The most certain way to understand the 2005 Penn State football season is this -- take it back to the raw materials from which it started and trace how it was built. In the nearly 14 months that lapsed between the conclusion of the 2004 season and Jan. 3, 2006, the remnants of a misdirected team were augmented and aligned, prepared and polished. Starting in late 2004, the bricks of this team's path were carefully laid in place, and it soon was proved that this craftsmanship would defiantly hold up even when placed under unprecedented stress. And, as a unified army of men, led by three resolute captains, marched down this road, it followed it all the way to its final destination -- a Big Ten championship and an Orange Bowl triumph.

Nov. 15, 2004 & Dec. 22, 2004

When one of Pennsylvania's finest signed on to the Nittany Nation, he kept working.

Justin King, of Monroeville's Gateway High School, announced in mid-November that he would be enrolling at Penn State and played an integral role in convincing other prep studs to come on board.

Christmas came early in State College when the nation's No. 1 ranked high school prospect, Eleanor Roosevelt High School's Derrick Williams, committed to Penn State on Dec. 22.

"Penn State is missing a piece of the puzzle," Williams said after he made his announcement. "Maybe it's cocky or whatever, but I think I'm that piece."

Even though he was not permitted to address potential recruits by name, Penn State coach Joe Paterno made it obvious that gaining the services of King, ranked No. 9 in the country by Rivals.com, and Williams would be a recruiting coup de grâce.

"I wouldn't care if we didn't get anybody else but those two kids," Paterno said.

Williams joined King and Paterno's efforts to put together a class capable of changing the program.

"Any other recruit I talk to I say the same thing. I say, 'Come to Penn State with me and let's take this sleeping Lion to the national championship,' " Williams said.

January 2005

This was the decision that Michael Robinson expected to be made much sooner. It was the final spring of his collegiate career, and Robinson was now the Penn State quarterback.

This came after he played jack of all trades as a receiver, running back, quarterback and punt returner over four seasons.

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno made the decision to put the ball in Robinson's hand instead of sophomore quarterback Anthony Morelli, whose lack of experience couldn't add up to his upside.

But no one could expect Robinson to be extremely sympathetic for Morelli. Not after he sat behind Zack Mills for most of his career. "I paid my dues," Robinson said last January.

Paterno's trust in Robinson was rewarded as he made the transition from being an athlete to being a quarterback during the Nittany Lions' 34-29 comeback victory against Northwestern on Sept. 24.

Paterno said Robinson and Derrick Williams are the main reasons Penn State was able to return to prominence. After Penn State's FedEx Orange Bowl victory, Paterno called Robinson one of the best players to ever play at Penn State.

May 11, 2005

On May 11, 2005, Michael Robinson, Alan Zemaitis and Paul Posluszny were elected the 2005 Penn State football captains by their teammates.

"I feel very, very confident in what we aspire to do this year," Zemaitis said in early July. "I'm not going to lay down until I get that."

The three captains saw to it that the team was in its best physical condition heading into summer practices. Zemaitis said that this summer was the first time he could remember every player passing his conditioning test administered at the start of camp.

Much has been made about the significance of turning around Penn State's program to restore Joe Paterno's legacy, but these three captains, with the help of a dedicated senior class, wanted it as much for themselves as they did for their 79-year-old coach.

Each captain led his teammates in his own unique way.

Robinson did it with his charisma and charm, so that his teammates believed him when he spoke. Zemaitis added an element of much-needed fierceness. The soft-spoken Posluszny chose to do most of his talking on the field.

All the results speak volumes.

Posluszny became the first Penn State junior to be elected captain since 1968, the year of Paterno's first undefeated season. Ironically, Paterno almost added another unblemished season to his resume.

Sept. 24, 2005

After three non-conference wins that failed to impress most of the Penn State nation, the first on-field sign that the Nittany Lions were a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten came on a day that they played maybe their worst game of the season.

Penn State sleepwalked through the first half and faced a 23-7 deficit against Northwestern on the road, before launching a comeback to pull itself close in the final minutes.

But with 1:39 left on the clock, and with the offense backed up on its own 15-yard line, facing fourth-and-15 and needing at least a field goal to win the game, the situation looked as ominous as the clouds that hung over Ryan Field.

Enter Isaac Smolko, who, after a Penn State timeout, cut across the middle of the field and caught a 20-yard pass that Michael Robinson squeezed just over the outstretched fingers of Northwestern linebacker Tim McGarigle.

"In practice, we hit [that play] every time," Robinson said. "Smolko gets it every time. He did a great job."

