Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Everyone assumed that the Penn State Nittany Lions would have problems after the long NCAA sanctions were announced. Penn State made it through the 2012 season without any problems in posting an 8-4 record. But with several key players now gone, things are changing. The spring game saw some issues develop that could see Penn State go tumbling to the bottom of the Big Ten standings.
The biggest issue in my opinion would be the quarterback situation. Steven Bench and Tyler Ferguson didn’t do anything to inspire confidence in either one of them during the team’s spring game. There was a lot of inconsistency there and it is going to take until right before the regular season opens, I figure, until a starter is named.
The team may have an improved defense this coming season but unless the starting quarterback can keep the offense on the field, it isn’t going to help any. This is something that should have been decided by now because you want clarity going into fall practice.
Bill O’Brien knew that he had an uphill climb ahead of him when he took the job but we must remember something about him: He was coaching Tom Brady while with the New England Patriots.
He obviously knows something about that position. I would figure that all that experience would rub off some on either Bench or Ferguson but it doesn’t look like that happened yet. There were great performances from other positions and a lot of projected starters missed the game, but there is still a lot to learn about the Nittany Lions before fall gets here.
Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.
