It's sad to think about, but if this shit-storm that was the Sadunsky scandal broke a year later, that's to say after Joe Pa died, Paterno's legacy would have gone untarnished. I don't think they would have drug him into it postmortem, or been able to prove anything if they tried.
I hate to say it, but Robb is right I think. He will be remembered for the ONE time he should have acted, and in fact he did, but he didn't do enough.
It's not fair, but the court of public opinion has crucified him already I fear.