Judging from comments that have appeared on the Internet, many people are wondering what State Farm Insurance Co. really hopes to accomplish from its decision to pull its advertisements from Penn State University’s home football game broadcasts.

Meanwhile, many members of “Penn State Nation” are greatly and rightly angered by the insurer’s decision.

The company has alienated many people in the Penn State community — perhaps many more than it might have contemplated.

The insurer’s decision accomplishes nothing in terms of punishing former PSU assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, whose sexual abuse of young boys over a 15-year period has resulted in serious damage to the university.

But the State Farm decision does in effect punish current members of the Nittany Lions football team — players who had nothing to do with Sandusky’s unconscionable misdeeds.

And, neither did their Nittany Lions predecessors.

Penn State’s fault lies with important individuals who never should have allowed a coverup that enabled Sandusky to continue his crimes for so many years.

Rather than pulling its ads from PSU home football broadcasts to demonstrate its extreme disgust over what occurred at Penn State, State Farm would have done better by way of the following:

(1) Expressing revulsion about Sandusky’s crimes and the coverup but keeping the advertising intact, in recognition of the high-quality Penn State educational program and to show support to everything else that’s good about the university amid these troubling times.

(2) Accompanying that approach with a substantial contribution to a fund or program involved with detecting, preventing and treatment of child abuse — in addition to any that it might already routinely make.

Unfortunately, other companies reportedly are considering actions similar to State Farm’s, while others have announced that they’ll stick with Penn State in a show of support to its students and traditions.

Those who imitate State Farm’s action will, like State Farm, really accomplish nothing in the big picture. But those who don’t will help in the long healing process that’s ahead for the university.

The new Penn State leadership is making a determined attempt to fix what has been wrong at the university. That leadership should be given the window to do so, without outside forces adding to the school’s heartache and challenges.

By way of its past advertising support, State Farm has been a valued partner of the university, just like so many other companies and other entities.

The insurer should reconsider its decision.