Amid Death Penalty Chatter, Bill O’Brien Can Look At Al Golden For Motivation

Remember not so long ago when the allegations jailed Ponzi scheme conspirator Nevin Shapiro leveled against Miami football set the standard for post-Pony Express misdeeds in college sports? First-year Hurricane head coach Al Golden entered a situation in December 2010 that appeared challenging, but nowhere near as cumbersome as it became in August 2011 when Yahoo! Sports investigative reporter Charles Robinson dropped the bombshell.

Payments to players. Lavish parties. Prostitutes and abortions. It was a salacious list that read like the sub-plot of an adult cable program.

The litany of charges against The U. were at the forefront of a summer scandal. Oregon’s recruitment of Texas high school running back Lache Seastrunk and Chip Kelly’s connection to Willie Lyles, as well as the Memorial Day resignation of Jim Tressel amid allegations of withholding information from the NCAA became afterthoughts. Things in Coral Gables looked bad enough to beg the question if Golden’s contract could be voided, which would allow Golden to pursue the future vacancy at his alma mater: Penn State.

There were so many reasons PSU made sense for Golden, and vice versa. There in the same commonwealth, he built a winner out of perpetually losing Temple, and he did so largely with area recruits.

Furthermore, Golden was a Nittany Lion tight end from 1987 to 1991, and briefly coached the position that made PSU, Linebacker U. His one season on the Lion sidelines was 2000 — the first without Jerry Sandusky as defensive coordinator.

When the molestation charges against Sandusky became common public knowledge in November, and university officials Tim Curley and Gary Schultz were accused of perjury, Miami’s troubles became miniscule by comparison. Sure, the NCAA will eventually hand down sanctions to the Hurricanes. They could be stiff, too. But the knee-jerk reaction of some to speculate the Death Penalty might be the decision rendered seems ludicrous now.

The Plan Z that the NCAA has instituted only once before has been bandied about frequently of late. There was a time when it was discussed in conjunction with Ohio State’s troubles, a laughable thought in retrospect. Then it was Miami’s turn. Now, discussion of PSU’s possible football penalties have turned, in some instances, downright rancorous. And Mark Emmert’s declaration it wouldn’t “be taken off the table” fuels the fire.

Makes one forget about The U., which surrendered its bowl eligibility last season as a sacrificial gesture to the NCAA.

Golden still has a monumental task at Miami. The program that at various times in the last three decades has been the forerunner for all college football is a long way from its past greatness. The ‘Canes dropped ACC games to 2-10 Maryland and 4-8 Boston College last fall, en route to a 6-6 finish.

This year’s roster is thin. Star running back Lamar Miller is gone, as well as four-year starting quarterback Jacory Harris. Miami’s top returning stars Ray-Ray Armstrong and Seantrel Henderson were rumored to be in hot water late last month.

The coming season should be another of struggles on the field, and looming punishment off it. But glimmers of sunshine are visible through the dark clouds, namely the recruiting Golden has done in his short time there. The 2012 Hurricane signing class ranked No. 9 nationally according to Rivals.com, and prominently features in-state talent.

Golden’s handling of pressure and challenges left on him at Miami is a blueprint for Bill O’Brien to follow at PSU. In terms of the on-field product, O’Brien might actually inherit a better situation. The Nittany Lions’ quarterback situation is bleak, a problem Golden faced. But PSU has its own talented tailback on which to build, like Miami. Silas Redd is among the Big Ten’s top returning ball carriers.

Defense is where PSU is likely to challenge. Ted Roof’s unit at Auburn last season was not exactly awe inspiring, but the Tigers were not as experienced as the returning players at PSU.

Talking about the quality of the 2012 Lion football team almost seems callous, given all the horrors now associated with the program. But O’Brien and his staff had nothing to do with those atrocities. Neither did the players. They’re tasked with a job though, and must forge ahead while bearing some of the brunt from others’ actions.

There will be uproar surrounding PSU football. That’s inevitable. And nothing is likely to overshadow the awful that occurred in State College — at least, one can only hope. Therefore, O’Brien has a more long lasting uphill climb ahead of him. But winning on the field and the recruiting trail will make the incline a little less steep. For Golden, a commitment from the university came as a reward for his commitment amid tumultuous times — he was given a contract extension through 2019.

Perhaps similar commitment to O’Brien is in order while he weathers a storm he didn’t create.