Firstly, the football program, athletic department and university are carrying a boatload of bad publicity that will take years to distance themselves from. Should the football program, athletic department or university carry that shame, or are they being blamed for the despicable actions of one person? That is arguable, but all the arguments in the world won't change public opinion.

Secondly, for the first time since Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House, Joe Paterno will not be prowling the sidelines in Happy Valley. Yes, he has arguably been little more than a figurehead for the past couple of years, but he was a figurehead that brought stability, respect and recognition to the program.

Thirdly, the man who has been hired to replace Paterno—former New England Patriots' offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien—was not exactly a popular choice. At least, not among former Nittany Lions.

Fourthly, all of these issues are doing nothing to help recruiting.

With all of that said, Penn State returns the fewest starters in the Big Ten—five on each side of the ball.

The offensive line returns one starter, and it is questionable whether the returning quarterbacks are beneficial to the offense.

PSU has typically reloaded on defense, but that was under Paterno. Who knows what O'Brien, whose specialty is the offense, will put together.

Will Penn State face some sort of sanctions for the sex abuse scandal or are sanctions in this case beyond the reach of the NCAA?

I don't know, but expect the Nits to struggle to reach seven wins.