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USA Today provided further analysis of its coaching salary information this week, after offering up the information for the Big 12's highest paid head coaches earlier this season. Here's a look at that list.

But what about the assistant? Their salaries are certainly not created equal. Here are the Big 12's highest-paid assistants for the 2010 season. Just as in the head coaching salaries, none of these figures include possible bonuses, which are listed on USA Today's chart. These numbers include just base salaries, both from university and non-university sources.

• Will Muschamp, defensive coordinator, Texas -- $907,000
• Greg Davis, offensive coordinator, Texas -- $477,084
• Brent Venables, defensive coordinator, Oklahoma -- $449,000
• Kevin Wilson, offensive coordinator, Oklahoma -- $445,000
• Tim DeRuyter, defensive coordinator, Texas A&M -- $400,000
• Shawn Watson, offensive coordinator, Nebraska -- $380,000
• Carl Pelini, defensive coordinator, Nebraska -- $375,000
• Joe DeForest (special teams/safeties), Bill Young (defense), Dana Holgorsen (offense), Oklahoma State -- $360,000
• Neal Brown, offensive coordinator, Texas Tech -- $355,400
• James Willis, defensive coordinator, Texas Tech -- $353,400

Again, you can see the full list here.

A few notes from those numbers:

• Muschamp was the nation's highest-paid assistant in 2009 by nearly $150,000, right above Alabama offensive coordinator Kirby Smart. No other Big 12 assistant was in the top 13.
• Interesting to note that three of the top four highest-paid assistants won't be back in 2010. Muschamp (Florida) and Wilson (Indiana) took head coaching jobs, and Davis resigned.
• That leaves Venables as the league's highest-paid assistant, and it's come with plenty of tenure. Next year will be his 13th season as at least co-defensive coordinator for the Sooners. He's been defensive coordinator since 2004.
• DeForest is the only non-offensive or defensive coordinator to crack the list, but he's also an associate head coach, and got nibbles from Louisiana-Lafayette, his alma mater, for its head coaching vacancy this offseason.

Additionally, three schools from the Big 12 made the top 10 for highest paid assistant coaching staff. See the full list here.

No. 3: Texas -- $3,032,820

No. 6: Oklahoma -- $2,744,300

No. 9: Oklahoma State -- $2,535,000

There will be plenty of eyes on the end of Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry in the Big 12 Championship game on Saturday, but expect Youngstown, Ohio, to draw a high share of TV ratings.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops share the hometown, graduating from Cardinal Mooney High School seven years apart.

Stoops' father, Ron Stoops, also coached both Bo Pelini and his brother, defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, at Cardinal Mooney.

"It’s a long relationship, of course. Both families, not just us. We’re both from large families. Brothers, sisters, we’re all intertwined, all friends, all went to school together," Bob Stoops said. "Our parents were good friends, so just very close family friends and of course through coaching, we’ve been around each other."

Bob Stoops and Carl Pelini have spent plenty of time together. In 1989, Pelini made the move from Cardinal Mooney to come on as a graduate assistant at Kansas State. Stoops coached defensive backs under Bill Snyder on the team, and opened his door for Pelini to live with him ... for awhile.

"Really, a long while," Stoops said.

Friendly rivalries aside, Stoops says personal pride won't play a factor on Saturday night, when the two coaches cross paths for the last time in the foreseeable future. They enter the game with a 1-1 record against each other -- making Saturday a proverbial rubber match.

"I don’t look at it that way. The good thing, one of us is going to win a Big 12 Championship, but there’s nothing whatsoever personal about it," Stoops said. "It’s teams it’s programs, that there’s so many different people involved with it, that that doesn’t really play into it for me."

Stoops says he has a feel for how the Pelini brothers operate, but plenty's changed since Bo Pelini last worked under Stoops, as the co-defensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 2004.

"You really know a team’s personality by watching them play so many games, and we break each other down with watching all the games that I don’t know that it’s a big deal, having coached with someone before or not, having a relationship with them," Stoops said. "In the end, we’ve been apart here for a good number of years. You evolve, you tailor your offense, your defense to your personnel, so you kind of evolve as you’re away from each other in different ways."

Stoops' brother, Mike Stoops, is the head coach at Arizona, and his other brother, Mark Stoops, is the defensive coordinator at Florida State, who Oklahoma beat earlier this year.

"I never envisioned, or had an idea, I'd be at Oklahoma or that how ironic it would be for Bo to be at Nebraska," Bob Stoops said. "I was very fortunate, as Bo was, to be around a lot of excellent coaches in our high school, a lot of great men that my father worked with that were around every day, that were very strong character guys that we got a chance to be around every day because my father had us around whenever we wanted to go to practice, had us around the locker rooms, and so we were fortunate to have been molded, without knowing it, around a lot of good people."

