One one of the most vaunted and respected football programs in America, there i little doubt that Penn State's reputation has taken a serious hit in the past six months. Led by Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno for almost 50 years, the Nittany Lions were a perennial powerhouse and the little known school attracted some of the nation's best football recruits.  

The downfall was quick and ugly.  As reported by Fox Sports, It started with the allegations that Jerry Sandusky, a longtime coach and member of the Pennsylvania university had been sexually assaulting children both in private and on school grounds.  That incident led to the removal of Paterno as head coach.  The 83--year-old Paterno died from cancer less than five months after being removed from his job.

The latest allegation involves former Penn State defensive end Shawn Oakman who was charged with summary offenses of retail theft, harassment and disorderly conduct after campus police were called to a dormitory complex last month.

Three days after Oakman's arrest, the team had announced three days later that he was dismissed from the squad because of an unspecified rule violation. The 6-foot-9, 270-pound defensive end sat out last season as a redshirt freshman. He was considered a promising prospect from the Nittany Lions' 2011 recruiting class.

Could a theft class have prevented this from happening?  We never will know the answer to that question.  However, I have long been a proponent of more education.  Schools that invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in their student athletes would be wise to invest a few more dollars in both theft classes and alcohol classes.  Tim will tell if Penn State's football program will rise from the ashes of he current scandal.