Penn State on Wednesday entered the second day of remembrances and good-byes to their longtime coach, and longtime legend, Joe Paterno.

A day after Paterno's public viewing drew hundreds if not thousands to Penn State's campus, the Paterno family prepared to bury the man who did more than any other to put Penn State football--and Penn State University--on the map.

Thousands of Penn State students and fans lined the streets of State College to pay their respects as Paterno's hearse passed. Overhead, flags flew at half-staff. At the Joe Paterno statue near Beaver Stadium, the flowers and candles and letters kept piling up.

It was a truly surreal and impressive scene, and an amazing sign of respect from a university community to the man who served it for more than 60 years.

The good-byes will continue Thursday, when Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center will host a public memorial service for the long-serving coach. A complete sell-out is expected for the event. Which, given the events of the past two days, is hardly a surprise at all.

Despite all that has happened over these past two months, this much is clear: Penn Staters still respect, and still love, Joe Paterno.

Getty Images: Penn State is mourning the loss of coaching great Joe Paterno. (Getty Images)

The world has begun to say its good-byes to Joe Paterno.

Hundreds if not thousands of fans, well-wishers, former players and others gathered today to pay their respects to the man who did so much to build not only Penn State as a football program, but Penn State as a university as well, and in so doing crafted an unparalleled legacy.

The Paterno family arranged today's viewing, which was hosted at Penn State's Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, a facility that, quite fittingly, Joe and Sue Paterno helped build.

According to some reports, so many people lined up for the viewing that the wait at one point was at least three hours. The Centre Daily Times reported that the line for the viewing was more than a quarter-mile long.

Paterno died Sunday after a battle with lung cancer. The winningest college football coach of all time, he was fired in November in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal. But according to many Penn Staters--including, one can assume, many of those who paid their respects to him today--the old coach deserved a more dignified exit.

On Wednesday, a private funeral service is planned. Another public memorial, to be hosted at the campus' Bryce Jordan Center, is set for Thursday.

Photo: Thousands lined up to pay their respects to Joe Paterno. (Getty Images)

It's a sad and tragic end for a man who accomplished so much and impacted the lives of so many: On Sunday morning, legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno passed away at the age of 85.

Paterno, who was fired by Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal back in November, had been battling lung cancer.

The Paterno family issued a statement confirming his death. In it, they said his loss "leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled."

"He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

This is without question one of the biggest stories in college football history, and one that has only just begun to be told. Among the many pieces worth reading are the following:

• Prominent figures from around the college football world offer their remembrances and tributes to Paterno.

• The New York Times weighs in with a very well-done obituary.

• Longtime Harrisburg Patriot News columnist David Jones writes about his memories of Paterno.

• ESPN.com senior writer Ivan Maisel on Paterno's legacy, and why that legacy is bigger than just the Sandusky scandal.

• CNNSI writer Jack McCallum offers up a similar piece. He writes of Paterno: "He was not a perfect man, but he was a man who did more good than bad, someone who made a difference, someone who will be remembered."

Photo: Joe Paterno won 409 games and two national championships during his time at Penn State. (Getty Images)

Here's an honest question for you, folks: Do you really think the LSU Tigers will be able to recover--mentally, I mean--from that absolutely embarrassing beatdown they suffered at the hands of Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide back on Jan. 9?

Here's another honest question for you: Do you really think Notre Dame fans are happy with the Brian Kelly Era to date? Do you really think they are still buying in to this guy as the "right" guy to lead their lost-in-the-wilderness program?

Here's another: Do you really think that Bret Bielema will be able to retain control of the Leaders Division of the Big Ten now that Urban Meyer has taken the reins at Ohio State? Do you really think Meyer will not win big, almost from day one?

And, finally, here's another: What do you realistically expect from Bill O'Brien at Penn State? Ten-win seasons? Big Ten title runs? Or just, well, a couple years of middling results and relative college football normalcy?

These are big questions, folks. Big, big questions.

And we'll answer them here, in our first off-season edition of College Football Questions & Answers for 2012.

Enjoy. And let the debate begin.