Three weeks ago, the idea of Nebraska losing to Colorado was almost unthinkable.

Suddenly, it's a very real possibility with a probability that only rose with the team's announcement that leading receiver Niles Paul will miss the Huskers final Big 12 regular season game with a foot injury, and his status for the rest of the season is within doubt.

Only two Nebraska receivers have more than 13 catches this season, and Paul leads the team with 39 grabs for 516 yards and a touchdown. He's also one of the team's fastest players and an explosive kick returner who returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Oklahoma State. For the offense, that means Brandon Kinnie will need to play well, but outside of tight end Kyler Reed and converted tight end Mike McNeill, the Huskers are short on reliable receivers. Curenski Gilleylen will likely replace Paul at the "Z" receiver position.

Taylor Martinez has been limited in Nebraska's last two games with a sprained ankle, and the Huskers running game, one of the nation's best earlier in the season, has suffered as a result. He's expected to be available on Friday, but it's doubtful he'll be anywhere near his usual self after re-injuring the ankle last week in a loss to Texas A&M when lineman Mike Caputo stepped on his foot as a tried to make a move.

So as much as other receivers will have to fill Paul's void, the real onus for beating Colorado will fall on the shoulders of the offensive line and running backs Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead. Nebraska didn't use much of its Wildcat formation with Burkhead taking the snap against Texas A&M, but with Martinez gimpy and Paul out, it'd be surprising if the formation that was so effective when Martinez sat against Iowa State isn't a big part of Nebraska's game plan.

It's not ideal, but thanks to those injuries, a Colorado upset is a real possibility. Questions about Pelini's sideline behavior and an incident with a cameraman involving defensive coordinator Carl Pelini have provided distractions that may or may not have an effect on what we see from Nebraska this week. At the very least, after conversations with athletic director Tom Osborne and chancellor Harvey Perlman, I'd expect to see a more docile Bo Pelini roaming the sidelines.

The penalty discrepancy (16-2 in favor of Texas A&M) last week has provided more talking points and motivation for Nebraska, but against a surging Colorado team that's found new life under interim coach Brian Cabral and is one win away from bowl eligibility, getting the win won't be easy.

Few thought that would be the case only a few weeks ago.

Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini was involved in a post-game incident with a reporter from TexAgs.com, a Texas A&M fan site, that ended with the eyepiece of the reporter's camera broken, but it didn't sustain any serious damage.

Huskers coach Bo Pelini said on Monday his brother was helping a player get off the field, but his explanation was contradicted by photos from the scene. Carl Pelini offered an explanation for the inconsistency in his statement.

Here's the full text of Pelini's apology:

"I apologize for the events that occurred after Saturday night’s game at Texas A&M. It was a very emotional situation and the mob scene on the field after the game amplified that. Having been involved in a similar situation in 2003 at Missouri, and in witnessing the situation on the field, I made a poor decision in trying to prevent a reporter from recording the scene. I have acknowledged this from the very beginning. Unfortunately, in trying to prevent a scene, I created one. We have been in contact with Brandon Jones and I have apologized to him directly for putting my hands on his camera. I offered to pay for any damages to the camera, but Brandon indicated there were none.

"Unfortunately, Bo did not have all the facts prior to yesterday’s press conference and wasn’t fully prepared for the question. Hopefully, this statement will erase all doubts about the situation and allow everyone to put it behind us. Again, I apologize for any negative publicity this has caused for our football program, Athletic Department and the University of Nebraska."

UPDATE (5:10 p.m.)

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne released a statement on Tuesday evening regarding Bo Pelini's sideline behavior in Saturday's game:

"Bo and his staff have done some very fine things in the three years he has been at Nebraska. The players have done very well academically, the off-the-field behavior has improved considerably and team chemistry, and unity of purpose have been exceptional. Our team has been well-prepared and played with intensity every week. Bo and his staff have turned the football program in a very positive direction.

"It is important that people maintain a sense of perspective and balance concerning the football program in view of the events of last Saturday. Bo has indicated that events such as those will not happen again. I take him at his word, and agree that it is very important that going forward we do not see a recurrence."

You see, Ted, when you left last night, you changed the course of human blitztory.

