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that's now ranked No. 25. The same Pitt team that beat Clemson." The playoff committee appeared to be determined to keep Penn State out and Pac-12 champion Washington in despite the Huskies' weak nonconference schedule. Granted, their only loss was to Pac-12 rival USC, giving them an edge over Penn State, with its two early-sea- son losses. But one of the four criteria adopted by the committee in 2012 was strength of schedule. The Big Ten was recognized as the toughest of the Power Five conferences in the regular season, with the Pac-12 lagging behind. It was also acknowledged that Washington's three nonconference wins were truly in- ferior in comparison to the other con- tenders. "Strength of schedule favored Penn State," admitted committee chair Kirby Hocutt. But in this instance, that apparently didn't matter. Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour went national with Penn State's complaint at a Rose Bowl media event Dec. 31, saying the committee "went away from… what they had been talking about in terms of strength of schedule." In light of the genuine good feelings within the Penn State family generated by what the 2016 football team accom- plished, you can be sure there will be a renewal of calls from the "move on" crowd. Forget the scandal, forget Pa- terno and forget the Freeh report. That's history. The future of the university de- pends on "moving on" they say. There is even a hackneyed and derisive name for those of us who are not ready to "move on." They label us "Joebots," as in zombielike robots who remain slav- ishly devoted to Paterno. What they don't comprehend is that most of us are not apologists but simply want the truth. There are far too many enduring unanswered questions. People's reputations are still at stake. The three administrators who were blamed specifically for the so-called cover-up – Graham Spanier, Gary Schultz and Tim Curley – have been in legal limbo for years, and remain so, even though many of the charges against them have been dropped. And why should the Paterno family be continually subjugated to vilification simply for trying to get the truth, on the record, in a legal forum? One cannot get into the details of each and every allegation against Joe Paterno, the administrators, assistant coaches and others without officially challenging the validity of the Freeh report and the motivations of various individuals. Some efforts are being made privately, but the legal system appears to be thwarting the endeavor more than encouraging it. As I see it, the only good to come out of this entire nightmare is the high-profile focus on child sexual abuse and Penn State's newfound leadership role in combatting it. But the university's in- volvement in this endeavor has not changed the perception of many in the media or shifted public opinion. A lot of people still see Penn State's image as one of disgust and shame. I've been told over and over that my lament is a lost cause. Penn State will never truly recover from the scandal. People like me supposedly live in a bub- ble. That's what one of the football beat writers told an Indianapolis sports talk show a few days before the Big Ten Championship Game. The writer, a vet- eran whom I respect for his insight and analysis about college football, referred to the bubble as anywhere within a 150- mile radius of State College. The impli- cation was that everyone outside this bubble has already moved on and inside it we are delusional. Poppycock. Penn State's leadership in the last decade has only itself to blame for this state of affairs. It mishandled everything and continues to do so to this day. An aging Paterno also contributed to his own downfall when he lost the confidence of even some of his formerly strongest sup- porters over the years with an attitude that at times bordered on arrogance and insubordination. For all the good that he did for the university in more than 60 years, he was brought down by friends as well as by enemies. He wasn't a victim, but he is most certainly a scapegoat. Unfortunately, to much of the public and media, he is the ultimate villain, as guilty as Sandusky, if not more so. And he will remain so until the definitive truth comes out – if ever. ■ A new Penn State football book by Lou Prato with a forward by Adam Taliaferro The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions Price: $14.95 plus shipping Published by Triumph Books (soft cover) Autographed copies available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-954-5171 Autographed copies of Lou's book We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions are still available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-954-5171. Price: $19.95 plus tax where applicable and shipping

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