ESPN College Football

Nebraska is officially part of the Big Ten blog, and the welcome wagon hasn't stopped rolling.

To help us learn more about the Huskers, I've reached out to colleague David Ubben from the Big 12 blog. David knows all about Big Red and covered Nebraska during its transition from the Big 12 to the Big Ten. After being nice enough to hand off the Huskers -- actually, I had to pry them from his hands -- Ubben took some time to talk about the Big Ten's newest member.

Let's go back to June 11. What was your initial reaction to Nebraska leaving the Big 12 for the Big Ten?

David Ubben: Ha, well it was certainly an unpopular one among the Nebraska supporters. I thought it was a great move for the university and the football program, but a huge, huge blow to the future stability of the Big 12.

In short, I equated Nebraska leaving to pulling the pin on the Texas Grenade that would blow up the Big 12.

Obviously, that's not what ended up happening, and for a fan base that since June has despised all things Big 12, I was surprised at how much the Huskers didn't want to be blamed for the Big 12's demise. One would think they would relish in it.

At the core, I think there was some fear from fans that their Huskers might be villainized as a program for the self-serving move, but that's not at all what happened to Arkansas, who certainly did much of the same thing to the Southwest Conference when it left for the SEC.

Back to your original question, though, Nebraska leaving definitely meant a weaker Big 12 if it continued to exist moving forward, and anyone who wants to try to argue otherwise is kidding themselves. Nebraska did what it needed to do: secure infinitely more stability and a good amount of cash with a move to the Big Ten, as well as the academic prestige that comes with, to borrow a phrase from deservedly maligned Missouri governor Jay Nixon, aligning themselves with Northwestern and Wisconsin rather than Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

Yeah, anytime a school wants to upgrade its league, it should remember Mizzou and do exactly the opposite. But back to Nebraska. People know about the national championships, Dr. Tom and the option offense. What should Big Ten fans know about the current Nebraska program and its fan base as the Huskers transition to the conference?

DU: Nebraska's biggest asset is its fan base. People like to knock Huskers fans for being a bit full of themselves, but they have reason to be. They're going to rival any team in the Big Ten when it comes to traveling for road games. Prepare yourselves for a sea of red in your stadiums when Nebraska comes.

One big reason? It might be tougher to get a ticket to see the Huskers in Lincoln. Every single home game has been sold out since Nov. 3, 1962, a streak of 311 games. That's an NCAA record, of course. The ones who do make it into Memorial Stadium on fall Saturdays enter under permanent signs that read "Through these gates pass the Greatest Fans in College Football."

Is it obnoxious? Yes. Will it turn off a few opposing fans? Most definitely.

But I would argue that it's not inaccurate.

Husker fans are voracious supporters. They love their team. They know their team. They read about and are opinionated about their team. They spend money on their team. Any other fan base should admire at least that much. Because of that devotion, among other things, the program is one of college football's blue bloods and is able to make a big move that will benefit the program tremendously.

Let's talk about the team itself. Bo Pelini is an Ohio guy, and his track record on defense speaks for itself. Nebraska has seemed more up and down on the offensive side. How do you see the Huskers' style translating to the Big Ten?

DU: That's presuming Nebraska has an offensive style. Nebraska was all about the run early in the year, and ran over and around just about everybody in the first half of the season. Since no one could stop it, they didn't have to throw much, and when they did, they were so, so dangerous.

But the offense slowed late in the season, and I thought they relied on Taylor Martinez to simply drop back and pass way too often and didn't run the zone read enough.

The latest word from Nebraska's recruits is they want an offense that most closely resembles Oregon's, likely minus the dizzying tempo. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson would describe his offense as a bit of a hybrid between Oregon's offense and the West Coast passing attack, but he looks like he's on his way out.

I'm a big believer that you have to do what suits your personnel, and with a zone-read whiz like Martinez and quality running backs like Nebraska has, it would seem that's a good fit.

On the whole, though, Martinez has to continue to develop as a passer to really give the best defenses trouble. How much of that happens over the next three years will determine how successful they ultimately are. If he can't do it, there's nothing saying he's guaranteed to be the starter above incoming freshmen Bubba Starling (if he stays with football and doesn't sign an MLB contract) and Jamal Turner. Even Cody Green, who played when Martinez was injured this year, could earn some quality snaps if Martinez struggles as a sophomore.

