Before last season, the last time a Joe Paterno team had failed to finish a season with a winning record, Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

The time before that, Lyndon Johnson was the President.

That should provide you with a little perspective about just how successful the 74-year-old Paterno has been throughout his 36 years as Penn State's head coach.

And if history repeats itself, Paterno and the Nittany Lions will bounce back this year, just as they did in 1989 and 1967.

After a 5-6 campaign that included losses to Rutgers, Syracuse and Pittsburgh in 1988, the Nits rebounded the following fall by compiling a regular-season mark of
7-3-1.

Then, the Lions shattered all kinds of offensive records with a 50-39 win over BYU in the Holiday Bowl.

Paterno went just 5-5 as a rookie head coach in 1966, but the Lions were 8-2-1 a year later, finishing 10th in the national rankings.

So there's no good reason to believe why this season, which has Penn State coming off a 5-7 finish in 2000, should be any different, right?

Well, actually there are a few reasons.

The 2001 Nittany Lions are young, hungry and will tell you they have become closer as a team during the offseason. Penn State returns 37 letter-winners and should be strong in a number of areas, including the defensive line, running backs and receivers.

However, it's hard to argue that the talent level of this year's bunch is any greater than it was last year. In 2000, the Lions simply couldn't find ways to win, and this year's cast of opponents won't make it any easier for them.

Seven of Penn State's first eight opponents played in bowl games last year, four of them victorious. And the Lions won't have to wait long for their greatest challenge. Second-ranked Miami storms into town a week from tomorrow.

The Hurricanes will bring an outstanding offensive line, a seasoned quarterback and a deep, experienced secondary — three things the Lions are lacking — into a packed-to-capacity Beaver Stadium itching to prove they deserved a national title a year ago.

Penn State's next three home opponents are Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State, whom the Lions are a combined 1-6 against during the past three years.

So how can Paterno's troops avoid the first back-to-back losing seasons in their coach's career?

It can be done. Penn State arguably has the best group of running backs in the nation. Eric McCoo, Larry Johnson and Omar Easy provide the Lions with a perfect combination of speed, shiftiness and power.

The wide-receiving corps should be better as well. New coach Kenny Carter has instilled a more disciplined approach to the wideouts, and it appears that Eddie Drummond, whose eligibility was in doubt because of poor grades, will be able to play after all. Drummond, Tony Johnson and Bryant Johnson (no relation) give the Lions three big-play threats, and junior Steve Delich may surprise a few people.

New quarterback Matt Senneca should be steady if not spectacular at the helm, and senior tight end John Gilmore will be a reliable safety valve if Senneca gets in early trouble.

The strength of Penn State's defense is in the middle, where tackles Jimmy Kennedy and Anthony Adams and middle linebacker Shamar Finney will make it tough for opponents to establish an inside running attack.

However, Lions are uncharacteristically lacking depth at linebacker this season. The secondary is young and thin, and the offensive line has lost one starter to graduation and two to preseason injuries. The kicking game needs to make serious strides as well.

For the Lions to be successful in 2001, they'll have to establish the run and put together a few long drives that end in points, preferably touchdowns. The defense will need to be physical, opportunistic and must avoid giving up big plays. This is a formula that is a staple of Paterno-coached teams, but Penn State couldn't do it last season.

Maybe Paterno has a few tricks up his sleeve that we don't know about. Maybe the three new assistant coaches have thrown in some new wrinkles that will pay dividends. Or maybe the team will pull itself off the ropes and come together this season in a way it never could last year.

Just don't be surprised if history doesn't repeat itself.