Penn State Football: 7 Things That Need To Be Fixed Before 2012

Penn State will have one of the more interesting offseasons in college football for a number of reasons. With so much uncertainty surrounding the entire program, there could be many things that need to be addressed between now and September 1, 2012 when the Nittany Lions open the season against the Ohio Bobcats in Beaver Stadium.

Here are seven items on Penn State's to-do list for the offseason.

1. Name a Head Coach

This is an obvious one, and Penn State is already in the midst of the operation to name a successor to Joe Paterno, who was fired during the season amid controversy. Tom Bradley has held onto the interim job in the meantime and will continue to coach the team in the TicketCity Bowl on January 2 against Houston.

Penn State has said they would prefer to name a head coach prior to the bowl game, and Bradley is expected to be a candidate for the job but whether or not he will have a legitimate shot at the job remains to be seen.

It is likely that Penn State will opt to go with a head coach with few ties to the program to give the entire football program, athletic department and university a breath of fresh air after being rocked by the worst scandal to affect a university or college athletic program.

2. Organize an Assistant Coaching Staff

With a new head coach in charge of the football program will come a new assistant coaching staff. Penn State will likely have an entirely new assistant staff, with few (if any) holdovers from the existing staff. There may be a benefit to retaining the services of a guy like Larry Johnson Sr. or Ron Vanderlinden, but other assistants, including Jay Paterno and Tom Bradley, will more than likely be cut loose.

The make-up of the assistant staff will be almost as crucial as the naming of the head coach because the entire staff will have a difficult task in recruiting and convincing student-athletes that coming to Penn State will be a good decision in light of recent developments.

3. Convince Current Players To Stay

With so many things changing in State College, it would not be unusual to hear of some players contemplating a transfer to another university. Coaching styles could change and some players may feel uncomfortable with a new coaching staff and philosophy, which they did not expect when they made the decision to attend Penn State. Perhaps some players will follow the departing members of the coaching staff.

Perhaps some players might want to get into a new situation altogether instead of sticking with Penn State during this period of time. There have been no real rumors of transfers to this point but it would not be unexpected once a new coach is named.

4. Convince Recruits To Stay with Penn State

One of the first objectives for the new coaching staff will be to convince not only the returning players to stick around, but also to convince recruits to stick with their commitments to Penn State. This may be easier said than done, as Penn State has already lost one verbal commitment from a top player in the recruiting class and some other players in high school are already shying away from the program.

Most recruits have suggested they are waiting to see who will be the new head coach before confirming their commitment or making a decision to look elsewhere, while some have said publicly they are intending to stick with Penn State regardless of what happens.

5. Improve the Play of the Quarterback(s)

Penn State first need to know which players are returning in 2012. Matt McGloin has one more year of eligibility. Rob Bolden will be a junior but showed a desire to transfer last season, and failed to hold down a starting job this season. Paul Jones redshirted last season and was ineligible this season.

Penn State passed for just nine touchdowns this season, among the worst in the nation. To say the quarterback situation is a mess overall may be putting it lightly. This will certainly be the top priority for any coach that takes the job.

6. Find a Go-to Receiver

As a way to improve the play of the quarterback, developing a go-to wide receiver would help in a big way. Penn State has rarely had a top-flight wide receiver who can be used as a game-changer on offense. At Penn State it has been more about having possession receivers who can form a dependable overall unit.

Will Justin Brown take the next step in his development in his senior season by taking over the lead-receiver role form Derek Moye? To do so, he will need to cut down on the dropped passes. Or will another receiver take over the lead?

7. Win the Big Game

Penn State's three losses this season came against the top three opponents on the schedule. Pulling out a win against Top 25 teams has become a rarity for Penn State in recent years, and it is the big games that continue to show that Penn State has become a good team, instead of a great team.

While a win against Ohio State was good this season, the Buckeyes finished their regular season 6-6 and figure to get better in a hurry with the hiring of Urban Meyer as head coach. Penn State also travels to Nebraska and Virginia, who had a very good season this year. Penn State also hosts Wisconsin in the 2012 regular-season finale. Will a spot in the Big Ten championship game be up for grabs once again?

Kevin McGuire is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook and add him to your Google+ circle.