Wow, sounds like we could soon have a QB controversy. Interesting. What do you think will be the biggest adjustments for Nebraska in transitioning from the Big 12 to the Big Ten?

DU: I'm a big believer in Pelini as a defensive coach, so I think they'll be able to make these adjustments eventually, but they're going to have to change the type of players they recruit defensively. You need so many defensive backs (and good ones) to have success in the Big 12, and winning the line of scrimmage will put you over the top, but teams like Missouri and Texas Tech have had success in the league without doing it on a consistent basis.

The Big Ten is all about the beef up front. The Huskers are big and fast on the defensive line with guys like Jared Crick and Baker Steinkuhler. I don't see many problems there.

Nebraska's best linebacker this year, Lavonte David, made a Big 12-best 152 tackles. He also happens to be 210 pounds. Players like him, while they're incredibly valuable in the Big 12 for their ability to make plays in coverage and provide a speed rush, will be marginalized in Nebraska's future for bigger, run-stopping linebackers.

There will be all kinds of things that will have to change, but the type of defensive personnel will be No. 1 on the list. Specifically, Nebraska will need more, bigger linebackers and fewer defensive backs.

Nebraska always has recruited so well in the state of Texas. How do you think the move to the Big Ten will impact Nebraska's recruiting strategy?

DU: Oh, what a contentious question. So, so much disagreement on this issue.

I don't think there will be a time when Nebraska just has no one from Texas, but their success in the state will take a considerable hit with the move. I do believe the Huskers should continue to recruit the state, but I also think they need to take some of those efforts and resources previously allocated toward Texas and use them to start scraping the Rust Belt and compete with their new conference mates, rather than their old ones.

Pelini knows the area well, and I think the Huskers will have some success doing it. They had a huge year in 2011 in Texas, getting three top-tier, ESPNU 150 players in ATH/QB Jamal Turner, RB Aaron Green and CB Charles Jackson.

I do believe they can keep getting some talent like that in 2012 and 2013, but as recruits and their families really realize what life is like as a parent of a Texas kid playing in the Big Ten, they'll realize why so few Texas recruits elect to play in the Big Ten. I talked with Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville about this issue last week actually, and he said for most families, it's a huge deal. Watching on TV simply isn't the same thing as going to games, home or away. And the facts are, a lot of families can't afford to fly to a ton of games.

Nebraska traditionally only played one or two games in Texas during a season, three if they made the Big 12 title game and it was in Texas. That doesn't sound like many, but look at it this way, unless you can pay for a flight or make a ridiculously long drive, you're talking about going four or five months without seeing your son versus around two or fewer if they play games in Texas.

So in short, I don't think there will be a time when Nebraska absolutely can't recruit in Texas, but they need to take advantage of their new opportunities in Ohio and Michigan, too, as compensation for the guys who won't want to play up North.

OK, you're on the spot. How do the Huskers fare in Year 1 in the Big Ten, which has already branded them a legendary team in the Legends division?

DU: The Big Ten certainly didn't do them any favors with their first-year schedule, booking them for trips to Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan. Hosting Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State is going to be tough, and they have to play the Buckeyes in the first game with their five suspended players back. Who knows what happens there?

With a still-maturing passer who won't have a ton of help at receiver, they'll have some struggles offensively, but they should be solid again on the defensive end.

I'll say 9-3 or 8-4. Short of what you might call a Legendary season, but certainly a good one.

Thanks to David for his time, and stay tuned as we'll both have more on Nebraska's move to the Big Ten.

• Kansas uses an army of senior citizens to make sure its athletes are going to class, writes Hannah Karp of the Wall Street Journal.
• Last week's cold weather caused a burst pipe at Boone Pickens Stadium, damaging the wallpaper and carpet in, what else, Boone Pickens' suite. Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World has the report.
• Texas signee WR Jaxon Shipley and Oklahoma State signee CB Josh Stewart are mentioned on SI.com as players who will have an early impact.
• Also on SI, Missouri and Oklahoma State are among Andy Staples' top 10 recruiting classes of 2008, looking back with the clarity of hindsight.
• Oklahoma got its second commitment for its 2012 class, a running back from high school power Jenks, reports Matt Baker of the Tulsa World.
• Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald has a series of thoughts, including some on why Bo Pelini hasn't opened up on his assistants' futures, as well as the Scott Frost decision to stay in Oregon.
• Here's my spot on Unsportsmanlike Conduct with Kevin Kugler on the radio in Omaha Tuesday. We talked about the interest surrounding Nebraska, Texas A&M and the SEC, and joked about the media supposedly being "out to get" the Huskers. My spot begins around the 4:20 mark.
• Is Shawn Watson headed to the NFL? It's a possibility, writes Dirk Chatelain and Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald.

