The thought has crept into the minds of those outside of State College, too.
What if Joe Paterno does at 81 what coaches 40 years his junior won't ever do?
|
|
| Joe Paterno has let the offense open up this season. Good move. (AP) |
The Spread HD might be powering another Paterno run: This looks to be his first team since the 1994 Big Ten champions that did not rely on defense as its strength. Joe realizes, or accepts, that is OK in 2008. Take quarterback Daryll Clark, tailback Evan Royster, receiver Derrick Williams and a big, fierce offensive line to a neutral site right now and you'd have to like Penn State's chances -- against anyone.
Not bad for the Nittany Lion in winter.
"This is exactly what I came here for, what I envisioned when I came to Penn State," Williams said.
The senior is somewhat of a spokesman for a program that has been known more in recent years for its fearsome assaults -- by bad-apple players -- than great hits. But since Williams arrived in 2005, Paterno is 34-9, a .791 winning percentage, a mark higher than the coach's lifetime percentage (.749). Williams has been through the wars, heard all the criticism of Joe, of himself and the program that, if it wasn't out of control, was believed to be going to seed.
"We always believed that we had a great team," he said. "You have to think that all the kids that made mistakes were 20-year-old kids, 19-year-old kids. At that time, everybody makes a mistake. It's bad the media took it the way that they did."
Williams was always the good guy, the nation's No. 1 recruit out of Greenbelt, Md., part of a group of freshmen who helped turn around the program. Veteran observers say, though, the mega-recruit has been underwhelming in his career.
Critics say he could have gone somewhere else -- should have gone somewhere else, according to some friends. In essence, Williams the superstar turned into Williams the solid senior captain.
Is it fair to say Williams has been average? A case can be made. He had 12 career touchdowns coming into this season, one in five games this year before Saturday.
"People questioned the decision I made for coming here," Williams said. "People started questioning it my sophomore and junior year. ... I knew what I could do.
"Everybody thought that I made a mistake. My family and myself knew that it was something special. His offense was an offense that could utilize me right. My high school coach thought I should go some other places, too. It was a certain fit that I had here. I just felt like this was the place for me."
