ALTOONA, Pa. -- Bill O'Brien's first game as Penn State's head coach came against Ohio to open the 2012 season. And it was disappointing, with the Nittany Lions getting stunned by the MAC team, 24-14.
Things turned brutal the following week in what will always be known as the Sam Ficken game, when the kicker struggled mightily in a soul-crushing 17-16 loss at Virginia.
At that point, the entire world doubted Penn State football, which was coming off the Jerry Sandusky scandal and severe NCAA sanctions, and was pretty much left for dead by many people around the country.