Robinson capped off the drive with a now legendary pass to freshman wideout Derrick Williams, who ducked a tackler at the 5-yard line and scored his first touchdown wearing blue and white. And in that second, the public's perception of the Lions began to change.

Oct. 1, 2005

Even after the gritty, albeit sloppy, win over Northwestern, Penn State needed a win over a big-time opponent to start getting some respect, and the following week's drubbing of Laurence Maroney and Minnesota did the trick.

Entering the game, the Nittany Lions were still a relative unknown, and some questioned whether Penn State's defense would be able to contain Maroney, who had been smacking around the conference in the early weeks of the season.

Maroney spent the week leading up to the game jabbering in the general direction of Penn State's defense, but he came to Beaver Stadium a Heisman candidate and left with only 48 yards on 16 carries.

"I told [the defense] today, maybe they're the best running team in the history of football, but not today," defensive coach Tom Bradley said. "Today we are the best defense in the country; I told them that before the game. I said, 'Just hang in there and he may be great, but not today.' "

The defense was great, but the offense also rang up 44 points on an overmatched Golden Gophers defense, proving that its resurgence from the doldrums of the previous season was for real.

The game was also notable because it included Michael Robinson's vicious knockout shot on Golden Gophers safety Brandon Owens, and it was the game in which the nation started to realize the type of leader that Robinson was.

Oct. 2, 2005

Finally, after the win against Minnesota, some people started to believe in the Nittany Lions.

Lots of people.

While State College prepared for the media blitz surrounding the clash between an undefeated Penn State team and an Ohio State team that had lost only to eventual national champion Texas, a hardy bunch of students started a trend that would blossom into a full-fledged mania.

By 6 p.m. on the Sunday following Penn State's win against the Golden Gophers, the first tents had been set up outside the student entrance of Beaver Stadium, and Paternoville had been founded.

"We weren't going to come up until Monday, but a friend called me and said people were up there already," freshman Mike Petry said around 11 p.m. that Sunday night. "We got on our bikes and rode over right away."

By the end of the week, the quaint little hamlet would grow into a densely populated tent city, complete with TVs, refrigerators and a banner that would eventually be signed by nearly every Nittany Lion player and coach. Even Woody Paige, ESPN TV personality and rock star journalist, dropped by to share some breakfast with the masses.

What would cause crazy behavior like this?

"It's as close as we can get to being on that damn team," freshman Brett Rhodes said.

Oct. 8, 2005

When the crew from ESPN's College GameDay descended on State College, the town practically shook in anticipation of the biggest game in Beaver Stadium in recent memory.

It did shake, literally, when Penn State knocked off the hated Buckeyes in dramatic fashion.

It was in this game that the "Zombie Nation" phenomenon was truly born. When the jaw-droppingly large sea of white began to bounce, Beaver Stadium quivered in a manner that was at the same time nearly unfathomable and extremely disconcerting, especially for Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, who was harassed by the crowd all evening.

Penn State's defense put in a sublime effort, physically beating up on the Buckeyes, protecting a small lead and setting the stage for an unbelievably dramatic finish.

With the game hanging in the balance and Ohio State driving for what would have been the game-tying score, defensive end Tamba Hali turned the corner on Ohio State tight end Ryan Hamby and set his sights on Smith.

"Once I defeated the guy, you know it was like a straight line to Troy Smith," Hali said. "I just picked up speed. He wasn't looking at me, and I just went all out."

Hali unloaded years of frustration on Smith's chest, knocked the ball loose and the game was over. Any doubters that remained were now convinced.

Oct. 15, 2005

The Nittany Lions' loss to Michigan was the lone low point in a season of unimaginable heights.

After a gutsy performance by Michael Robinson came up just short, and Mario Manningham caught the touchdown pass that sunk the Lions with a single second on the clock, Penn State's dreams of an undefeated season were dashed.

It was unknown how the Lions would react to the devastating blow, and some speculated that the season could slip into mediocrity. But Penn State continued its rise to the Orange Bowl.

After traveling to the airport in nearby Ypsilanti, Mich., in almost complete silence, the Lions were delayed by plane troubles that kept them in the terminal for almost three hours.

It undoubtedly made an already awful evening even more unbearable, but at the same time, the delay could have been a blessing in disguise.

"When we were going to the airport it was a pretty long silent drive, nobody was talking, guys were still stunned," Robinson said. "But as we were waiting, guys kind of got out of their little funk and started talking about Illinois and starting talking about, 'OK guys, we still have time to do something special here.' "

Nov. 5, 2005

"AZ will cry. Get a close shot of him. He will cry. Seriously, he will. I'm not joking. He's going to cry," Michael Robinson said of teammate Alan Zemaitis, before he and 24 other seniors played their final home game.

