You are wrong about the impact. BOB did have to deal with the fact that there were lost scholarships as well as the transfers.
The second link below states that he was down to around 62 scholarship players on roster due to mass exodus.
Also, how about this blurb...
"With a host of freshmen redshirts, it is clear that OB is building for the removal of Bowl Sanctions, 2016 A.D. Those 14 kids, led by Christian Hackenberg – plus this year’s redshirts — will be seniors in 2016 and eligible to play in a bowl game. If O’Brien is around, there’s no question the Lions will go bowling."
Isn't 2016 the year that Franklin won the Big 10? Hmmm....
Now that sanctions-related departures from Penn State have likely slowed down for a while, it is probably about time to look at what's left. Let's take stock of the damage inflicted both on the 2012 and 2013 PSU squads.
www.sbnation.com
The Nittany Lions played only 52 players against Syracuse and 50 versus Central Florida. At 166 plays a game, the margin for error is already small anyway. But for PSU in The Sanction Error, it can truly be a Doggy Dogg World.
www.statecollege.com
The NCAA on Tuesday reversed course on one of the major sanctions against the Penn State football program when it announced the Nittany Lions will start getting back scholarships beginning next year and can return to full strength of 85 scholarships in 2016. Instead of being limited to 15...
www.altoonamirror.com