Ranking Penn State football's 10 most important people of past 10 years

ALTOONA, Pa. -- Thursday marked the 10-year anniversary of Penn State hiring Bill O'Brien as head coach, and tonight, he will battle for a national championship as Alabama's offensive coordinator against Georgia. When you think back on all the things that have happened to the Nittany Lion football program since O'Brien's hiring on Jan. 6, 2012, it's nothing short of remarkable how much things have changed.

Penn State was sorting through the fallout of the Sandusky scandal and would receive severe NCAA sanctions, leading many people to believe the football program would collapse and be irrelevant for a long time. But that never happened, as Penn State football navigated the tumultuous times about as well as anyone could have imagined.

Looking back on it now, here are my rankings of Penn State football's 10 most important people of the past 10 years.

1. JAMES FRANKLIN

To be honest, when I started thinking about these rankings, my initial plan was to put Bill O'Brien in the top spot. Because if he hadn't kept the ship afloat under unbelievably difficult circumstances, then you can make the case that the incredible resurgence which began under Franklin four years later never would have occurred.

The cause and effect component cannot be overstated.

Nevertheless, to look back at what Franklin accomplished from 2016-19 in turning the Lions back into a national power, that achievement, to me, warranted putting him in the No. 1 position. I'm not certain I'm right, and if you disagree, feel free to say so in the comments.

Absolutely no one would have believed entering the 2016 season that the Lions would win a Big Ten championship that would serve as a springboard to four consecutive years of being a top-10 caliber program.

Penn State went 11-3 in 2016, followed by 11-2 in 2017, 9-4 in 2018 and 11-2 in 2019. They made three New Year's Six bowl appearances in four years, won two of those and played in one of the most epic Rose Bowls of all time in a close loss to USC. Had the College Football Playoff field been 12 teams, which it probably will be in a few years, then the Lions would have made it four straight years.

Franklin has struggled the past two seasons, going 11-11. There are big concerns in the program right now, and it's quite possible the coach has already peaked at Penn State. All of that is why I have been consistent in my criticism of the school for giving him a new 10-year contract.

Nevertheless, Franklin's terrific four-year run beginning in 2016 re-energized the fan base and raised expectations back to the level they had always been at prior to the scandal. It's certainly feasible that Franklin has fallen victim to his own success, meaning he turned things around so quickly and unexpectedly that it raised expectations too high too soon, given that Penn State still had a lot of internal issues it would need to address with regards to infrastructure and total commitment to keeping up with the Joneses in the college football arms race.

But to short change in any way what Franklin accomplished in resurrecting the program the way he did would be foolish and unfair. He pulled off a minor miracle in 2016, then sustained much of that momentum for three more years.

2. BILL O'BRIEN

He saved Penn State football after the scandal. Anyone who doesn't agree with that or doesn't understand it to the fullest extent is just plain missing the boat. Even now, as I'm typing this, I'm still debating in my head if that should have made him No. 1 on my list. That's what makes these kinds of rankings and debates interesting.

The program didn't just need a good football coach after the scandal. It needed the perfect leader to guide everyone through the hellish nightmare that was to follow. O'Brien turned out to be just that leader, and also proved to be a terrific football coach, as well.

Perhaps the No. 1 thing he did was to help convince the bulk of the players to stick around for the 2012 season. Some guys transferred out, which was to be expected, but O'Brien's leadership and approach set a foundation with everyone that he could be trusted and was the right guy to get them through the terrible ordeal.

Penn State had enough good players coming back in 2012 to believe the team could be OK, as opposed to terrible, which was the prevailing feeling around college football from those who didn't know the roster all that well. O'Brien led the Lions to an 8-4 record in 2012 and was named the Bear Bryant national coach of the year, a testament to the incredible amount of respect he had earned from everyone for the unbelievable job he did. Calling his team a bunch of "fighters" -- which hilariously sounded like something different -- after beating Wisconsin as 24-point underdogs to close the season was the perfect way to end that memorable year.

O'Brien went 7-5 in 2013, then left for the NFL. Some Penn State fans were angry then and still are angry to this day that he departed after only two years. But O'Brien did more in those two years than just about any other coach possibly could have, and for that, he should always be revered by the fan base.

By the way, this clip is NEVER not funny. I laughed out loud for 20 seconds just posting it here.

3. JOE MOORHEAD

The single most important hire of Franklin's career. Moorhead brought the perfect offensive system with him in 2016 and, in my opinion, was the biggest reason why Penn State won the Big Ten that year.

We didn't fully realize it at the time, but that Lions team was absolutely loaded with talent -- Saquon Barkley, Trace McSorley, Chris Godwin, Mike Gesicki, DaeSean Hamilton. Wow, what an offense. And Moorhead's system managed to capitalize on all of those guys' talents to create a highly potent, entertaining offense that could score from anywhere on the field.

I believe Franklin owes his career to Moorhead. Because if Penn State would have continued to struggle in 2016 after losing at Pitt and then the 49-10 debacle at Michigan, there's no telling what would have happened to Franklin. Athletic director Sandy Barbour was already on record saying the school would stick by Franklin, but that might have lasted only another year or so unless things got turned around.

Moorhead helped turn things around as much as anyone else. Penn State became unstoppable and then won the Big Ten title at least two or three years ahead of even the most optimistic projections.

Moorhead stayed one more year, then left to become head coach at Mississippi State.

