Penn State fans have been grumbling about this most unusual football schedule for months.

And they do have good reasons, including finances, convenience and opponent quality.Five straight home games for the first time in 70 years? Against these teams?But they also probably see it now more clearly than ever: This run of Buffalo, Rutgers, San Diego State, Army and Indiana is the best thing to happen to this team.Because when you combine problems with depth, experience, injuries and even talent at spots, these Nittany Lions, more than anything, need five weeks to grow. They need extra time to work out kinks, get healthy and gain confidence in a comfortable environment.You already see the positives of it on defense.Like how a promising front four continues to evolve into something much greater. It's become a foundation and strength of this entire team, one that can alter games by itself, not only because of talent but because of a depth almost no one owns.Overall, Bob Shoop's defense has more speed and athleticism than maybe ever at Penn State. But it's young and has become vulnerable to injuries at other places.That opening loss to Temple probably plays out much differently if middle linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White and outside linebacker Brandon Bell don't go down early. That changed the entire complexion of things.So, whether you appreciate it or not, these five home games against lesser lights have aided the recovery process moving forward. Would you want to play Alabama or Notre Dame, Ohio State or Michigan State, with both of your starting safeties on the bench now?That's what the Lions had to do against San Diego State, and what they might have to this week against Army. But that's doable.Meanwhile, that healthy and growing defensive line is picking up the slack more each week.Not only does Penn State have the best defensive tackle combination in the Big Ten and beyond, the Lions can rotate eight to 10 players up front."I think that's one of the better defensive lines we've played against for the last five or six years," San Diego State coach Rocky Long said. "Their front four is really good. And then when they went out, the four other guys they put in looked pretty darn good, too."Beyond that, there even is still time to grow and heal before the trip to Ohio State and the tougher Big Ten gauntlet to follow.Enough time to help the running backs?The Lions actually had promising depth there, too, before starter Akeel Lynch and super freshman Saquon Barkley were knocked out last weekend only minutes apart.Suddenly, depth on paper won't cut it. Redshirt freshmen Mark Allen, Nick Scott and Johnathan Thomas might be good enough some day, but they aren't ready now.The stunning ability of Barkley gives this struggling offense immediate hope and production while the rest of the unit works out its issues.But when will he be full-go again after an apparent ankle or foot injury?Is Lynch - not as explosive but certainly capable - gone for the season, as it might appear?If this was the situation in other years, against more elite competition - against most anyone on the road - Penn State would have lost this past weekend. Or the week after Temple.Don't know who will run the ball against Army and Indiana? At least that seems surmountable.Because, of course, a disjointed 3-1 team still fitting in all the parts, forced to overcome key injuries, still has a long way to go.It isn't a team to brag on right now.But if it didn't have this most unusual five-game homestand to help it, the win-loss record before Ohio State probably would look a lot differently than it will.It's hard to imagine how that would have helped this process.Certainly, it would have given fans so much more to grumble about.