How do you follow the greatest season in recent school history? Joe Paterno began asking himself that question before the sun rose on Jan. 4.

Penn State had just edged Florida State in the Orange Bowl to complete an 11–1 season that included the Nittany Lions’ second Big Ten title and their highest year-end ranking since 1994. After getting two hours of sleep following the triple-overtime victory over the Seminoles, Paterno awoke the next morning and began doodling a 2006 depth chart in his notepad.

No surprise there. Paterno’s don’t-look-back attitude has become as familiar over the years as his rolled-up trousers. It’s an outlook he has strived to instill in others, one that he hopes his current players have taken to heart now that they actually have a past that’s worth living in.

“The time may come when I have to say to them, ‘You guys better wake up. You can’t win on what you did last year.’ But I don’t sense that,” Paterno says. “We had a good winter program. The kids worked hard.”

Penn State rekindled the championship dreams of a title-starved fan base by recovering from two consecutive losing seasons and by assembling another blue-chip recruiting class, its third in a row. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen. The loyal denizens of Beaver Stadium may well find themselves slinking back to their Winnebagos feeling less than satisfied this fall. Penn State is going to look very different.

The Lions’ offseason priorities included rebuilding the offensive and defensive lines, finding four new starters in the secondary and grooming an inexperienced quarterback to replace the stellar Michael Robinson. Even after a hectic spring there remains much work to be done. No wonder the Lions’ longtime coach didn’t waste any time getting started.

LOWDOWN

Coach: Joe Paterno (41st season, 354-117-3)
2005 record: 11-1 (Beat Florida State in Orange Bowl)
Big Ten finish: 7-1 (t-1st)
2005 I-A offensive rankings:
Rushing: 14th (212.8 ypg)
Passing: 74th (208.8 ypg)
2005 I-A defensive rankings:
Rushing: 7th (93.0 ypg    )
Passing: 50th (211.7 ypg)

DEPTH CHART

Offense (4)

WR  2  *Derrick Williams  So.  4  Terrell Golden  Jr.
WR  3  *Deon Butler  So.  24  Jordan Norwood  So.
LT  67  *Levi Brown  Sr.  71  Mark Farris  Sr.
LG  76  Gerald Cadogan  So.  64  Rich Ohrnberger  So.
C  57  A.Q. Shipley  So.  60  Patrick Weber  Jr.
RG  65  Robert Price  Sr.  58  Greg Harrison  So.
RT  79  Chris Auletta  Jr.  78  John Shaw  Sr.
TE  44  Patrick Hall  Sr.  88  Kevin Darling  Sr.
QB  14  Anthony Morelli  Jr.  15  Paul Cianciolo  So.
FB  30  BranDon Snow  Sr.  34  Matt Hahn  Jr.
TB  26  *Tony Hunt  Sr.  33  Austin Scott  Sr.

Defense (4)

DE  99  Jim Shaw  Jr.  54  Jed Hill  So.
DT  13  *Jay Alford  Sr.  53  Steve Roach  Sr.
DT  92  Ed Johnson  Sr.  95  Elijah Robinson  Jr.
DE  47  Josh Gaines  So.  86  Mike Lucian  So.
OLB  31  *Paul Posluszny  Sr.  45  Sean Lee  So.
ILB  20  *Tim Shaw  Sr.  32  Jerome Hayes  Fr.
OLB  40  *Dan Connor  Jr.  46  Tyrell Sales  So.
CB  1  Justin King  So.  25  Devin Fentress  So.
CB  11  Tony Davis  So.  21  Knowledge Timmons  Fr.
SS  24  Nolan McCready  Sr.  37  Spencer Ridenhour  So.
FS  6  Donnie Johnson  Sr.  22  Darien Hardy  Sr.

Special Teams

K  23  Kevin Kelly  So.
P  36  Jeremy Kapinos  Sr.
KR  8  Rodney Kinlaw  Jr.
PR  18  Anthony Scirrotto  So.

(#) Indicates number of returning starters
* Indicates returning starters

2006 SCHEDULE

Sept. 2  Akron
Sept. 9  at Notre Dame
Sept. 16  Youngstown State
Sept. 23  at Ohio State
Sept. 30  Northwestern
Oct. 7  at Minnesota
Oct. 14  Michigan
Oct. 21  Illinois
Oct. 28  at Purdue
Nov. 4  at Wisconsin
Nov. 11  Temple
Nov. 18  Michigan State

OFFENSE

Anthony Morelli won’t evoke memories of Michael Robinson, last season’s Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. The 6'4", 214-pound junior doesn’t have his predecessor’s quick feet, which means Penn State won’t run as many quarterback draws and option plays as it did the past few seasons. “I don’t think Morelli would be the guy you would want to count on running the ball as much as Michael Robinson,” coach Joe Paterno says. “He’s not that kind of player.” 

What kind of player is he? Based on his skimpy portfolio so far, Morelli appears to be a bazooka-armed drop-back passer with loads of unrefined potential. There was speculation earlier in his career that he was struggling to master the offense, but insiders said he looked good in the spring.

His supporting cast should help make him look good. Senior tailback Tony Hunt, a 1,000-yard rusher last fall, can catch passes out of the backfield, and the wideouts are outstanding. Sophomore Derrick Williams is probably the best of the bunch. He was in the midst of a fine freshman season before his arm was broken at Michigan. Fully recovered, he figures to easily better last year’s numbers, which included 22 catches for 289 yards.

The biggest problems on offense are up front, with senior tackle Levi Brown the only returning starter. Sophomore A.Q. Shipley is set to make a welcome return to center after helping out at defensive tackle last year. But questions abound at the other three positions. Even with a new quarterback at the helm, expect the Lions to do a lot of passing.

DEFENSE

With Butkus Award winner Paul Posluszny returning for his final season, Linebacker U should have no trouble living up to its nickname. The gritty senior is expected to make a full recovery from the knee injury he suffered in the Orange Bowl, and he’ll have plenty of help. Accompanying him this fall are returning starters Dan Connor and Tim Shaw.

Elsewhere, the Lions have issues. They must replace three starters up front, with the defensive end spots ranking as two of Paterno’s chief concerns. Junior Jim Shaw, a transfer from Rice, stands to inherit the left end position after backing up Tamba Hali last fall. The other spot is wide open.

The secondary will have four first-year starters. Sophomore cornerbacks Justin King and Tony Davis have reportedly been impressive, so the drop-off at those positions might not be as steep as feared. But the safety spots are unsettled. Don’t be surprised if the Lions turn to an underclassman or two at the first sign of trouble.

SPECIALISTS

Sophomore placekicker Kevin Kelly is solid. He set a school scoring record for freshmen, finishing with 99 points after making 16-of-23 field-goal attempts. Senior punter Jeremy Kapinos has a strong leg and excels at pinning opponents deep.

FINAL ANALYSIS

It’s tough to picture Penn State approaching last year’s 11–1 performance. The offense doesn’t have the manpower to plow through opponents on the ground, meaning Paterno won’t be able to bring Morelli along slowly. Meanwhile, the defense might have trouble generating a pass rush, magnifying the concerns in the secondary.

Still, the long-term outlook appears bright. The Lions are poised to reap the benefits of a recruiting revival that began in earnest in 2004. Another winning season would keep the Joe-must-go crowd at bay and bide time for Paterno’s program as it girds for another BCS run in 2007.

This Penn State team preview was pulled from our 2006 National College Football preview magazine. To order this or the 2006 Big Ten Regional preview magazine - with expanded team page coverage and conference features - click here