When your coach is listed as week-to-week on the injury report, and ESPN investigators are snooping around, trying to unearth dirt on a school that bills itself as pursuing “success with honor,” it’s hard to imagine great success as the final outcome of a season. Sure, Oklahoma and Miami did it, but that was back in the days when college football had a frontier, benevolent sheriffs protected wrongdoers from the public eye, when coaches forced to ply their trade from above the fray did so as towering icons (see Bryant, Bear), not arthritic 81-year olds.

Penn State may be far from the Wild West days of the Sooners and ‘Canes, and coach Joe Paterno remains very much the horn-rimmed symbol of the Nittany Lion program. For the past couple years, that all PSU had going for it. Now, as Penn State prepares for a season-defining stretch of games, it does so with a 6-0 record and number-six ranking in the polls. Though its image is no longer as pristine as its throwback uniforms, PSU is a factor once again on the national scene, at the very moment fans and media are calling for Paterno to step out of the press box and embrace legend status from a safe distance — and a rocking chair.

The Lions’ 20-6 win over Purdue last Saturday was certainly not overwhelming. It didn’t have the same wow factor as their previous five triumphs did, but it did keep the Lions perfect for the season and keep them well-positioned behind the nation’s top five, which will soon begin a cannibalistic ritual that winnows their number and provides opportunity for PSU to climb in the polls. All the Lions must do is handle the challenges at hand, beginning with a Saturday night trip to Wisconsin and continuing with season-definers against Michigan (which Penn State has not beaten since 1996) and Ohio State. Survive that trio, and only the annual curtain-closer with Michigan State stands as a legitimate threat to what some thought was impossible back in August: perfection.

Since half an undefeated season rarely satisfies anyone, particularly if the second section is filled with disappointment, it is best to save the talk of infallibility for a later date. The question at hand is whether this 6-0 PSU edition is worthy of its lofty regard. The answer is a resounding yes. Not only do the Lions play fast, aggressive football; they also do it with a bit of attitude that comes from absorbing 18 months of arrows from those hoping to denigrate a program which for years stood as a paragon of virtues. The well-documented player arrests for everything from drinking beer to brawling to brandishing a hunting knife in the cafeteria have left grimy smudges on the team’s gleaming white helmets. For a while, it seemed as if Paterno was the only one fighting back. Judging by the Lions’ ’08 performance, the players appear to joining the crusade as well.

Much has been made of the team’s “Spread HD” offense, the attack with the odd moniker (no one in the program seems to know what the “HD” designates) and the piles of yards and points. Its success is noteworthy but so is Paterno’s decision — no doubt after considerable prodding by offensive coordinator Galen Hall and QB coach (and son) Jay Paterno — to scrap his conventional pro-set approach and make full use of quarterback Darryl Clark’s talents. Penn State did the same thing with Michael Robinson in ’05 and produced a 12-1 record. Clark is not yet at Robinson’s level, but he has been pretty impressive to this point, completing 64.5 percent of his throws for 1,116 yards, nine scores and one pick. PSU is averaging 44.8 points and 499.7 yards per game, and Saturday’s modest output against the Boilermakers represented the first time Penn State had scored fewer than 38 points all year. Of course it helps that Penn State has two highly productive backs, Evan Royster (659 yards, 7.8 average 8 TD) and Stephfon Green (368 yards, 6.9 average, 4 TD) and a trio of accomplished wideouts, Deon Butler, Derrick Williams and Jordan Norwood.

The defense isn’t a slouch, either, as evidenced by opponents’ meager outputs of 11.7 points and 250.4 yards every Saturday. It is led by sophomore Aaron Maybin (seven sacks) and linebacker Navorro Bowman (52 tackles) and is littered with underclassmen. There are concerns about whether the team can stop power running attacks, but there have been few indications the Lions are vulnerable enough to be compromised severely, particularly if the offense continues to shine.

The talent is improved. The schemes are sound. The Lions are good but playing better because of their anger at being perceived as something other than a standard-bearer in the war against collegiate athletic excess. The players may not speak it, but they have rallied around their feisty, stubborn coach and are playing excellent football. Peril looms, but Penn State is well equipped to survive it. As Paterno surveys the Lions from his lofty throne, even he must summon a smile. Much is left to do, but the early results are encouraging — and almost enough to make everybody forget about the other stuff.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas), Saturday, October 11, Noon ET (ABC)

The first of three big-time matchups involving top-five teams (Texas-Missouri 10/18; Alabama-LSU 11/8) is an annual classic. What’s better than a giant Ferris wheel, deep-fried everything and the Longhorns and Sooners? Nothing, that’s what. The question is whether Texas’ newfound defensive toughness will be enough to thwart an OU attack that has been Godzilla-like in scope. Texas QB Colt McCoy has been a revelation, but the main stumbling block to Longhorn success will be the lack of a running game
Oklahoma 24, Texas 20

BUMPS AND RUNS

Those who have dismissed Ohio State after the Buckeyes’ humbling loss to USC had better take note. OSU has returned to its roots, grinding it out via the run (40/19 run/pass) in its comeback win over Wisconsin. Freshman QB Terrelle Pryor is not mistake-proof, but he and Beanie Wells put huge stress on enemy run ground defenses.

Let’s hope Baylor QB Robert Griffin III can stay healthy for four years in Waco, because he has the chance to be something special. The only true freshman starting passer in the FBS, Griffin has great legs and a quick, accurate release.

Give ND quarterback Jimmy Clausen ample pocket time, and he’ll carve you up. The Irish sophomore got that against Stanford and threw for 347 yards and three TDs. We’ll see how he fares Saturday against surprising North Carolina, which is ranked and improving weekly.

There are some impressive offensive outfits across the nation, but none more imposing than Oklahoma State’s. The Cowboys have scored 50 or more points in four straight games.

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