The time has come to put it to an end.

Jerry Dunn started the season on thin ice and has since fallen through.

Saturday's disheartening loss to Wisconsin by 31 points should be the final straw. The Nittany Lions gave up 50 points in the first half to the slow-paced Badgers' offense. Are you serious?

There has not been one game in the Big Ten season where Penn State came out and was ready to play. In virtually every game, the Lions are faced with a double-digit deficit. Why can't they come out and be prepared for their opponent?

It's simple -- bad coaching.

In Wednesday's loss to Minnesota, the offense didn't run a play in the final six minutes. Who is to blame for that? Dunn must take responsibility to make sure the team can run a "set play," as he calls it.

It was very reminiscent of the end of games in 2000, when he would do the exact same thing, but the only difference is in that year, he had go-to guys like Joe Crispin and Titus Ivory.

With all of the recent debacles facing the Lions, it would be fitting to see Dunn released of his duties mid-season. But don't count on it, because it's not the Penn State way of doing things.

Replace him on an interim basis with either Christian Appleman or Mike Boyd. Heck, let the players coach themselves for the rest of the season, it couldn't get any worse than zero wins in the conference.

At season's end, pursue and hire Geno Auriemma.

There may some of you out there saying, "who?" Auriemma is the coach of the most successful basketball program in the country, Connecticut women's basketball. In 17-plus years at UConn, he has posted a record of 484-98, with three national titles, and is the only coach in Div. I to win 30 or more games for five consecutive seasons. Not to mention his team has won 59 straight games.

Many would ask why would he be interested in coaching men, and more specifically, Penn State?

On ESPN Radio Friday morning, Auriemma hinted that he might want to coach men's basketball.

In addition, he is a Pennsylvania guy, who went to college at West Chester.

There are many questions that people still have.

Could he switch from women's to men's basketball and be highly successful?

It's the same game. They are still playing basketball where the goal is to stop the other team and to put the ball in the basket.

The speed and physical play of the game is different, but that's not too difficult of an adjustment for a good coach to make. If there is one team in the women's game that plays at another speed it is definitely the Huskies.

Plus, Auriemma has already coached men's basketball from 1979-1981, when he coached boys' high school basketball at Bishop Kenrick H.S.

Can Auriemma co-exist with women's coach Rene Portland?

They haven't in the past, that's for sure. Portland and Auriemma would both have to put their enormous egos aside and support one another instead of attacking one another.

Can Auriemma's ego handle a few losing seasons while he rebuilds the program?

In his first season with the Huskies, he had a losing record (12-15), and in his second year Auriemma was just 14-13. He has shown that he can handle losing in the beginning.

Even with all the questions surrounding him and whether he can make it or not, his team will be well coached.

While Dunn proved once again Saturday that he could do no right and Auriemma proved the exact opposite. Auriemma's UConn team jumped out early over No. 1 Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium, leading at the half by 21.

Duke made a run in the second half and got as close as six, but Auriemma still ran an offense and didn't play stall ball. He called strategic timeouts during the Blue Devils' run and got in the face of his star, Diana Taurasi, for making bad passes.

He got a called for a technical foul while up 20 because he wasn't happy with the calls and had to be restrained.

Dunn remains relatively quiet and levelheaded on the sideline.

Hopefully, not for too much longer.