• Missouri receiver T.J. Moe isn't shy about hiding his disdain for Kansas, reports Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star.
• Colorado's Brian Cabral is living out his dream as the new interim head coach of the Buffaloes.
• Texas A&M literally set fire to everything associated with the Missouri loss to help key off its hot streak since, writes Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Omaha World-Herald broke down all 16 penalties against Nebraska.
• Has the sleeping giant finally awakened? Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman asks: Can Texas A&M become the new Texas?
• Austin Meek of the Topeka Capital-Journal tries to figure out the reasons behind K-State's struggling run defense.
• Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon spent Monday with his ankle in a boot and walking on crutches, reports Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World.
• Iowa State is disappointed with its season's end, but there are bright times ahead.
• Texas players have no doubts about their abilities to beat Texas A&M on Thursday.
• Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez showed up to practice on Monday with a boot on his left foot after re-injuring his right ankle against Texas A&M.
• Nebraska's story about a post-game run-in between defensive coordinator Carl Pelini and a cameraman appear to contradict video and photo evidence, reports Mitch Sherman of the Omaha World-Herald.
• Expect to see plenty of motivation for Saturday's game between Texas Tech and Houston, writes Adam Zuvanich of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• Want a ticket to Bedlam on Saturday? Here's a look at what it's going to cost you to get in to one of the most anticipated games of the season.

Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller's ugly evil twin/uncle says hello.

• Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini could have left Lincoln for Tennessee this offseason. He did not, because he sees something special in Year 3 at Nebraska, writes Steve Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star.
• Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma all have one of the nation's top 12 best secondaries, according to Rivals.com. But in what order?
• New starting quarterback Brandon Weeden is feeling more and more comfortable in Oklahoma State's new offense, reports Brandon Chatmon of The Oklahoman.
• It's still waiting to be finalized, but Nebraska could be getting a former blue-chip tight end recruit from Washington via transfer.
• Episode 2 of "The Gridiron," Kansas' produced online show highlighting preseason camp, is up. Very, very cool look inside a program. High-quality content other schools should duplicate.
• DeMarco Murray is still waiting for his big year. Is now, his senior season, the time? Mike Sherman and Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman weigh the chances.
• Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star runs down the changes on Missouri's latest depth chart.
• Bo Pelini sounds pleased with his team heading into the season, a change from the norm of his first two seasons. That's a good sign for the Huskers, writes Jon Nyatawa of the Omaha World-Herald.
• Texas lost a tight end for the year on Tuesday and receiver Greg Timmons suffered a neck injury but is expected to return during the season, reports Alan Trubow of the Austin American-Statesman.
• New Texas A&M linebackers coach Dat Nguyen is impressing his inside linebackers, who have to lead the Aggies defensive improvement, writes Brent Zwerneman in the San Antonio Express-News.
• Kansas' situation at running back is complex, but the Lawrence Journal-World's Tom Keegan tries to demystify it.
• Philip Blake, who started last season at right tackle, is taking on the job of replacing All-American J.D. Walton at center, writes John Werner of the Waco Tribune-Herald.

Only two Big 12 teams made the bracket for our NFL pipeline project this week, Oklahoma State and Nebraska. But ESPN Insider Chris Sprow took a closer look at the data, breaking down the production by decade.

Though the Sooners didn't make the overall bracket, if we had limited it to NFL production in the 2000s, Oklahoma would have been No. 5. They can thank safety Roy Williams, running back Adrian Peterson and defensive lineman Tommie Harris. Those three combined have been to 11 of Oklahoma's 14 total Pro Bowls this decade.

Mel Kiper also forecasted who will rise to the top in the coming decade. The Sooners topped his list after placing three players in the top four of this year's NFL Draft and sending another first rounder into the league in tight end Jermaine Gresham.

"We have to call them the clubhouse leader for this current decade, because remember, they have three of the top four picks of the first draft of the decade in Sam Bradford, Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams," Kiper wrote. "There's got to be a few Pro Bowls in that group."

Nebraska's strong defensive presence on the field and sideline put the Huskers on Kiper's four-team list of "sleepers."

"Ndamukong Suh could rack up multiple Pro Bowls, and Bo and Carl Pelini could keep churning out defensive talent year after year," Kiper wrote.

• The speculation of Texas to the Big Ten is comical, writes Lee Barfknecht.
• (Not everyone, though, thinks it's such a crazy idea.)
• In case you haven't heard, it's a good day to be a Pelini, as brothers Carl and Bo both received mad cash for their efforts last season.
• Former Tulsa and Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe will join the staff of Texas A&M as the passing game coordinator.
• Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads is hoping to hire a new assistant within a week.
• How does Colt McCoy stack up with previous Davey O'Brien winners? Check it out.

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne rewarded football coach Bo Pelini with a raise and contract extension on Monday for his breakthrough 2009 season. The Cornhuskers finished 10-4 in ‘09 and came within an eyelash of winning the Big 12 championship and playing in a lucrative BCS bowl game.

More than anything else, though, Osborne rewarded Pelini for bringing stability back to Nebraska. And few men know consistency as much as Osborne, who led the Cornhuskers to 25 consecutive bowl games and won at least nine games in each of his 25 seasons on the sideline.