I first (briefly) stated my argument on Twitter: No team in college football was more interesting on and off the field for more reasons in the last year than Nebraska.

A lot of those reasons for interest were positive for the program. Others were negative. But I would argue that no team had more headline-worthy happenings on campus than the Huskers in the past year.

I hear the arguments for USC (coaching change, sanctions), Notre Dame (coaching change, student death, anticlimactic realignment) and Florida (Urban Meyer postseason flip-flop, "You're a bad guy" media incident, offensive collapse, coaching change).

I disagree.

A refresher course on the past 12 months in Nebraska football, for those who have forgotten:

Spring 2010: Starting quarterback Zac Lee is forced to sit out spring practice, and rumors about the progress of a redshirt freshman, Taylor Martinez, start to emerge. Martinez validates those rumors with a memorable spring game performance that leaves fans buzzing.

May-June 2010: Realignment rumors build into reality, and days after Big 12 spring meetings close, Nebraska leaves the Big 12 for the Big Ten, by far the biggest move of the summer's realignment. It becomes official on July 1, 2011.

August 2010: During fall camp, linebacker Sean Fisher (broken leg) and cornerback Anthony Blue (torn ACL) were injured during a closed practice, and rumors of their injuries leaked onto message boards. As a result, media members tried to reach family members, at one point, while Fisher was undergoing surgery. As a result, coach Bo Pelini banned the media from accessing his team for three days.

Sept. 4, 2010: No starter was officially announced before the season opener against Western Kentucky, but the speedy Martinez was announced during starting lineups to a raucous reception from the fans. He becomes the first freshman to start a season opener in Nebraska history. On his first career carry, he runs for a 46-yard touchdown. Nebraska wins, 49-10.

Oct. 7, 2010: Martinez had considerable buzz after rushing for 496 yards and eight scores in his first four games, but his coming out party was a nationally-televised, Thursday night game against Kansas State. He ran for four touchdowns, 241 yards and led the Huskers to a 48-13 road conference win over the bowl-bound Wildcats. That's Heisman-type stuff, and for the first time, he realistically threw his name into the Heisman race (alongside shoo-in Heisman winner Denard Robinson) and then-No. 5 Nebraska was looking like a very real national championship contender. Martinez would not score another rushing touchdown the rest of the season.

Oct. 16, 2010: Nine days later, they hit the first of many speed bumps. Texas' free fall lessened the impact of what looked like the biggest game of the year, but the Longhorns, who finished 5-7, were still able to remind Nebraska of the mysterious mojo they have over the Huskers. Martinez struggled, was benched in the fourth quarter and Nebraska suffered its first loss, 20-13, at home, in a shocker. The loss moved Nebraska to 1-9 against Texas since the Big 12 began in 1996.

Oct. 30, 2010: Roy Helu Jr. runs for 307 yards to help beat Missouri and gives the Huskers control of the Big 12 North. Martinez suffers a sprained ankle late in the first half and doesn't play in the second half. It eventually proves as one of the biggest moments of Nebraska's season.

Nov. 6, 2010: Martinez sits against Iowa State with an injured ankle, and the Cyclones erase a 24-10 lead to send the game into overtime. The Huskers score first, but intercept a wobbly pass on a fake extra point to win the game, 31-30, and maintain control of the Big 12 North, which they eventually win.

Nov. 20, 2010: Nebraska is flagged a school-record 16 times, compared to Texas A&M's two. The worst of the 16 flags is a phantom roughing the passer call that extends Texas A&M's game-winning drive in the 9-6 win.

The biggest news, though, has little to do with the on-field action that resulted in a second loss.

Martinez starts, but re-injures the ankle early and heads to the locker room. There, he returns a call from his father in violation of team rules. Upon learning this information, Pelini screams inches away from a stone-faced Martinez while jabbing his chest with a finger. ESPN's cameras catch the controversial interaction, which re-airs countless times over the following days.

After the game, Pelini chases an official off the field while screaming inches away from his face as well, a scene seen on the sideline during the game. As Texas A&M fans storm the field, his brother, defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, throws down a cameraman's camera, breaking off a few detachable pieces, but doing no permanent damage to the equipment.

