Jerry Sandusky Arrest Will Overshadow Banner Year at Penn State

Penn State is 8-1, with its only loss coming against Alabama, and has not lost a Big Ten game. The Nittany Lions sit atop the Leaders Division by two games and could still qualify for a BCS bowl. However, following the arrest of former coach Jerry Sandusky (via Philadelphia Inquirer) on sex abuse charges, any accomplishments achieved by the football team this season will be overshadowed.

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The charges against Curley and Schultz, both of Boalsburg, Pa., stem from a three-year investigation of Sandusky, 67, who spent 32 years on Paterno's staff, 23 as defensive coordinator, before retiring after the 1999 season. Sandusky was arraigned Saturday in State College on 40 counts related to the sexual abuse case against him, and released on $100,000 bail.

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Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, who were both school officials during the time of the alleged incidents, were charged with failure to report a crime. It's a scandal that has rocked legendary head coach Joe Paterno's seemingly unshakable foundation.

However, the real losers of this incident are Penn State's football players.

They could be on pace for one of the most memorable seasons in recent memory thanks to a defense which ranks behind only the aforementioned Crimson Tide and LSU in points allowed per game. It's a unit that hasn't given up more than 18 points at home aside from the Alabama loss.

Running back Silas Redd has been a workhorse on offense, gaining over 1,000 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden have split duties at quarterback, with McGloin being more successful overall.

While the offensive numbers won't jump off the page, Penn State is more about controlling possession than trying to run up the score. It's a strategy they'll need to fine tune ahead of games against Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin to finish the regular season.

No matter the results of those games, though, the focus will remain on Sandusky's transgressions—not to mention the news broke so soon after Paterno took over the lead for most wins by a Division-I coach.

What could have been a magical season in University Park will now be nothing more than the back story to a scandal that will likely have lasting consequences.