Monday's announcement from the NCAA regarding Penn State was a big deal, and I was very happy to see it. In fact, I think the NCAA should have made the announcement a couple years ago.
The NCAA revealed on Monday that it would lift the bowl ban against Penn State this season and restore the school's full allotment of scholarships in 2015.
To me, the Jerry Sandusky case, which led to the sanctions against Penn State, was never put into proper context by the NCAA. It took a criminal case and made it into an NCAA case, levying a four-year bowl ban and cutting the school's scholarships, among other sanctions. In doing so, the NCAA punished Penn State players who decided to stay at the school even though they had a chance to transfer and those who would attend the school in years to come.
From the day that ruling was announced, I didn't like it for the way it punished those current and future players.
Penn State has done just about everything right in following the orders the NCAA laid out following the scandal, and I'm glad the Nittany Lions will have a chance to get back on even footing with their brethren in the Big Ten and the rest of college football.
The whole program will get an extra dose of excitement from knowing it has a chance to play in the postseason. That's a lot different from playing for pride and to be the spoilers. I don't expect Penn State to contend for a conference title just yet, but the team should compete for a spot in a bowl and it will be fun to watch the Nittany Lions play knowing that the postseason is a possibility for them.
Mariota, Oregon put key questions to rest
You can still ask questions about whether Marcus Mariota can win the big game and whether Oregon is tough enough, but Mariota and the team have answers for those questions coming off their win over Michigan State.
Mariota elevated his game to the level of a quarterback putting his team on his shoulders and he carried the Ducks in the second half against a tough Spartans defense. He might not be overly demonstrative or a guy that gives the fiery speeches, but the way he played against Michigan State, you couldn't help but feel his competitiveness.
He went off the charts as a competitor on Saturday. When Oregon fell behind in that game and Mariota was being harassed, hit and hemmed in, he never was flustered. People don't give him enough credit for his grit and toughness.
As for whether the Ducks are tough enough to hang with the most physical teams it will face this season (MSU and Stanford), I think they answered that question unequivocally.
Goal No. 1 has been accomplished for Oregon, and now the team can believe that Stanford -- a team built a lot like MSU -- won't get in its way like it has in past years.
Follow Charles Davis on Twitter @CFD22.