After the game, Pelini makes his players off-limits and briefly addresses media.

Nov. 21, 2010: Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman publicly criticizes Pelini's actions during the game. Pelini later apologizes, saying he "let it get personal" toward officials.

Throughout the day, rumors that Martinez planned transfer swirl after the freshman misses a team workout. Later, it's revealed that Martinez also suffered turf toe on his left foot to pair with his sprained right ankle. Pelini denies rumors that Martinez planned to transfer.

Nov. 23, 2010: Top receiver/kick returner Niles Paul suffers a broken foot in practice. He misses the season-ending, Big 12 North-clinching win over Colorado and the Big 12 title game but returns for the bowl game. (That's a wholly terrible four-day stretch, no?)

Nov. 26, 2010: Nebraska clinches the Big 12 North with a win over Colorado, but no Big 12 officials are on hand to deliver the championship trophy. Commissioner Dan Beebe tells Nebraska media later that night that he didn't make the trip because of safety concerns. He had received death threats after the Texas A&M officiating fiasco.

Dec. 4, 2010: Nebraska closes its run in the Big 12 by reviving one of the league's great rivalries, one final game against Oklahoma. The Huskers' early 17-0 lead is erased, Martinez takes seven sacks and the Huskers lose, 23-20, to land in the Holiday Bowl for the second consecutive season against Washington, a team it beat in Seattle 56-21 in September.

Dec. 30, 2010: Nebraska, 17-point favorites, suffers a shocking loss to Washington, 19-7. They finish 10-4, and lose three of their final four games.

Jan 5, 2011: Martinez's father, Casey Martinez, confirms to ESPN.com that Taylor will return to Nebraska for the 2011 winter semester, ending rumors of a transfer.

Jan. 11, 2011: Defensive tackle Jared Crick announces he'll return to Nebraska for his senior season.

Jan 26, 2011: Nebraska ends its licensing agreement with Corn Fed, Inc., Casey Martinez's apparel company. The deal paid Nebraska 10 percent royalties on all merchandise sold and began in June 2007.

Feb. 3, 2011: In Indiana, new Hoosiers coach Kevin Wilson announces that his assistant, Corey Raymond, is leaving for Nebraska to coach the secondary. Huskers secondary coach Marvin Sanders is still employed.

Pelini hasn't spoken with the media in five weeks.

Later, during his signing day teleconference, Pelini refuses to answer any questions about his staff, and says no staff members have been hired or fired yet.

Nebraska signs 20 players and four ESPNU recruits for the nation's No. 14 recruiting class, which ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 and No. 2 in the Big Ten.

Later that night, Sanders, receivers coach Ted Gilmore and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson are absent from an Omaha recruiting dinner.

Feb. 4, 2011: Sanders announces his resignation for "family and personal reasons" amid reports of possible disciplinary action toward the coach for a nonfootball issue.

Feb. 5, 2011: Charles Jackson, Nebraska's only cornerback signee, tells the Omaha World-Herald he found out about Sanders' departure from a stranger via Facebook, and expresses discontent at not being notified that any moves had occurred or that they would follow his signing. He also adds he probably would have signed with Nebraska if he had been told.

Later in the day, his father goes on Omaha radio to diffuse the situation, and says his son is content and excited to start his career.

Feb. 7, 2011: Former Huskers star Scott Frost elects to stay at Oregon as receivers coach, rather than join his alma mater, who was reportedly unwilling to offer him playcalling duties.

Today: Gilmore and Watson are still employed, and Pelini says he knew nothing of an ad posted on Nebraska's website last week looking for an offensive assistant.

Now that, folks, is a whole lot of stuff that's happened in the last year. We can only assume 2011 will offer plenty more headlines in the Big Ten.

Can anybody top that? I say absolutely no way.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini declined to answer questions about his staff during his signing day teleconference on Wednesday, but on Thursday, he announced in a release that Marvin Sanders had resigned for "personal and family reasons."

Questions first arose on Wednesday after Indiana coach Kevin Wilson announced that his assistant, Corey Raymond, was leaving to coach the secondary at Nebraska.

Nebraska, however, still employed Sanders at the time. Now, presumably, Raymond might soon be announced as Sanders' replacement.

Pelini declined to answer questions about Sanders' status on Wednesday, but the Lincoln Journal Star reported later in the day that Sanders "may face disciplinary action by the school for a nonfootball issue."

