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| The students' faces say it all - Patrick Smith, Getty Images |
Not the dreaded 'Death Penalty', but something deemed to be worse.
The punishment includes fines, bowl bans, loss of scholarships, probation and having someone from the outside being there to hold their hands through it all.
Now all Penn State football has to play for is pride and going back to what the fundamental purpose of intercollegiate athletics is about - supplementing a college education
They will do it
Believe it or not, the tireless effort and work ethic required to 'be the best' and overcome this adverse situation will carry the Penn State football program forward.
They owe it to the coaching and teaching legacy of Joe Paterno to succeed, and they will do it without the 'extra bells and whistles' that their opponents have to work with.
Do not be surprised if they continue to win, even with less scholarships than anyone else.
They have just as many quality facilities and support personnel or more, than many Division I programs already.
The next four to eight, even twelve years will truly show what the have and have nots in college football truly possess.
Back to fundamentals
The true test of quality coaching and teaching will determine how well committed and talented student-athletes will perform.
The added consolation to it all will be that everyone will be able to witness it on TV.
Though the legacy of former coach Joe Paterno has been tainted by the Jerry Sandusky scandal that created all of this mess, JoePa's teaching and coaching philosophy, if learned properly, will help to teach true student-athletes to be successful.
What will the NCAA and its member institutions do then?
Only time and history will tell.
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