Penn State Scandal: Why PSU's Demise Will Devastate the Entire Big Ten

When you think about Big Ten football, the first teams that come to mind are more than likely Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Those three schools have been staples for many years and can almost always be counted upon to have strong seasons.

That doesn't hold true every season obviously, but over the past couple decades that has generally been true. While its effects may not be seen on the football field immediately, I believe that the child sex scandal that ex-defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is accused of will knock Penn State from that elite group.

The NCAA is unlikely to place any type of sanction on Penn State since no NCAA rules have technically been broken, but the black cloud that is now over the university will do all the damage that needs to be done.

Recruits such as defensive lineman Noah Spence have already voiced having second thoughts about considering Penn State, and it stands to reason that there are plenty other high-caliber players that feel the same way.

Not only will the scandal itself adversely affect Penn State's recruiting, but the firing of head coach Joe Paterno will as well. The mere presence of Paterno likely helped Penn State land many top players, but that allure is present no longer.

Ultimately, I believe that those factors will combine to really hurt Penn State in recruiting over the next several years. Because of that, the Nittany Lions will fall from their perch as one of the preeminent teams in the Big Ten.

As it currently stands, the Big Ten is a bit of a middling power conference as it isn't as weak as the Big East or Pac-12, but it isn't as strong as the SEC or Big 12. The problem with the Big Ten is that it has tons of programs that are stuck in the doldrums.

Northwestern, Minnesota, Purdue and Indiana are all bottom feeders with little hope of improving at the moment. If Penn State joins that group then essentially half the conference is comprised of four teams. Conferences like the SEC are great because the teams are competitive almost top to bottom.

That already isn't the case in the Big Ten, and it only stands to get worse. I don't think Penn State's decline will cause the demise of the Big Ten, but I do believe that it will greatly hurt the conference's reputation.

The Big Ten is unlikely to die as long as teams like Ohio State and Michigan are around, but its prestige stands to take a major hit. Penn State will return to form one day, but both the Nittany Lions and the Big Ten will be a sad state of affairs for the foreseeable future.