For Nebraska, Sanders might only be the first of a few assistants to leave Pelini's staff after signing 20 recruits on Wednesday.

Sanders, along with offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, receivers coach Ted Gilmore and Pelini, did not make their annual appearance at a recruiting dinner in Omaha on Wednesday night.

It should be a very interesting few weeks before spring practice begins in Lincoln.

Or you could just be nice and pay it forward. They don't make movies out of bad ideas.

• Brandon Chatmon of The Oklahoman has a few things to keep in mind during Oklahoma State's search for a new offensive coordinator.
• Nebraska's quick fix when Bo Pelini was hired in 2007 has backfired on Pelini and athletic director Tom Osborne, writes Dirk Chatelain of the Omaha World-Herald.
• Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman says Travis Lewis made the right choice in coming back to Oklahoma for his senior season.
• Colorado added a strength and conditioning coach, and officially announced the arrival of receivers coach Bobby Kennedy, who left Texas for Colorado.
• A naval officer named an honorary captain for the Holiday Bowl says he 'was never upset' about not getting to call a play as Pelini promised he would earlier in the week. Pelini says he was joking. "It never affected me one way negatively ... It was enough to have me on the sideline," the officer said.
• Is former Colorado coach Dan Hawkins headed for a new head coaching job? He's been rumored for at least one, writes Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera. Ringo also reports that coach Jon Embree says the best players will be on the field for him, and won't be held off it for a player with a better grasp of the system.
• Texas A&M lost the Lawry's Beef Bowl to LSU, writes Robert Cessna of the Bryan-College Station Eagle.
• Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram takes a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Cotton Bowl history.
• Missouri quarterback Tyler Gabbert is waiting his turn to lead the Tigers, writes Vahe Gregorian of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Older brother Blaine explains his decision to leave, too.

How dare you hang up on me! My brother's a corrupt fireman, and I'm a corrupt cop. He's going to set you on fire, and I'm not going to investigate it!

• Texas had a new candidate for its defensive tackles coach in Austin on Monday.
• Oklahoma linebacker Ronnell Lewis was released from an Arizona hospital on Monday after a scary injury in the Fiesta Bowl had him immobilized and carted off. Here's a video of Lewis from the Fiesta Bowl last week.
• Former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen is taking the Cowboys' running backs coach with him to West Virginia.
• Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson could be in the mix for a new head-coaching job.
• Texas A&M running back Cyrus Gray told reporters Monday he's coming back for his senior season after a huge finish to his junior year.
• Kansas' new athletic director brings plenty of Kansan-ness to the job, writes Kevin Haskin of the Topeka Capital-Journal.
• Sheahon Zenger will be a very different kind of leader, writes J. Brady McCollough of the Kansas City Star.
• Texas A&M offensive lineman Matt Allen will be taking on some old friends when he lines up in the Cotton Bowl, writes Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Corbett Smith of the Dallas Morning News takes a peek inside the pipeline between Texas A&M and DeSoto High School in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.
• Mike Strain of the Tulsa World breaks down a historic year of football in the state of Oklahoma.

• A year ago, Nebraska was back. Where are they now, asks Dirk Chatelain of the Omaha World-Herald.
• Bo Pelini told reporters he was embarrassed after the game, but has no plans to get rid of offensive coordinator Shawn Watson.
• Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon was showboating on his long touchdown catch against Arizona, but Berry Tramel of The Oklahoma asks: What was he thinking?
• Austin Meek of the Topeka Capital-Journal says another chapter of K-State heartbreak has been written after "The Bronx Salute."
• An official told receiver Adrian Hilburn "Wrong choice, buddy" before throwing the flag after Hilburn saluted the crowd.
• Kevin Haskin of the Topeka Capital-Journal says Hilburn was a victim of "excessive penalization."
• Texas has officially lost another assistant coach. Receivers coach Bobby Kennedy, a Boulder native, left to take the same job at Colorado.
• OSU coach Mike Gundy says both Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden should come back in 2011 rather than jump to the NFL.
• Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune empties the notebook on the Insight Bowl with a bit of insight into Missouri's past and future.

They call me the Hiphopopotamus, my lyrics are bottomless.

