this is a dream scenario, then the last thing Penn State would need is to shatter against their nemesis in the conference; a loss could destroy any momentum built by a win against Alabama as well.

Dream Scenario: Penn State beats Iowa by double digits, Bolden throws for three touchdowns and Redd runs for 150 yards.

6. Russell Wilson Doesn't Go to Wisconsin

Wisconsin appears to be one of the front-runners to land N.C. State transfer quarterback Russell Wilson. If Wilson does become a Badger, then the favorite in the Big Ten's Leaders Division—and possibly the Big Ten as a whole—will be Wisconsin without much contention.

Wilson passed for 3,563 yards and 28 touchdowns for N.C. State last season, and Wisconsin's biggest question mark as of now is at the quarterback position. Getting Wilson plugs the biggest drain on Wisconsin's roster, so any other Big Ten team needing to get by the Badgers will be hoping Wilson chooses to go to another program this fall.

Dream Scenario: Wilson transfers to Auburn, who may also need a quarterback coming off a BCS Championship season.

7. Penn State Defeats Ohio State in Columbus

Since joining the Big Ten in 1993, Penn State has had a hard time winning in Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. The lone win for Penn State in the Horseshoe came during the 2008 season, and even then it was an offensive struggle.

And who knows what will happen this season.

Ohio State is a mighty mystery this season with an unknown path ahead of it due to possible NCAA sanctions ready to be handed down. Terrelle Pryor is gone, and Ohio State must now fill in a new quarterback under an interim coach in Luke Fickell.

Things may get sloppy for Ohio State early on, but by the time Penn State makes the trip to Columbus in November, the Buckeyes could be a much improved team.

And if Ohio State is eligible for postseason play, they will have a little extra something to play for since the Leaders Division figures to be up for grabs in the final two weeks between Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.

Dream Scenario: Penn State puts up more than 14 points for the first time in Ohio Stadium since joining the Big Ten; three touchdowns and a field goal lead the team to victory.

8. Penn State Completes Undefeated Regular Season

If the previous slides come true—including wins against Alabama and Iowa—it will set up Penn State to head to Madison the final week of the season with a chance to complete an undefeated regular season for the first time since 1994.

And if Wisconsin does not land Wilson behind center, maybe Penn State becomes the favorite.

By this point Penn State would have become a legitimate BCS contender and would be setting up a terrific storyline for Joe Paterno. 

Dream Scenario: Penn State goes 12-0 in regular-season play, earning a top-two BCS ranking heading to the Big Ten Championship game.

9. Penn State Wins Big Ten Championship

Penn State beat Alabama, they knocked off Iowa, and won games at Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Now they reach the first-ever Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis where they face perhaps the newest Big Ten member, Nebraska.

The two will have already met in November in Beaver Stadium, but this would make for a tremendous Big Ten championship game matchup of historical powers.

And why not Penn State?

Winning the inaugural Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy, named in honor of former Big Ten coach Amos Alonzo Stagg (University of Chicago) and Penn State's own Joe Paterno, would be a fitting end to the 2011 season.

Dream Scenario: Penn State beats Nebraska in the Big Ten championship and clinches a spot in the BCS Championship game.

10. Penn State Wins BCS Championship, JoePa Retires on Top

It is the ultimate goal in college football, and if everything that happens in this slideshow happens to come true, then Penn State will have a rather unlikely opportunity to play for the AFCA Trophy for the first time since the trophy was introduced to college football; Penn State won the first trophy in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.

Only one Big Ten team has won the trophy (and only one team has played for it—Ohio State), so to get a crack at the crystal football would be a treasured moment in itself.

But to send Joe Paterno into (possible, very unconfirmed) retirement as a national champion would be fitting in so many ways.

Dream Scenario: Penn State beats Oklahoma in the BCS Championship game, and Paterno announces retirement as a champion.