From the win at Michigan State up until New Year's Day, the Nittany Lions' season was probably best defined as, "Yes, they won 10 games, but..."
How times and perceptions have changed.
Through the first five years of the 2000s, Penn State posted four losing seasons and went just 26-33. Joe Paterno, the face of the program, appeared to be nearing the end of his run.
But then the calendar turned to 2005 and the Lions started winning -- very frequently.
Off-the-field issues with players and even injuries to Paterno sometimes overshadowed games despite the now 83-year-old's return to success on the gridiron. Paterno brushed off the past off-field concerns after this season.
Still, the numbers alone are impressive. Since the start of the '05 season, Penn State has gone 51-13, won four bowl games
and finished in the top-10 three times.
"We've won 50 games in the last five years," Paterno said on Dec. 31. "We've been a good football team, whether we've been a great football team or not, that's somebody else's opinion to make."
This season, the Lions started in the top-10 in both major polls and had the return of stars Daryll Clark and Sean Lee.
But for the first time since 2004, Penn State lost multiple home games. This time, both defeats came by double-digits as the Lions didn't earn a victory against a ranked foe until they topped LSU in the Capital One Bowl. The loss to Iowa ultimately ended Penn State's BCS hopes as the Hawkeyes earned the at-large bid. The other "L" came to Ohio State and ended hopes of making it back to the Rose Bowl.
But for a team that made a winning season a rare occurrence in the first part of the 2000s, it certainly came a long way for a two-loss season to raise questions of whether it was a disappointment.
No one knows what the next decade has in store for Penn State. But Paterno shows no signs of slowing down and his program has been basically as consistent as it's ever been.
"The tradition continues," former running back Curt Warner said. "It's one of the traditions Penn State has been able to do for the past couple of decades."
Season to Remember
Offense: Daryll Clark
The senior signal caller not only ended his career with a big-time win against an SEC foe, but he also became the first Penn State quarterback to top 3,000 passing yards in a season. His 5,742 career pass yards rank third in Penn State history.
Defense: Navorro Bowman
Despite an injury, Bowman made his final season in the blue and white a memorable one, headlined by two defensive touchdowns.
Season to Forget
Offense: Brett Brackett
Out of the returning receivers from last season, Brackett ranked second in receiving yards behind only Graham Zug. But Brackett didn't break out of the negatives in yards until his 18-yard catch against Indiana.
Defense: Knowledge Timmons
The senior cornerback started the first six games of the season before losing his starting role to A.J. Wallace and playing time to freshman Stephon Morris.
Did you Notice?
With his 86 tackles this season, including six in the Capital One Bowl, senior linebacker Sean Lee posted 325 in his career. That leaves him ranked fourth in school history. ... Penn State has posted 11-win campaigns the last two seasons. The last time Penn State won 22 games combined in consecutive years was 1993-94.
Extra Point
Penn State's 51-13 record since 2005 is tied with West Virginia for the seventh-best in the nation.
Quotable
Paterno, on the game clock stopping in the second quarter of the Michigan game: "I don't know who the clock operator is, but if he was the same guy that was here in 2005 ..."