It's a smart move by Nebraska. Pelini has brought respectability back to one of college football's traditional powers in only two seasons. Osborne didn't get ahead of himself by locking up Pelini to a lifetime contract, either. As good as Nebraska's defense has been the past two seasons, the Huskers still have a long way to go on offense.

Whether Pelini and his staff can shore up their team's pedestrian offense will determine whether Nebraska can compete with more established Big 12 programs such as Texas and Oklahoma on an annual basis. While Nebraska's defense kept the Huskers in most of their games last season, its offense wasn't good enough to beat teams like Virginia Tech, Iowa State and Texas.

But Pelini certainly deserved the extension and raise he received on Monday. His contract was extended one year through the 2014 season, and his annual salary was bumped to $2.1 million. Pelini will be the fifth-highest paid coach in the Big 12 Conference next season, trailing Texas' Mack Brown ($5.1 million), Oklahoma's Bob Stoops ($4.3 million), Missouri's Gary Pinkel ($2.5 million) and Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy ($2.2 million).

Pelini also was given a retention bonus, which will pay him an additional $500,000 if he's still coaching at Nebraska on Jan. 31, 2015.

Overall, Nebraska increased the salaries of its football coaching staff by about 15 percent. Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, the head coach's brother, had his annual salary increased from $208,360 to $375,000 per season. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson will make $380,000 annually, a raise of $5,000 per season.

"They did a very good job this year and, of course, the financial viability of the athletic department depends heavily on football," Osborne told the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald. "So we try to make sure that they are rewarded accordingly."

Carl Pelini was targeted by new Tennessee coach Derek Dooley earlier this month. Pelini directed a Nebraska defense that led the country in pass-efficiency defense (87.3 rating) and scoring defense (10.4 points per game). The Cornhuskers also ranked seventh among FBS teams in total defense (272 yards per game) and ninth in run defense (93.1 yards per game).

Osborne told the Omaha World-Herald that Tennessee's flirtation with Carl Pelini was taken into consideration. The Volunteers hired former Boise State defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, who reportedly received a three-year contract that will pay him $650,000 annually.

Osborne said Carl Pelini's coaching performance was more of a factor in him receiving such a substantial pay increase.

"We did reward some people who were given opportunities to go elsewhere," Osborne told the World-Herald. "It wasn't that Carl came and said, 'If you don't do this, I'm leaving.' He might have stayed for a lower salary, but I know Bo wants to give him more responsibility and our defense played very, very well last year.'"

A quick show of hands, please, from anybody who braved the lines at their nearby Denny’s Restaurant for a free Grand Slam breakfast this morning.

The thought occurred to me to check it out, so I drove by the nearest location after I delivered my boy to school earlier today.

The lines outside the restaurant convinced me that a wiser choice was to return back home to my blogging duties.

Here are some stories from across the Big 12 this afternoon that should prove a little more substantial than the blueberry Pop Tart I had instead.

• The Lincoln Journal Star’s Steve Sipple relates that new Tennessee coach Derek Dooley contacted Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini about joining his staff in a similar position before settling on Justin Wilcox.
• The San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle’s Brent Zwerneman senses a growing sense of accountability in terms of wins and losses among Mike Sherman’s staff at Texas A&M.
• The Sporting News’ Matt Hayes mentions in his mailbag that Kansas’ hiring of Turner Gill stood apart from other coaching hires.
• The Austin American-Statesman’s Richard Tijerina’s must-read “Breakfast with Bevo” reports that the Texas football team was honored during halftime at the Longhorns’ “Big Monday” game against Kansas last night. It was probably the bright spot for most of the fans who attended the game.
• The Lawrence Journal-World’s Lindsey Slater reports that Kansas is expanding an area of discounted seats at Memorial Stadium and dropping some prices of season tickets to as low as $199 for the upcoming season.
• The Omaha World-Herald’s Tom Shatel writes that Nebraska’s offense should be based on dominating linemen rather than speedy receivers -- so he’s not necessarily worried about the Cornhuskers’ most recent recruiting class.
• Former Baylor wide receiver Lawrence Elkins was among 10 former athletic figures inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Monday night, the Waco Tribune-Herald’s John Werner reports.
• Mediation talks between Mike Leach’s attorneys and those representing Texas Tech have failed to reach an out-of-court settlement, although the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Matthew McGowan reports that talks have not broken down.
• Heralded recruit Gilbert Moye, who played tailback for Missouri, has left the Tigers’ program, the Columbia Tribune’s Dave Matter reports. Moye plans to transfer to a Southwestern Athletic Conference or Southland Conference program with hopes to play quarterback at his new school.
• Missouri ranks third among possible Big Ten expansion candidates in a online readers’ poll commissioned by USA Today. The Tigers rank behind leader Notre Dame and No. 2 Pittsburgh.
• Derek Summers of the Oklahoma State Daily O’Collegian reports that Mike Gundy is looking for immediate contributions from some members of the Cowboys’ 2010 recruiting class.
• Former Baylor assistant coach and current North Carolina State linebackers coach Andy McCollum is close to being hired on Paul Johnson’s staff at Georgia Tech, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Doug Roberson reports.

