Penn State finished their 2012 football season with an 8 - 4 record after defeating Wisconsin 24 - 21 in overtime.

During the offseason after the 2011 football season Penn State was embroiled in arguably the worst scandal in college athletics and higher education institutions when assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on charges of years of child molestation and child rape. It got worse when evidence surfaced of a deliberate cover up leading all the way up to the highest administration offices of Penn State.

By the time Penn State took the field in their first game on 1 September 2012, Jerry Sandusky was convicted and imprisoned, their beloved legendary Coach Joe Paterno was dead with a tarnished reputation, Penn State administrators were replaced and in court for lawsuits related to the Sandusky case, and NCAA sanctions were placed on Penn State resulting in many of their best players understandably leaving to play for other universities. It is possibly the most controversy any team had to face going into a season.

Most everyone condemns those that covered up the wrong doing of Jerry Sandusky, but as much as we want to punish the offenders and enablers, we should not wish punishment on players for nothing other than participating in a football program that they grew up loving.

Despite all that these players had to go through and put up with hearing in the media and people directing hatred toward them for being merely associated with Penn State, the players came together, battled through everything and excelled. Nobody would have blamed them if they had won only a few games. In fact, it was expected. But they not only made it through their season, they were a success by any measure.

While Penn State as a university will continue to have to deal with the fallout related to the Sandusky case for years to come, and rightfully so, these players have made me a fan of them.

I am a fan of these Penn State players.

Penn State 2012 Football Schedule and Results

Ohio                          24 - 14 Loss

At Virginia                17 - 16 Loss

Navy                          34 - 7 Win

Temple                     24 - 13 Win

At Illinois                     35 - 7 Win

#24 Northwestern 39 - 28 Win
At Iowa                     38 - 14 Win

Ohio State                35 - 23 Loss

At Purdue                     34 - 9 Win

At #16 Nebraska      32 - 23 Loss

Indiana                     45 - 22 Win

Wisconsin                24 - 21 Win (OT)

Big Ten Leaders Division Final Standings

Ohio State           12 - 0 (8 - 0)

Penn State           8 - 4 (6 - 2)

Wisconsin           7 - 5 (4 - 4)

Purdue                6 - 6 (3 - 5)

Indiana                4 - 8 (2 - 6)

Illinois                     2 - 10 (0 - 8)

No postseason for Ohio State and Penn State due to NCAA sanctions.