The three major areas of concern heading into Penn State’s 2009 season – a rebuilt offensive line, revamped secondary and heavy graduation losses at wideout – all played a factor in the Nittany Lions’ 24-7 dud versus Ohio State last weekend.

But the biggest factor in the loss that knocked PSU out of the Rose Bowl hunt – special teams – wasn’t something that was even on the radar last summer. And, ironically, Penn State’s punt team was actually thought of as a strength, with returning punter, Jeremy Boone, who had all-conference ability.

Out of 120 football programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Lions rank near the bottom in net punting and defending returns. A blocked punt against Iowa was returned for a touchdown, providing the winning points in the Hawkeyes’ 21-10 triumph at Beaver Stadium. There was also another blocked punt at Michigan. And then a week prior to the OSU showdown, Penn State special teams were penalized twice for not having 11 players on the field against Northwestern.

The situation got even worse on Nov. 7, when the Buckeyes’ Ray Small broke loose for punt returns of 45 and 41 yards, setting up two of Ohio State’s three TDs.

“You knew this was going to be a field position game,” said OSU head coach Jim Tressel. “No one was going to drive up and down the field – it just wasn’t going to happen.”

But the punting woes gave the Buckeyes a short field, and they capitalized. Boone punted 10 times in the game, and seven were returned for 130 yards. Ohio State punted eight times, and just one was returned for zero yards (and was actually muffed but recovered by Graham Zug). That was a 130-0 edge, which is a lot in a battle between two solid defenses.

“Whoever wins the field position battle usually has the upper hand,” said safety Drew Asterino. “And we just couldn’t get control of that.”

During the post-game press conference, head coach Joe Paterno was asked if he needed to take a look at the way his program is doing things with the special teams. It was a thinly veiled question about the way Paterno chooses to set up his coaching staff.

Of the nine current full-time assistants on his staff, the special teams duties are split up five ways, with defensive line coach, Larry Johnson, handling the punt coverage team.

“We’ve done it this way before,” Paterno said. “I don’t know. We’ll obviously take a look at it. But I don’t know whether it’s a matter of changing things, maybe with personnel.”

But what if the problem isn’t with the personnel? – NEIL GEOGHEGAN.