• Nebraska's solid pair of kickers, kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic and All-American place-kicker Alex Henery, received Blackshirts on Monday.
• Landry Jones deserves more credit than he gets, and it's time to add him to the wall of great Sooners quarterbacks, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
• A bitter racial divide in the early 20th century kept Missouri and Iowa from meeting on the field since 1910, writes David Briggs of the Columbia Tribune.
• A pair of extremes -- both high and low -- have had a big influence on Missouri's approach to tonight's Insight Bowl, writes Joan Niesen of the Columbia Missourian.
• Former Kansas coach Mark Mangino would be a good fit as Nebraska's offensive coordinator if Shawn Watson takes another job, writes Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville expounded a bit on the circumstances surrounding his defensive coordinator's sudden exit from the program.
• Nebraska's coaches expect a new Jake Locker in the Holiday Bowl, much improved from the one the Blackshirts roughed up earlier in the year.
• Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon is officially back from an ankle injury that hampered him late in the season.
• And Dana Holgorsen wouldn't be ready for his new head-coaching gig without Blackmon and quarterback Brandon Weeden.
• Austin Meek of the Topeka Capital-Journal catches up with K-State athletic director John Currie, who offers some insight into what it's been like battling the weather in New York City.
• Nebraska quarterback Cody Green says it's time to back off a little bit when it comes to criticism of Huskers offensive coordinator Shawn Watson.
• Colorado AD Mike Bohn had his busiest year ever in 2010, but the work isn't done yet, writes Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera.
• A mission trip to Kenya changed the life of Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor, writes Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News.

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

People aren't food. People aren't food. Your friends will run away if they're scared of being chewed.

• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman has two reasons why there's no way Bob Stoops will go to Florida.
• Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne won't be retiring any time soon, writes Steve Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star.
• That Baylor bowl drought is paying off. Bears fans are snatching up Texas Bowl tickets.
• Brandon Chatmon of The Oklahoman says Justin Blackmon might be the best receiver in Oklahoma State history.
• New Colorado coach Jon Embree passed his recruiting test, but he's also trying to assemble a staff while putting together his team, writes Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera.
• Dan Beebe says the Big 12 made a mistake by not continuing the OU-Nebraska annual rivalry when the league was formed, reports colleague Ivan Maisel. Also, Colorado has always been more linked to the Pac-12 than the Big 12.
• Mike Leach is interested in the Florida job. "Really, I'm interested in all of them,'' Leach said. Honesty really is the best policy.
• Get ready for Missouri's ticket sales to the Insight Bowl to be heavily scrutinized, writes Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune.
• It doesn't sound like Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is headed to Vanderbilt.
• Bill Hancock, the executive director of the BCS, defends the system with an op-ed piece in USA Today.

Is your head spinning from the moves on the coaching carousel this weekend? No worries, here's a chance to catch up on what you've missed over the weekend.

Colorado

• Hired Jon Embree as head coach.
• Hired Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator.

Nebraska

• Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was scheduled to interview with Vanderbilt on Sunday, according to ESPN's Bruce Feldman.

Oklahoma

• Sources told ESPN's Pat Forde that Oklahoma offensive coordintor Kevin Wilson met with Indiana athletic director Fred Glass, presumably about the vacant head coaching job, and I had a chance to talk to Wilson about it after Saturday's Big 12 Championship game. He stopped well short of denying he'd had any contact, but he had no plans to detail it, either. "We'll see. I don't know. It's the time of the year where you're getting through the last game," he said when asked if he'd interviewed or had plans to interview with the Hoosiers. I asked if he'd had any contact with Indiana: "We'll just kind of see the way it goes,” he said.
• I expect Wilson to leave if he's formally offered the job, and if so, look for quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel or receivers coach Jay Norvell to take over offensive coordinator duties.

Oklahoma State

• Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen's name has come up in a few different spots, but none look legitimate just yet. The guess here is he's in Stillwater in 2011. Keeping him around needs to be priority No. 1 for Oklahoma State when it comes to staff moves, and coach Mike Gundy has expressed as much previously.
• Special teams coordinator Joe DeForest, a Louisiana-Lafayette alum, interviewed for the vacant head coaching job at Louisiana-Lafayette, according to The Oklahoman.
• Receivers coach Gunter Brewer may also be a candidate for the Ragin' Cajuns' job.

Texas

• Offensive coordinator Greg Davis has resigned.
• Offensive line coach Mac McWhorter and defensive line coach Mike Tolleson are also leaving the program.
• Look for former UT quarterback Major Applewhite to get serious consideration as Davis' replacement, but coach Mack Brown says an announcement on replacements won't be coming until after the bowls.