I couldn’t leave for a weekend without checking the e-mails and seeing some of the questions that the readers had for me this week.

Here are some of the best ones I received over the last several days:

L. Edgar from St. Louis, Mo., writes: Many fans and almost all the media have said that the weakness in Missouri coach Gary Pinkel's program is the lack of a running game. There is evidence to support this view: when they get ahead they are unable to take time off the clock and they are not that effective in the red zone. To me, it looks as if this recruiting class ignored that need. Do you agree?

Tim Griffin: While it might have looked like Pinkel didn’t put a lot of importance in attracting backs, I really like the signing of Greg White of DeQueen, Ark. He’s a different kind of back than the Tigers have had in recent seasons. In fact, the 215-pounder might be considered Missouri’s first true power back since Zack Abron left school. I think he can emerge into a key contributor for the Tigers if he can stay healthy.

And I also think that the addition of two mammoth bookend offensive tackles like Nick Demien and Mitch Morse bodes well for the future of Missouri’s interior line play. It’s been lacking in the last couple of seasons and might be as big a reason for the Tigers’ red-zone problems as anything else. I think these additions will help address the problems that have been there for the Tigers in recent seasons.

Jason Lewis from Kansas City, Mo., writes: Tim, I know recruiting is subjective but I'm wondering why you ranked Nebraska as the seventh-best class in the Big 12. You ranked them behind Baylor, when Nebraska's class was ranked 23rd overall and Baylor's was ranked 39th overall by Rivals. Can you explain your ranking for the Huskers? Thanks.

Tim Griffin: Jason, those were not my rankings but those of ESPNU’s talent evaluators. But I think I can speak for them that the biggest question is the lack of offensive skill players and the inability to land Owamagbe Odighizuwa, who instead accepted the offer at UCLA.

Nebraska desperately needs those big-time receivers to consistently challenge Texas and Oklahoma.

And I know I’ve heard from many Nebraska fans who claim they don’t need Odighizuwa because Bo and Carl Pelini will develop a lesser recruit into as good a player as Odighizuwa would have been.

But remember, he’s a special five-star talent. It always hurts when you lose a chance to get those difference makers. And for anybody to say that the Cornhuskers couldn't have used him don't understand the reality of how the big defensive end could have developed after working with the Pelinis.

Mike Wehling from Lincoln, Neb., writes: Tim, great job with the blog. It remains the main reason why I go to ESPN.com. What teams do you think will win the Big 12 North and South for next season?

Tim Griffin: Mike, I’ll have my definitive early answers sometime next week, but for now I’ve got Nebraska winning the Big 12 North and either Oklahoma or Texas winning the South. I’m leaning to the Sooners now, but could change my mind between now and Wednesday when the pick will be released.

The major reason I give Nebraska the edge is all of the weapons returning from this season’s team, along with the framework of a strong defense. I know that Nebraska will miss Ndamukong Suh, starting safeties Matt O'Hanlon and Larry Asante and linebacker Phillip Dillard, but I’m thinking another year of work with the Pelinis could turn Jared Crick into a monster. And I also like some of the Cornhuskers' returning defensive talent.

And I’m leaning to Oklahoma because they will have an experienced quarterback in Landry Jones with multiple starts. Texas loses Colt McCoy, but will have the inexperienced Garrett Gilbert back. I’m still working over who I think will be the best heading into spring practice and I’ll have an answer next week.

Bear Brown from Denton, Texas, writes: What do you think the Texas Tech fans should do about this whole post-Leach thing? I believe since he's not coming back we should just try to move on. Thanks!

Tim Griffin: That’s why new coach Tommy Tuberville wasted little time connecting with Tech alumni across the state of Texas as soon as the recruiting period was over. The day after National Signing Day, Tuberville was pressing the flesh in both Dallas and Houston to reassure Tech fans that drastic change won’t be resulting in the Red Raiders' program after the controversial firing of Mike Leach.

It will be interesting to see how Tech fans handle the switch. The fact is that both Oklahoma and Texas probably will be down a little next season in the Big 12 South. Tuberville has some nice offensive weapons and I’m convinced he’ll have a strong defense with the Red Raiders some day. But whether that comes next year or not will likely determine if they can challenge for the South Division title.

