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>> W H A T T H E Y ' R E S A Y I N G Bill O'Brien did more with a bad situation than anyone could have asked, but the climb back to national prominence must go on in his absence. James Franklin has a solid resume and he proved at Vanderbilt that he can build a solid program in a tough conference without elite recruiting classes. As of this spring, Penn State has the top 2015 class going. The future is bright. USA TODAY SPORTS Nittany Lion fans may not be overjoyed that Bill O'Brien left the program after two years for an NFL gig, but they can't be too upset since O'Brien squired the program through the toughest part of the post-Paterno probationary period. That means former Vanderbilt boss James Franklin doesn't have to build a foun- dation as he takes over. There are still sanctions in place, which means no bowl game this season (unless the NCAA relents), but PSU is hardly bereft of talent. What it lacks is quality depth, particularly along the offensive line, and that's going to hurt in the short run. THE SPORTING NEWS The stench of the Jerry Sandusky scandal still wafts over the Penn State pro- gram, but the efforts of former coach Bill O'Brien (gone to the NFL's Houston Texans) and the arrival of high-energy ex-Vanderbilt boss James Franklin are having the effect of an industrial-strength air freshener. Penn State still has ros- ter problems, and the Nittany Lions' depth is non-existant, but there is some quality talent on campus, like quarterback Christian Hackenberg, defensive end Deion Barnes, running back Zach Zwinak and linebacker Mike Hull. Franklin is already tearing it up on the recruiting trail, too. The NCAA still hasn't backed off its probationary sentence, but PSU is moving forward nonetheless. In a couple years, the rest of the Big Ten East had better watch out, because the Lions will be looking – and smelling – pretty darn good. ATHLON SPORTS Penn State has playmakers on offense and defense, but it remains thin on the offensive line and at linebacker. Expect the defense to be better, especially in the secondary. Winning seven games again would be considered a successful first season for Franklin. LINDY'S SPORTS O'Brien got the most out of his team, and the same could be said about James Franklin at Vanderbilt. He inherits 12 returning starters and some reduced sanc- tiions. ... This may be the Penn St. squad most affected by the sanctions as they have overachieved each of the past two years. While 5 of my [power ratings] call for a losing season, my main set has them at 8 wins, and Franklin always gets his team to overachieve. PHIL STEELE to health and depth at a lot of positions. It is very easy to argue us falling on ei- ther side of that knife – one side with injuries impacting quality on the field due to a lack of depth, and the other side being very good because of no sig- nificant injuries and our depth thus not playing a large role in our success. I see an 8-4 season being the middle ground. If we have one or, God forbid, two ma- jor injuries on the offensive line, then a 7-5 or 6-6 season is likely. If we get through the entire season without any major injuries, then a 9-3 or even maybe a 10-2 season could materialize. Unless major injury strikes early in the season, I don't see us falling below the 6-6 mark. But that is predicated on no major injuries through the nonconfer- ence schedule. JR4PSU This is so tough with the new staff, lack of depth, so many new players who have to step up, and essentially not real- ly knowing what kind of team we'll have this year. But, to play along, and if we have Hack all year… I guess I've got to go with 7-5. Can we revise after the UCF game? That game is so pivotal right off the bat. PSUPALY 7-5: Most important factors are health, the offensive line and the secondary. If Hack goes down early, we're in a lot of trouble. If everything goes right and we don't suffer anymore major in- juries, eight or nine wins are possible. mkilvanick

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