4. SAQUON BARKLEY

I went back and forth on this one between Barkley and Trace McSorley, the two catalysts of the outstanding 2016 offense.

I've always felt McSorley carried a bigger burden on the offense as the quarterback and actually was more responsible for the great success than Barkley was that year. But there are two reasons I ultimately ranked Barkley ahead of McSorley.

First, Barkley truly was a transcendent talent in college football and Penn State history. I've often said he's the best football player and athlete I've ever covered in person, and he certainly was very special. He was a superstar at Penn State, a household name in the sport, and that kind of impact made him a huge part of the program's success both on and off the field.

Second, one of the reasons McSorley and everyone else on offense could have so much success was that opposing defenses had to spend so much time focusing on Barkley that it opened up so many things for everybody else. So in that regard, Barkley's mere presence made the offense successful, even as a decoy when necessary.

5. TRACE MCSORLEY

The ultimate gamer, man. Just a tough dude with an incredible will to win. Once McSorley figured out when to run in 2016, the Penn State offense became sensational. That was a great passing offense, and when the QB became a threat with his legs, as well, teams just couldn't stop the Lions.

Here's one of the most important plays of that season, a 26-yard run by McSorley to set up a tying field goal against Minnesota that forced overtime. If the Lions don't win that game, there would be no Big Ten title that year.

McSorley holds Penn State passing records for yardage in a career and a season, plus touchdowns in a career and a season. He led the team to back-to-back New Year's Six bowl games and will always be a Penn State legend.

6. MARCUS ALLEN AND GRANT HALEY

Cheating a little bit here with two guys, but it should be obvious why. The single greatest play in Penn State history, in my opinion, and the miracle play that led the Lions to the 2016 Big Ten title.

7. MICHAEL MAUTI

The undisputed leader of the famous 2012 team, and perhaps the greatest leader in the history of the storied program.

The linebacker epitomized leading through adversity, serving as the primary spokesperson for the team after the scandal. When the adults running Penn State couldn't bother to go on camera and talk about the terrible things going on and the tough times in the football program, Mauti and the players were forced to carry that burden.

Mauti's determination in standing by the program, keeping the team together and his focus in leading others was then and still is phenomenal.

8. CHRISTIAN HACKENBERG

Such a fascinating story with the quarterback, who stuck by his commitment to Penn State during the scandal. That decision at that time, by an elite QB recruit, undoubtedly paved the way for other prospects to stay interested in Penn State. The value of Hackenberg's decision certainly helped the Lions attract talent, which gave the program some solid footing in the years after the scandal.

Hackenberg had an up and down career at Penn State, playing well and showing good skills at times, but also being inconsistent and never fully living up to the hype.

He should always be respected for sticking it out at Penn State for his entire career, including after Bill O'Brien left and was replaced by James Franklin.

At the same time, it's hard not to wonder what might have happened to Hackenberg had he transferred and played in a system with a better offensive line and more suited for his skills. He stayed at Penn State and, for all intents and purposes, became a broken quarterback with all the other problems the Lions had.

The irony, therefore, is unmistakable. Hackenberg deserves respect for sticking with Penn State, but that decision ultimately hurt his football career.

9. MATT MCGLOIN

How can you not love this guy? He went from a zero-star recruit who walked on at Penn State to becoming an NFL starting quarterback. That's just insane, if you think about it.

The reason McGloin is on this list is because he was the quarterback of the 2012 team that went 8-4, won O'Brien the national coach of the year award and helped Penn State stay afloat immediately after the scandal. He threw for 3,271 yards in 2012 with 24 TDs and five interceptions.

Without McGloin's success, who knows what might have happened to that 2012 team. And beyond.

10. DAVE JOYNER AND SANDY BARBOUR

it's probably going to upset some fans having Dave Joyner on this list, because he didn't exactly ingratiate himself with everyone as Penn State's athletic director from late 2011 to 2014.

But no one should overlook this simple fact: Joyner is the AD who hired by O'Brien and Franklin. Whether you liked the guy or not for how he handled everything after the scandal, he was responsible for two grand slam hires during extremely trying times. Oh, and he previously had served on the search committee that hired Cael Sanderson as the wrestling coach.

As for Barbour, she didn't hire Franklin, but she remained committed to him during the tough times early on in his tenure. She went to bat for him with a vote of confidence after the 2016 loss at Michigan, and that confidence was rewarded.

Barbour has been a huge part of the process that is counted on to lead Penn State forward, with massive spending projects and keeping up in the college football arms race. She's at the forefront of fundraising and decision making, all of which will be vital to the program's success in the coming years.

The belief here is that Barbour did not have to give Franklin the new 10-year contract, because when he finally signed it, there simply could not have been a hot market for his services given Penn State's on-field struggles. So I believe Penn State wound up bidding against itself for Franklin, when it could have just stood pat with the four years he still had left on his previous contract.

Barbour's legacy, therefore, will be tied to how well Franklin does in the coming years. If he succeeds, then she will be viewed even more favorably. But if Franklin continues to struggle and the school gets saddled with his lengthy contract and an expensive buyout, then some blame will fall on her shoulders. Her contract runs until late 2023, and it remains to be seen if she'll stay on beyond then or retire.

PODCAST: It's already been a busy offseason for Penn State. We take a look at all that's happened so far, what will be coming up soon and discuss some Nittany Lion basketball, as well.