There was a time when Penn State faithful wanted QB Michael Robinson benched. But Robinson was the glue that held a national title run together, and now he's gone.

The Nittany Lions still return a ton of talent from last year's team, but the defense took a hit in graduation and whether LB and Butkus Award winner Paul Posluszny comes back from a knee injury is a big question. What Penn State does have going for it is confidence.

The program needed last season to rebuild psyche. It needs another solid season to maintain it, which should be the motto this spring: Maintain. No one wants to relive the 2003 season.

In 2002, Penn State went 9-4 and came back the next season with 3-9 and then 4-7 in 2004. Coach Joe Paterno seems genuinely enthused about another season and has been in a more jovial mood in media sessions.

Winning will recharge a coach's batteries, and just like new players, give him a shot of confidence. Yes, even legends need that once in awhile.

BUILDING BLOCKS: Losing DE Tamba Hali and CB Alan Zemaitis hurts. Making matters worse five other starters are gone. Hali and Zemaitis were a great pass defense combination with Hali bearing down on QBs and Zemaitis understanding the coverage schemes well enough to confuse opposing offenses. Robinson's graduation could open the door for Anthony Morelli, a fan favorite when he was a freshman. Like all QBs, Morelli was the flavor of the month for fans then. The backup QB is the most popular man in town just about everywhere. Now the tables are turned. Incoming freshman Pat Devlin has created a stir when he switched his commitment from Miami after Larry Coker's staff shakeup and landed in Penn State.

COACHING CAROUSEL: Joe Paterno seems to be reinvigorated after last season and there doesn't appear to be any staff changes on the horizon. What Paterno did last season was delegate to his assistants and trust them. That was important for the Nittany Lions turnaround.

SCHEDULE SITUATION: Opening with Akron this season won't help prepare the team for the Sept. 9 game at Notre Dame. The good news is the Nittany Lions can start preparing for the Irish in August. Because Division I-AA Youngstown State is after Notre Dame. The schedule sets up very favorably early. After YSU, Penn State heads to Ohio State in a telling game. JoePa also get Michigan at home this season.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I tell them I don't think I can go much more than 10 years. It really doesn't come up much and that's a reflection on the quality of the staff. And the quality of the kids that are here and the program you have. The academic support people...when we bring kids in they spend time with them. The strength training coach. I think the quality of all the people around here have made it less important for them to know how long I'm going to be here. I think there's been less than of that." -- Coach Joe Paterno on how often he's asked during recruiting if he will be at Penn State.

STARS OF 2006: RB Tony Hunt -- A great deal of the offense will now fall on Hunt's shoulders during his senior season. He is a straight-ahead runner who has earned the respect of Big Ten defenses. LB Posluszny -- When he injured his knee during the Orange Bowl, believe it or not, it made Penn State a better team in 2006. Posluszny's return for 2006 was assured. What he has to do is recover and return as the same sideline-to-sideline player he was. These are sexy positions for stars, but another rock on this team is OT Levi Brown, a 6-5, 3224 pounder who's made 22 starts in the last 23 games.

TOP NEWCOMERS: QB Pat Devlin committed to Penn State after first committing to Miami. These kinds of last-minute decisions don't always work out, but if Devlin becomes the player most people believe he will, then this was quite a coup for Penn State. There is virtually no chance Devlin will play as a freshman on Paterno's team.