Tuberville has his work cut out to make Tech fans forget about Leach, the most important figure in Tech football in the last 40 years. But Tuberville is an outstanding coach who had an Auburn team on the brink of a national championship. He was able to consistently compete in the SEC. I'm thinking he'll be able to duplicate that success at Tech, too.

Steve Shoemaker of Las Cruces, N.M., writes: Tim, I loved your post earlier today about the Pro Football Hall of Fame and potential Big 12 players joining in the future. I’ve got two who I think are absolute locks. How about guard Will Shields of Nebraska and punter Shane Lechler of Texas A&M? Both of them were on the NFL’s All-Decade that was released earlier this week. I think what both players have accomplished during their pro careers should make them strong candidates.

Tim Griffin: Steve, I agree with you on both players. I think Shields will end up being one of the great offensive linemen of the NFL’s recent history. It’s hard to argue with his credentials of having made a Pro Bowl in 12 consecutive seasons and nine All-Pro teams. His work with the Kansas City Chiefs was a big reason why that franchise was so successful in the early part of this decade.

And Lechler might go down as the greatest punter in NFL history. His current career average of 47.3 yards per kick after the 2009 season is nearly a yard per kick more than the second-place NFL career punter, Glenn Dobbs. His 51.1 yard-per-kick average in 2009 was the second-highest season total in NFL history and trailed only Sammy Baugh's 51.4 average in 1940.

So it’s safe to say that Lechler’s place in Canton one day looks pretty secure if he can keep his punting average consistently high as its been during the first 10 seasons of his NFL career.

Thanks again for all of the good questions. Enjoy the Super Bowl and will check back again next week.

I’ve been intrigued by all the commentary in recent days about Lane Kiffin’s move from Tennessee to USC.

Fans and pundits have castigated Kiffin about his move to a job that has to rank among the top 10 in college football -- even after some of the Trojans’ pending dealings with the NCAA.

Soon thereafter, Texas assistant coach Will Muschamp was thrown into the conversation as a potential replacement for Kiffin at Tennessee. Muschamp, who is the coach-in-waiting at Texas, apparently had the chance to make an unprecedented salary for a first-time college football coach if had decided to lead the Volunteers.

Muschamp opted to stay in Texas, which I believe was a wise choice. The promise of the Longhorns’ top job, even if he has to wait on Mack Brown’s retirement for several seasons, is still is better than the Tennessee job will ever be.

And who can blame Kiffin for trading the life at Tennessee for the glitz and glitter of living in southern California? It seems like an easy choice, particularly because the USC program is a better job.

While I was talking with Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini last night, we started ticking off an informal list of the best jobs in college football. Here’s my list of the 10 most attractive head coaching positions in college football. Three of them are in the Big 12.

1. Texas: It’s got it all -- facilities, support, tradition and located within a rich recruiting base. Mack Brown has made this the nation’s best job. Muschamp would be crazy to skedaddle to Rocky Top and leave this behind.

2. Florida: Recruiting might be better than Texas and the location provides a beach lifestyle. The only trouble with this job, compared to Texas, is that Florida’s place in the SEC is a little more tenuous than Texas’ place in the Big 12.

3. Ohio State: Tradition, facilities and an unmatched place in the pecking order of the Big Ten. Some coaches would love the weather in Columbus, while snowbirds might see it lacking compared to places like those at the top..

4. USC: “Tailback U” has returned to the top thanks to Pete Carroll’s transformation. This is the football team for a southern California without an NFL franchise.

5. Alabama: Still wondering why Dennis Franchione left Alabama for Texas A&M. Another stadium expansion after this season’s national championship has made this a job that Nick Saban would willingly leave one of the NFL’s flagship franchises to return to. Considering his college allegiance, he’s a smart man.

6. Oklahoma: Bob Stoops might have the best setup in coaching considering he’s working for Joe Castiglione and David Boren. Recruiting will always be a matter of plucking Texas players and Stoops has done a marvelous job at that over the years.

7. Penn State: It will be interesting to see who follows Joe Paterno when he finally decides to hang up his whistle. This is one of the Big Ten’s best jobs with facilities and history to match. It might be daunting to follow Paterno, however.

8. Notre Dame: Still has the attention of NBC and the tradition of college football’s most storied program. Can they find the right coach to return Notre Dame to its place of dominance?

9. LSU: There’s a reason why Les Miles decided to stay here rather than pursue the Michigan job. Rabid talent base and SEC television money make this one special. And you can eat good crawfish any time you want.

10. Nebraska: The only drawback for this job is its lack of a fertile home recruiting area. But other than that, this job has got it all including one of the nation’s most knowledgeable fan bases. It’s the biggest unifier for the entire state as college football is clearly king here.

I would have a few other jobs like Georgia, Tennessee, Oregon, UCLA and Florida State ranked just below these top jobs. Texas A&M would be in my top 20. Oklahoma State -- as long as Boone Pickens is financially priming the pump -- would be in my top 30.

