Joe must go.

It's a catchy little phrase -- but a little too catchy as Penn State winds down another losing football season so uncharacteristic during the half-century of the Coach Joe Paterno era.

Paterno has been the face of football for not only the university, but also Pennsylvania in general, since anyone with less gray than color in his or her hair can lie about remembering. In most of our minds, his face has been metaphorically painted with blue and white; a short version of one of those guys in Braveheart.

Which is why it is unfortunate that critics have morphed from die-hard fans, beating down the image of JoePa until black and blue would make a better color scheme.

The losing seasons have had many fans looking to answer why. Many think that Joe's age is to blame, seeing him how Paul "Bear" Bryant was at the end of his career -- a shell of the awe-inspiring coach he once was, a man so inspiring and great in his prime that no one wanted to remember him having losing records.

And maybe they are at least partially right; most 77-year-olds really can't keep up with teenagers and 20-somethings week in and week out.

But those assumptions are too early to make about Paterno, a man for whom sports commentators measure sideline pacing by the mile and who keeps up with his assistants even if a game becomes salvageable late in the fourth.

Actually, it may be those assistants who are to blame. Or players who just don't play well, or just do not play well together. It's easy to blame the figurehead of Penn State football, when most people have little insight into the program.

Maybe it is the pressure from spoiled fans who expect perfection that is stressing out everyone just trying to play something that, believe it or not, is still just a game. As the collective gasp from that realization dies down from everywhere between Philly and Pittsburgh, everyone must realize that all possibilities may be to blame; no one really knows.

Those closest to the team will not call out Paterno; Paterno himself will not call out his assistants or his players. And nobody else can claim to know the logical explanation of anything when it comes to the team, no matter how much quarterbacking is done out of that armchair.

Something is definitely wrong, and fans have the right to be frustrated. But that is not a right to take it out on the most visible symbol of the program.

Even if he is the problem, the time, sweat and blood that JoePa has put into this program has earned him one thing above all else.

The benefit of the doubt.