Penn State’s Greatest Seasons: 2012

After devastating NCAA sanctions, the Penn State football team showed tremendous strength in facing adversity.

The bottom fell out from Penn State football in November 2011 with the scandal and the subsequent firing of Joe Paterno.  A little known New England Patriots assistant named Bill O’Brien was hired to pick up the pieces, becoming the first new head coach since 1966.  That summer, the football team was dealt another blow when the NCAA imposed severe sanctions.  The sanctions included heavy scholarship restrictions, a ban from post-season play for four years, a stripping of all wins back to 1998, and a 60 million dollar fine.

Perhaps one of the more devastating penalties was that any player was allowed to transfer to another school without the penalty of a loss year of eligibility.  The NCAA basically declared open season on the Penn State roster, which led to stories of coaches from Illinois showing up on campus to recruit, among other schools.  That’s when a group of players got together to release a statement that they would not be deterred.  (Video courtesy of GoPSUtv)

When all was said and done, 15 players left the program.  The ones that stayed, however, would become legends.

Not the start they wanted, but then a winning streak

Penn State would open at home against Ohio University, and it did not go as planned, as the Bobcats won 24-14.  Things got worse the following week at Virginia, as kicker Sam Ficken missed four field goals and an extra point in a 17-16 loss to the Cavaliers.  Most were writing off the Nittany Lions, but the team stuck together.

The Lions would break through, winning their next five games.  This included a win at Illinois that linebacker Michael Mauti took as a personal mission to beat the Illini.  They also upset 24th-ranked Northwestern and exercised some demons at Iowa in a blowout win.

Although the team would stumble against Ohio State and Nebraska, they would be 7-4 going into their final game of the season against Wisconsin.

Putting an exclamation mark on the season

Mauti would tear his ACL against Indiana, ending his collegiate career.  His teammates would rally around him, wearing his number 42 on their helmets for the Wisconsin game.  It would be an unforgettable night for these Lions and the fans that stood by them.  (Video courtesy of GoPSUtv)

The players that stayed at Penn State overcame so much adversity.  They proved to the sports world and the doubters that giving up was never an option.  The team not only won football games, they helped in the healing process after scandal and shame.  They showed it was more than just football.

Next: Player Profile: Ayron Monroe

The NCAA sanctions would eventually be eased and erased.  While many thought the sanctions would cripple the program, Penn State would finish the sanction era without ever posting a losing record.  Without the adversity and strength of the 2012 team, that would have never been possible.