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Della Valle, Miles Die7enbach and Brad Bars at a local Chick-6l-A, learned of the news on Twitter. Thirty seconds later, said Hull, a mass text message from the coaching sta7 was sent, indicating that there would be a team meeting at the Lasch Building. Admittedly disappointed that he hadn't been able to 6rst deliver the news per- sonally to the entire team, Franklin tried to corral everyone to one place in order to provide facts, dispel any myths, and most important, refocus a group that was per- ilously close to losing sight of the pres- ent. First, though, a celebration was in or- der. As players gradually 6led into the Lasch auditorium, Franklin stood at the front to give out hugs, handshakes, high 6ves and 6st bumps. Not unlike his postgame phi- losophy – "I'm not going to become one of these coaches that the losses hurt more than the wins feel good," he said a8er the Akron win – in many ways the reduction of the sanctions was just another win to be celebrated. Asking the 39 players who stayed, the 10 Class of 2013 recruits who remained committed amid the sanctions and all other support sta7 and personnel from 2012 to come to the front of the auditorium, Franklin led a standing ovation for their dedication to the program. "[We] told them how much they mean to us, how much we are all in debt to them, how much respect that the uni- versity, the alumni, the community has for them and that we're going to play for them because they were here for this pro- gram and this university when we needed them most," Franklin recounted. Bringing the bigger picture down to size, Franklin used the celebratory oc- casion as an opportunity to teach. For the group in the front of the room, the overwhelming sense of accomplishment in that moment displayed the value of perseverance. "I don't think there's any doubt that those guys who were part of the program when it happened, that stayed, will forever be remembered as the foundation for our present and the foundation for our future," Franklin said. "They sacri6ced and they didn't take a shortcut. We're talking to our guys all the time about that: there are no shortcuts in life. Those guys are a perfect example of that. "I think they're also an example that if you just work hard and you keep a positive attitude and you persevere, good things will happen. That's why I'm more happy Surprisingly enough, given what has transpired the past two years, these Nittany Lions easily should have enough wins to go bowling. There was never a crash land- ing. Credit previous coach Bill O'Brien for keeping the thing together, and credit current coach James Franklin for recruiting improbably well and getting off to a promising start in his first season in charge of the program. PAT FORDE YAHOO! SPORTS Conspiracy theory of the week: Penn State is immediately eligible for the post- season to help out a really weak Big Ten. Admit it: The thought crossed your mind. It seems all too coincidental that the NCAA announced an end to the heavy sanc- tions imposed on the school on the exact day the college football world dismissed the B1G and its playoff chances. ANDREA ADELSON ESPN.COM Penn State has played under heavy NCAA sanctions since the start of the 2012 season, yet the Nittany Lions have posted the fourth-best record among Big Ten teams during that span. Predictions about the program's demise obviously never materialized. And even under the severe sanctions, the Nittany Lions (17-9) have had a better record than traditional Big Ten powers Michigan (16-12) and Wiscon- sin (18-11), plus they've gone 3-0 head-to-head against those teams the past two years. CORY GIGER ALTOONA MIRROR By its own standard, the NCAA has to hand back to Joe Paterno all the wins the sanctions took away from him. He has to have his win total restored to 409, and his name has to be etched on the top of the list of winningest coaches in big-time col- lege football history. Whether you think Paterno did as much as he could to rid the streets of the Sandusky scourge is now no longer relevant. The NCAA says he did exactly what they'd ask anybody in his position to do. The worst-kept secret in college football became a reality Monday. Except, the organization that, in un- precedented fashion, has stricken most every sanction in arguably the most harsh penalty it has ever handed out has strangely been mum on whether it will do what it can to make Paterno whole again. Connect the dots they drew on the page, and it's easy to see they have an obligation to do just that. DONNIE COLLINS THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE In 2012, NCAA president Mark Emmert circumvented any notion of protocol or precedent in handing down crippling sanctions against Penn State over a matter better left to the criminal justice system. Seemingly just as arbitrarily, the NCAA Executive Committee on Monday turned around and lifted the program's post- season ban two years early due to the university's "commitment to the integrity of its athletics department." STEWART MANDEL FOXSPORTS.COM It's a day for celebration for sure – a celebration of a partially righted wrong, like a wrongfully convicted prisoner going free. But like a wrongfully convicted prisoner, the situation is still rife with injustice. KEVIN HORNE ONWARDSTATE.COM WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

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