I’m curious what the readers might think in terms of a top 10 of destination coaching jobs? Please feel free to provide your rationale to back up your assertions.

The season might be over, but letters and e-mails keep rolling in.

Here are some of the better missives I’ve received over the last several days.

Steven Johnson from Salina, Kan., writes: This season there truly was the “curse of the Big 12 quarterback” all season long. Did any other conference lose as many starting QBs as the Big 12 this season due to injury? In the South Division, only A&M had the luxury of their starting QB all season long. Who were the only quarterbacks in the Big 12 who started every game this season?

Tim Griffin: Yes, it was a bad time to be a starting quarterback in the Big 12 in 2009. The only quarterbacks who started every game were Kansas’ Todd Reesing, Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert, Texas’ Colt McCoy and Texas A&M’s Jerrod Johnson.

And McCoy’s injury against Alabama last week might have been the biggest injury of the season for any player in the nation.

I don’t know of any conference anywhere that had the run of injuries that the Big 12 endured this season.

---

Terrell from the Bay Area in California writes: It's obvious that Mack Brown's offensive staff doesn't develop the talent like it should or utilize the talent it has. What's the shelf life of Greg Davis? Mack has a history of going with the style that's winning. And right now a pro-style SEC offense is dominating the championship scene. Do you see Coach Brown having the courage to replace Davis or are we stuck with him until Will Muschamp takes over? I think now would be a perfect time to make the switch especially with the recruiting classes they've had the last three years. The lineman alone should make Brown a more pro-style coach.

Tim Griffin: Terrell, you raise an interesting point I often hear from Texas fans. Davis was successful enough to help Vince Young and Colt McCoy develop into two of the greatest quarterbacks in college football history. There’s no doubt the Texas running game struggled this season, but Davis was able to cobble together a short passing offense that still took them to the national championship game.

I think there’s a lot of loyalty between Mack Brown and Greg Davis. They’ve worked together for 17 seasons at three different jobs -- Tulane, North Carolina and Texas. Brown has never fired a coach before during his Texas stint. And I don’t see him starting with one of his most stalwart associates in Davis.

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Zachary Cole from San Marcos, Texas, writes: I just read that Tommy Tuberville's new offensive coordinator will be Neal Brown from Troy. I don’t know much about Troy, do you think this is a good choice or do you think that Lincoln Riley should have got the call?

Tim Griffin: It doesn’t surprise me that Tuberville looked outside the Tech program to pick his offensive coordinator. And Brown is one of the rising stars of the business after the job he did with the Trojans over the last two seasons. He’s actually the youngest offensive coordinator in the nation but has more experience as a coordinator than Riley at the job.

Tuberville was looking for a proven commodity along with a coach rising in the profession. It's a bonus that Brown arrives with a few different wrinkles he wants to bring to his new job.

I think it’s a good choice, although it sounds like the offense will be pretty similar to the one the Red Raiders have run in recent years with Mike Leach serving as the coach and offensive coordinator. Tuberville wants his own immediate stamp on the program and that’s why I think he went out of it for Brown.

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Chris Watkins from Lawrence,Kan., writes: Tim, now that Jim Leavitt, Mike Leach, and Ruffin McNeill are all available, would it be wise for Kansas State coach Bill Snyder to bring them in, even in the thick of the tumult? I could see going to Kansas State being a smart move for Leach and Leavitt considering their reputations have taken hits. Snyder is just the guy to "mentor" them, much like Tony Dungy did with Michael Vick. Who would be most likely to go to work for the Wildcats, in your opinion?

Tim Griffin: I expect Jim Leavitt, Mike Leach and Ruffin McNeill all to be back in coaching quickly. But as far as Kansas State, I would suspect that Leavitt makes the most sense, mainly because he’s worked for Snyder before.

I know that Snyder has leaned on veteran counsel in the past and hasn’t hesitated to surround himself with former head coaches. And Snyder’s ability to “mentor” coaches, as well as work them pretty hard, is legendary. It would be a good place for any of those coaches you mentioned to land.

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Preston Nix of Austin writes: Tim, now that the season is over I've been looking at recruiting and noticed that Texas doesn't have a running back ranked better than 31st in his position for 2010. Why is this? It seems with Texas underperforming at running back there would be a high demand for star running backs to fill the gap.

Tim Griffin: Preston, I’m not normally a huge fan of recruiting rankings except for the very top players. And it seems like Mack Brown has done a nice job melding together his program in recent seasons with players who weren’t the top recruits. But at running back, I am a little surprised that the Longhorns haven’t been in the ballgame for more top prospects. Obviously, the Longhorns’ running game problems since Jamaal Charles left the program have been well-chronicled. And it seems that Texas has steered away from the running game in favor of pass-heavy offense under McCoy. Obviously, recruits see that and likely are more interested in places where they will carry the ball more often.