But, it was Robinson who emerged from the team bus a little bit misty-eyed and pumped his fist twice towards the gathered crowd -- the trademark Robinson salute.

First place in the Big Ten Conference was at stake as Robinson and the troops defended their home against Wisconsin, 35-14.

Robinson surpassed former Nittany Lions quarterback Kerry Collins' school record for total yards in a single season with 2,687 and one game still to play.

Defensive end Matthew Rice deemed Beaver Stadium "Heisman Hell" after the game, referring to the fact that Wisconsin's Heisman-Trophy-hopeful running back Brian Calhoun had been held to less than 50 yards on the ground against the Lions.

"If you ever have a day that everything just seems perfect, man, that day was today," Zemaitis said.

Nov. 19, 2005

Give Michigan State credit. On a night when the Spartans were looking to clinch a bowl game with a sixth victory, they refused to go away quietly.

But the Nittany Lions made more plays in the end, clinching their first BCS bowl berth and first Big Ten championship in 11 years.

The early spark came on a blocked punt by Donnie Johnson -- who also had an interception -- that led to Matt Hahn falling on the ball in the end zone for the game's first touchdown.

Then Michael Robinson and Tony Hunt went to work. Robinson hit Hunt on a 22-yard screen play that set up a 33-yard scoring run by Robinson.

The Spartans made a second-half surge, but by then it was too late. The Lion faithful showed up in full force. At certain times during the game, the visiting section was so loud, the Spartans had trouble running their offense.

Alan Zemaitis had the best statistical game of his career, intercepting three Drew Stanton passes.

"If you were a player on this team, you would understand that we went through hell," Zemaitis said after the game. "When we're losing, people point fingers at us saying we brought Penn State down. And these are the same players bringing Penn State back."

Dec. 4, 2005

Travel agents salivated, awaiting the announcement from the Bowl Championship Series that would make one bowl game the vacation destination of Penn State fans.

It wasn't going to be Pasadena, Calif. Southern California and Texas, the nation's only unbeaten teams, already clinched their slots in the Rose Bowl.

What about Tempe, Ariz.?

The Fiesta Bowl, with the first pick, took Notre Dame, a ratings coup but technically not the strongest available team.

It wasn't going to be Atlanta. West Virginia and Georgia, as champions of the Big East and Southeastern Conference respectively, were set.

All eyes looked further south to Miami, and Florida State already clinched one of two slots in the FedEx Orange Bowl with its upset of Virginia Tech in the ACC championship game.

Yes, it was the Orange Bowl. Joe Paterno vs. Bobby Bowden. A Seniors' Bowl.

Jan. 2, 2006

The only unpleasant noise in the Miami Beach Convention Center was the sound system itself. The microphone was scratchy, and the crowd was on the verge of recklessness. All that changed when Penn State football coach Joe Paterno walked to the front of the stage.

That's when about 10,000 Nittany Lion fans of all ages rose in decibels to give a thunderous ovation at a pep rally prior to the FedEx Orange Bowl.

Paterno worked the crowd as only he knows how. Though most could barely hear him, they loved every minute of it. After the pep rally, the celebration moved to Hollywood Beach, Fla., where the Orange Bowl organized a beach bash.

Blue and White dominated the affair in attendance. The Blue Band and cheerleaders provided entertainment, as did R&B and hip-hop star Ciara. The 18-year-old ended by saying it would all go down the following night on the football field.

We all know what happened from there.

Jan. 3, 2006

It was an almost-perfect way to cap off a season that was almost perfect.

With thousands of Penn State fans who made the trip to Miami looking on and screaming wildly, Penn State outlasted Florida State in a battle of attrition to win the 2006 FedEx Orange Bowl and secure its final ranking as the No. 3 team in the country.

It wasn't the Rose Bowl, and the Nittany Lions didn't win the national championship, but the 26-23 triumph was still a fitting end to a season that not many had thought possible.

"It's amazing, you know what I mean?" wideout Ethan Kilmer said. "I am happy for my teammates, for the coaching staff, for the fans and just from where we have come. We have come from such a long way, on such a hard road that it is unbelievable."

For much of the team, the Orange Bowl was the last time they would ever put on a Penn State jersey, but unlike in years past, this group of seniors can leave Happy Valley knowing that the program they helped rebuild against all odds will be left in capable hands.

"Nobody believed in us, we come in and go 11-1, win the Big Ten and then come here and win the FedEx Orange Bowl," Tamba Hali said. "I mean, you can't ask for more."