Corbett back tracks on the firing of Joe Paterno

Outgoing Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett now says Joe Paterno should have been able to finish out the 2011 season instead of being fired.

In an interview Thursday, Corbett said Paterno should have been suspended for the final three games in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Instead, Paterno was fired mid-week just hours after saying he planned to retire at the end of the year.

At that time, Corbett strongly advocated for the firing.

Corbett's statement comes after the release of NCAA e-mails this week that show the organization tried to bluff Penn State into accepting sanctions.

Corbett was a key player in the Sandusky investigation, which began while he was Attorney General.