November 28, 2003 - Joe Paterno has his team back on the right track. The Nittany Lions may have been the hottest item out there at the end of 2002. However, no more Larry Johnson at running back and replacements are needed up front on offense and defense. But all is well with Zack Mills at QB. His surrounding talent is not much different than what he has seen in his short Penn State career. So that may be good news to some extent. There were some key departures, especially on the defensive line. But Penn State has been about offense as of late. The knock on Coach Paterno's slip the last two years has been a lack of recruiting top talent. If that is the case, 2003 could be a little more difficult with the holes that need filling. Happy Valley should rest easy. The Lions have worked their way slowly out of the doldrums and are on course to be a major competitor once again. This team has the ability to finish with a 2-or-3-loss season or at the other end of the spectrum, with a 4-5-loss season. The difference may rest with Mills and coaches ability to fill in the gaps.