• Missouri seems to be slighted in the bowl process every year. Well, its fans are to blame, writes Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• Colorado interim coach Brian Cabral weighed in with Tom Kensler of the Denver Post on Rodney Stewart's All-Big 12 snub.
• Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson says criticisms of Taylor Martinez's sideline demeanor have been off-base, writes Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star.
• Kalani Simpson eulogizes the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry at FoxSports.com.
• Tully Corcoran of the Topeka Capital-Journal hands out some entertaining end of the year awards for Kansas football.
• Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables had his laptop out scheming Nebraska on the bus ride home from Bedlam.
• Cross Air Force coach Troy Calhoun off the list of candidates at Colorado.
• But keep Eric Bieniemy's name close.
• The Big 12 three-team tiebreaker formula isn't worth fretting over, writes Robert Cessna of the Bryan-College Station Eagle.
• Police in Dallas are examining the threats made on Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, reports Christopher Burbach of the Omaha World-Herald.
• Coaching is in Mike Gundy's blood, writes John Helsley of The Oklahoman.
• Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle examines Kansas State's bowl prospects.
• Colleague Ivan Maisel isn't buying drastic changes on Texas' staff. Expect to see Greg Davis back in 2011, he writes.
• Andy Staples of SI.com has a humorous suggestion for what Nebraska should do if it wins the Big 12 title.

So I turn around, I flex my left pec. Then I flex my right pec, and I say to the guy, "Leggo my Eggo." And you know what he does? He lets go of my Eggo!

• Bob Stoops says there was nothing unusual about his recruitment of Cam Newton over the offseason.
• Teammates are rallying around Rex Burkhead after his face mask was wrenched by Iowa State linebacker A.J. Klein, writes Mike Sherman of the Omaha World-Herald.
• Paul Rhoads' players love his maverick style of coaching, writes Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register.
• Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson says he has no interest in the Colorado opening.
• Texas Tech running back Baron Batch explains what wearing jerseys to honor wounded warriors meant to him this week in his journal entry for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• Missouri offensive coordinator David Yost is the antithesis of the modern college coach, writes Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune.
• Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins says his dad will be with him on Senior Day later this year.
• Kansas is still trying to comprehend its "surreal" win on Saturday, writes Tully Corcoran of the Topeka Capital-Journal.
• Nebraska AD Tom Osborne and Kansas coach Turner Gill's relationship is going to make Saturday's game like a boxing match between brothers.
• Austin Meek of the Topeka Capital-Journal examines Kansas State's bowl future.
• Colleague Ivan Maisel checks in with Jerrod Johnson and new Colorado interim coach Brian Cabral in today's 3-point stance.
• Baylor is moving on after a disappointing performance against Oklahoma State, writes Kate Hairopaulos of the Dallas Morning News.
• Brandon Chatmon of The Oklahoman takes the pulse of the Oklahoma State fan base and sees excitement, but also unease.

Nebraska will decide on quarterback Taylor Martinez's status on Saturday, but the freshman has practiced each of the past three days.

"He's getting better each day," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini told reporters after Thursday's practice. "It will be probably a game-time decision, but he's getting better every day."

Martinez's lower body took a hard hit late in the second quarter of last Saturday's win over Missouri, and was diagnosed with a sprained ankle. He left the facilities in a walking boot after sitting out the entire second half.

Zac Lee replaced Martinez in the game.

Martinez sat out Monday's practice, but on Tuesday offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said Martinez had no swelling or discoloration in the ankle.

Starting cornerback Alfonzo Dennard also returned to practice on Thursday after sitting out most of the week with a concussion suffered early against the Tigers. Pelini said Dennard hasn't been ruled out of the game.

Dennard was replaced by freshman Ciante Evans on Saturday.

The Huskers play at Iowa State on Saturday.

Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez missed the second half of the Huskers' 31-17 win over Missouri on Saturday, and left in a walking boot. Diagnosed with an ankle sprain, Martinez sat out of Monday's practice as well.

But Tuesday he was back on the field, and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson says Martinez is "ready to go" for Nebraska's trip to Iowa State on Saturday.

"He did surprisingly well. He threw the ball well today and moved around good,” Watson told reporters on Tuesday. “We were smart with him and will give him more tomorrow and keep practicing him, keep pushing him.”

Watson also noted that there was no swelling or discoloration in Martinez's ankle.