Mike McQueary: Coach's Absence Helps Avoid Further Distractions vs. Nebraska

Mike McQueary will not coach Penn State football on Saturday in the team's Big Ten conference game against Nebraska at Beaver Stadium, and according to Dave Jones of the Harrisburg Patriot-News, McQueary has been placed on administrative leave.

On Friday, university President Rodney Erickson offered some insight as to why the decision not to have McQueary on the field Saturday was made.

“It became clear he could not coach under these circumstances,” Erickson said.

On Thursday, the university decided he would not coach during Saturday's game due to concerns over threats he has received.

Not having McQueary present at the Nebraska game will avoid further distractions that the team does not need right now.

Saturday is Senior Day for Penn State, and the pregame focus needs to be as much on the seniors as possible.

These seniors have worked extremely hard during their collegiate careers and it would be unfair not to allow them their moment in the spotlight and be recognized for their contributions to Nittany Lions football.

Safety will be a concern on Saturday, but without McQueary on the sidelines, maybe the spotlight will be less on what is happening on the sidelines and more on how the players are performing on the field.

This game is very important to both teams, and a loss for either school would hurt their chances of winning the Big Ten conference championship and possibly a BCS bowl game bid such as the Rose Bowl.

After legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was fired on Wednesday, it now seems like McQueary might have also coached his last game at Penn State.

Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for the latest sports news and updates. Follow @NicholasGoss35