Blue White Illustrated

eep looking forward, they say. Be aware of what's behind, but don't let it be the focus. There's a reason, they say, why the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror. Sometimes, though, just for kicks, it can be worth it to look back and wonder what if. So to go along with the theme of this issue – 2013-14 Year in Review – let's glance back at some events that, had they gone differently, would have al- tered the course of the past athletic year at Penn State – some that perhaps would have changed the landscape quite drastically. In recruiting – a world in which high schoolers routinely flip-flop verbal commitments – the "What if?" ques- tion is never far from anyone's mind. This year was no exception. What if Class of 2014 linebacker Jared Wangler hadn't switched his commit- ment to Michigan in August? Without his change of heart, Bill O'Brien never would have offered and then landed in- coming freshman Jason Cabinda, who appears to be an intriguing prospect in his own right. On that note, what if four-star defen- sive tackle Thomas Holley had faxed his letter of intent to the Lasch Building in- stead of to Florida in February. Now he's in the Southeastern Conference, and Penn State is still scouring the country for another top-flight prospect to solid- ify the interior of its defensive line. What would Holley have looked like in blue and white? Or, on the field, imagine if O'Brien had decided to run the ball a little more in Bloomington last October instead of throwing it 55 times. Would Penn State's winning streak over Indiana still be in- tact? Or what if Allen Robinson had let that 36-yard pass in the fourth quarter vs. Michigan slip through his hands and flutter to the grass? Penn State never would have pushed that game into over- time. It never would have pulled off the most thrilling comeback Beaver Stadi- um has seen in the past 10 years. The residual effect that game has had in re- cruiting cannot be overstated. (For proof, see the Sterling Jenkins Q&A on page 18). That single catch has made James Franklin's job much easier in the past few months. Who would've thought that in October? But what if Franklin had never even been offered the job? What if O'Brien had decided to put off his NFL aspira- tions for another year and stuck around? Oh, how different things would be. But as they say, there's no sense in dwelling on what could have been. Let the past serve as a reminder, but don't let it blur what's ahead. Always remem- ber to check the rearview mirror, but never take your eyes off the windshield. Especially when the road ahead looks to lead to some pretty interesting places following Franklin's decision to accept the Nittany Lions' head coach- ing position. Anymore, it's hard to imagine this place without him roam- ing around. Would the 2015 recruiting class rank among the country's best? Would gigantic glowing Nittany Lion logos hang from the Beaver Stadium scoreboards? Consider also that incoming freshmen Trace McSorley, Chance Sorrell, Brendan Brosnan, Grant Haley and Amani Oruwaryie wouldn't be set to begin their college careers in University Park if not for Franklin. Koa Farmer, Saeed Black- nall, Torrence Brown and possibly even Michael O'Connor probably wouldn't be here either. Switching gears from football, imagine if the Nittany Lion basketball team had hung on for that victory over Princeton in Rec Hall in December. We can only wonder how that loss affected Penn State over the next month, during which it lost seven games. Or go back to the national wrestling tournament in Oklahoma City. If North Carolina State's Nick Gwiazdowski hadn't upset Minnesota's Tony Nelson in the heavyweight final, Penn State would- n't have clinched the crown. If Nelson had won, along with teammate Dylan Ness, the Golden Gophers would have been national champions; David Taylor and Ed Ruth would have unjustly finished their careers a title shy of a four-peat. Or suppose Stanford had outlasted the women's volleyball team in December's NCAA Regional in Lexington, Ky., a match that went to a dramatic fifth game. Penn State cruised through its next two matches to win the title, but if the ball had fallen differently in Lexing- ton, would Russ "diggs" Roseberry now be a featured ice cream flavor at the Creamery? Doubtful. It is, though, and that's all that really matters now. Go order up. What has happened, happened. Volleyball and wrestling both secured their titles. A- Rob hauled in that pass at the 1-yard line. The men's basketball team suffered that loss in Rec Hall. But as they say, there's no point in dwelling on what could have been. Just as Wangler's de- commitment led to Cabinda's decision to choose Penn State, the past always leads to something new. So put it in the rearview mirror, be- cause the road ahead looks to be pretty decent. ■ L A S T W O R D T I M O W E N | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M What if... K

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