Maybe Chris Whaley will be poised to earn playing time over the spring. Or Tre’ Newton could takes the next step in 2010. But it is clear that Texas does have an immediate opening for a top running back heading into next season. Improved punch in the running game will be important as the Longhorns try to lessen some of the pressure around new quarterback Garrett Gilbert.

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Kelly Smith from Memphis, Tenn., writes: Tim, being an avid Cornhusker fan in SEC country, I have really enjoyed your coverage of the Big 12. I look forward to your outstanding continued reporting on college football. Keep up the good work. I have only one thing against you...lol... you did not vote for Ndamukong Suh for Heisman. I will forgive you, however.

Tim Griffin: Kelly, I appreciate the kind words. And your note isn’t the only one that I’ve received for not voting for Suh for the Heisman.

But I am going to meet with Suh on Thursday night in Omaha. In my role as the president of the Football Writers Association of America I’ll be presenting him with his Outland Trophy, emblematic of his season as the best lineman in college football.

We supposedly will be having a record crowd for the banquet. I’ll look forward to seeing him, the Pelini brothers and all of the rest. I’ll report back on it after the banquet on Thursday night. It should be a good time.

Thanks again for all of the good questions. I’ll check again Friday as I leave Omaha and head into the weekend.

Nebraska kicker/punter Alex Henery's importance for the Cornhuskers has been a key component of the team's success this season.

But his value for the defense was acknowledged Sunday when he received a Blackshirt as the Nebraska defensive unit prepares for Wednesday's Pacific Life Holiday Bowl game against Arizona.

Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini told reporters in San Diego that Henery's value to his defense has been undeniable. Henery has pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line on 28 punts with only six touchbacks.

And the 175-pound Henery, despite being the smallest of the Blackshirts, said he understands his part in the unit's success this season.

“I guess,” he told the Omaha World-Herald. “I can see how I contribute to the defense, if you pin them in deep. It was something that I didn't really expect, so it was kind of weird.”

Henery's size made for some problems with his new reward, Pelini told the Lincoln Journal-Star.

“Yeah, we had to tie it up (in the back)," Pelini said, laughing. "We went with the triple-extra small. And it was still a little big on him."

Nebraska fans certainly understand Henery's value. He was arguably the second-most popular player on the team behind only All-American defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. And it was noticeable at Cornhusker games whenever Henery was called upon to kick or punt this season.

The Cornhuskers have produced punters like Kyle Larson, Sam Koch and Bill LaFleur and kickers like Kris Brown and Josh Brown over the last few years.

None of them has ever produced in both kicking and punting as consistently as Henery, who should get a shot at the NFL at either position -- or maybe even both.

Feliz Navidad and all the rest.

Here are some links to toast with your Christmas Eve lunch.

We all have so much to be thankful for.

But just save some oyster stew for me.

• The Lincoln Journal-Star’s Steve Sipple writes of the friendship and mutual respect among the Stoops and Pelini families.
• Mike Leach tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Dwain Prince that he wouldn’t be surprised to see an all-Texas national championship game in the future.
• Watching Alabama's game films is like watching a horror movie for Mack Brown, the Dallas Morning-News’ Chuck Carlton reports.
• Patrick Rupinski of the Tuscaloosa News reports that a suite seating 14 patrons for the Citi BCS National Championship Game can be obtained for a cool $88,953.
• College Football News ranks Mack Brown second and Bob Stoops fourth among the top five coaches of the decade. The best coach, according to the survey, was Urban Meyer.
• The Kansas City Star’s J. Brady McCollough analyzes the past decade for Kansas athletics.
• Curt Popejoy of the Draft Board Insider wonders if Nebraska could face a similar bowl-game fate as Oregon State after both suffered emotional losses in their regular-season finales.
• The Oklahoman’s John Helsley writes about how Houston Nutt still fondly remembers his time as a player and coach at Oklahoma State. And the Stillwater News-Press' Justin Hite reports that the Jan. 2 AT&T Cotton Bowl will provide a chance for Mike Gundy and Nutt to renew old acquaintances.
• The Washington Post’s Steve Yanda employs the Mark Mangino case and some interesting quotes from Fred Akers to analyze the fine line that coaches walk between discipline and verbal abuse.
• Texas’ end-of-season struggles could benefit the Longhorns' preparations for the Citi BCS National Championship Game, the Los Angeles Times’ Chris Dufresne reports.
• The San Antonio Express-News’ Brent Zwerneman writes about how Jeff Fuller’s return from injury has boosted Texas A&M’s offensive productivity.