Joe Paterno Must Stay with Penn State to Guide His Current Players

Joe Paterno hasn't resigned or been fired as the head football coach at Penn State.

In fact, he's on the practice field today preparing to play a top-20 Nebraska team at home on Saturday.

It is no ordinary game either.

The Nittany Lions, at 8-1 (5-0 in Big Ten) are the current conference leaders. Nebraska, in its first season in the conference, can spoil Penn State's senior day and their chances at a conference title/BCS berth all in one fell swoop.

This current controversy surrounding the program has nothing to do with this current group of players.

While many people are clamoring for something to be done immediately, these same people are forgetting who really stands to lose the most in this situation: the current players.

Yes, Joe Paterno is likely coaching his final games as the coach of Penn State.

Yes, basically everyone on the coaching staff and current administration will be wiped out.

But that doesn't mean it needs to be at the expense of a group of kids that had nothing to do with any of the wrongdoing.

These players, who've won eight of nine games this season and have a chance to do something Paterno's teams have only done three times before, deserve to be at full strength for their remaining three to five games.

Even if Paterno is found to be in the wrong in any way, shape or form, there is still an entire group of kids who've dedicated themselves to this football season. They not only deserve to have a coach, but they deserve the best chance to succeed.

Things in Happy Valley have to change, but it doesn't have to cost a group of kids with no relationship to the situation a shot at success.

There is a lot of wrong going on at Penn State. Wronging these current players will only make things worse.