The 2007 Penn State football season began with talk of a Big Ten title -- and perhaps a national title -- but most will remember it more for the off-field issues than what turned out to be a somewhat disappointing, but nevertheless solid, on-field season.

Penn State finished 9-4, beating Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl for the team's third consecutive bowl win. But off-the-field incidents marred the 2007 season, beginning with an apparent off-campus fight last spring and culminating with another fight, this time on campus, in November. In between, there were numerous other issues including underage drinking citations for three players, an alleged DUI for another and starting runningback Austin Scott's dismissal from the team following an accusation he raped another Penn State student.

In a program that has been marketed as one built on integrity, the season was a black mark for Joe Paterno, the champion of the "The Grand Experiment."

What may have been most disappointing is that, even after all the attention from the April fight and the underage drinking citations from the summer, the Nittany Lions continued to find themselves in trouble during the season. Furthermore, Paterno sometimes seemed more apt to brush the problems under the rug rather than deal with them. He ended what was supposed to be a season-long stadium cleanup midway through the season despite knowing his team had been involved in another fight.

The Penn State captains should have shown more leadership, stopping these incidents before they even started. More importantly, the players should have realized they are public figures, constantly under the scrutiny of adoring fans and media alike, and acted accordingly.

But while the off-field issues are unsettling and deserve attention, it'd be unfair to skip over the season's many positives.

Paterno was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.

Linebacker Dan Connor finished the year as Penn State's all-time leader in career tackles, winning the Bednarik Award, given to the nation's top defensive player.

Despite all his criticisms, quarterback Anthony Morelli will graduate as the only Penn State quarterback to pass for more than 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. And he has two bowl game victories to his name.

Rodney Kinlaw was a nice surprise, rushing for more than 1,000 yards, possibly giving himself a chance with an NFL team.

And there was the full-stadium White Out against Notre Dame, the brainchild of Penn State's marketing guru, Guido D'Elia.

It's unfortunate that the off-field incidents overshadowed some of the more positive achievements of the team. But with the season over, Penn State has two clean slates -- one for on-field performance and one for off-field performance.

Here's hoping for a return to success with honor in 2008.