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Michigan State's Mark Hollis was named 2012 athletic director of the year at the Sports Business Awards, handed out Wednesday night in New York. The awards are presented by Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily.

Hollis, who has served in the role since January 2008, was selected from five nominees, which also included Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon.

Hollis is one of the more progressive athletic directors in a major conference. He masterminded the Michigan State-North Carolina basketball game played on an aircraft carrier in San Diego last fall. Other big-ticket events he spearheaded in lesser roles included a Michigan State-Kentucky basketball game at Detroit's Ford Field and a Michigan State-Michigan hockey game at Spartan Stadium in 2001.

Michigan State's football program has excelled during Hollis' tenure, winning the Legends Division championship last fall. Hollis in October awarded coach Mark Dantonio a contract designed to keep Dantonio a "Spartan for life."

"It's very humbling to receive an honor like this," Hollis said in a prepared statement. "Individual awards are difficult to accept in higher education and athletics; however, they do recognize the innovation and teamwork necessary to achieve success. I value working with people at Michigan State University, the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA in providing educational opportunities for our student-athletes and engagement through sports for our alumni and supporters."

Hollis is very deserving of the honor. His creativity in growing the Michigan State brand resonates in the current college sports environment and in a league like the Big Ten.

Ohio State AD Gene Smith won the award in 2010. Other winners Wednesday included NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for sports executive of the year, the NHL's Boston Bruins for sports team of the year and, drumroll please, ESPN Digital Media for best in digital sports media.

Hump day linkage:

• Michigan AD Dave Brandon not only doesn't favor using campus sites for semifinal games, he doesn't think they should be played in the Midwest anywhere, not even indoors. Huh?
• Pat Harty argues that the Big Ten should go to geographical divisions to avoid some of the gaps between rivals on the schedule. Dallas Clark might be the best story of the Kirk Ferentz era.
• Bruce Feldman has an excellent story about how two dirty plays don't define Michigan State's William Gholston.
• Steven M. Sipple looks at some of the candidates to eventually replace Tom Osborne, including recent hire (and former Huskers player) Jamie Williams. Nebraska picked up its first offensive lineman in the Class of 2013.
• Joe Paterno earned a state pension of more than $13 million during his 61 years at Penn State. A look at four big recruiting targets for the Nittany Lions this summer. Rob Bolden is staying put.
• Purdue got a $2 million donation that could go toward some improvements at Ross-Ade Stadium (but not lights).
• Tom Dienhart breaks down the best of Week 2 in the 2012 Big Ten season.
• Minnesota's Jerry Kill shared some optimism at a Rotary Club event.
• A planned SEC Network could eclipse the revenues of the Big Ten's similar venture.
• Gene Smith says Ohio State's athletic department is in its "glory years."
• Stewart Mandel talks realignment and playoff possibilities in his SI.com mailbag.

CHICAGO -- The first Saturday of the 2012 college football season is highlighted by a blockbuster game taking place at a cavernous NFL stadium.

On the night of Sept. 1, Michigan and Alabama will take center stage in Arlington, Texas, at a shrine to all things big and bold, nicknamed "Jerryworld" after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. It will mark the latest in a series of national showcase games during the regular season that take place at neutral sites.

Last year, LSU and Oregon kicked off the season on the same field. Notable neutral-site games this fall include Miami-Notre Dame at Chicago's Soldier Field and Clemson-Auburn at Atlanta's Georgia Dome.

The trend is clear, and many major-conference teams see the neutral-site games as a nice alternative to the home-and-home series that take longer and give up a precious home game.

Big Ten athletic directors are split on the neutral-site issue. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon, who helped organize the Alabama game, said last month that the school has had preliminary talks about playing a neutral-site game at Sun Life Stadium near Miami.

Iowa opens the 2012 season against Northern Illinois at Soldier Field, and Hawkeyes athletic director Gary Barta recently told the Des Moines Register that he is "wide open to the concept" of more neutral-site games.

Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips on Wednesday expressed interest in playing a game at New York's Yankee Stadium, and, with the Big Ten/Pac-12 scheduling partnership approaching, added, "We need to get out to California some." Northwestern moved its home game against Illinois to Wrigley Field in 2010, and the teams could play again at Wrigley or Soldier Field.

Illinois AD Mike Thomas also wants a bigger presence in Chicago and could schedule a game at Soldier Field as early as 2013, the Chicago Tribune reports. The Illini used to open the season against Missouri in St. Louis, but the series is on a hiatus.

The neutral-site surge isn't for everyone, though. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told ESPN.com last month that he's extremely reluctant to give up a home game for a neutral-site contest.

"I love Dave Brandon at Michigan and I applaud them," Smith said. "They're playing Alabama in Dallas, which I think is cool and unique. But if I can get eight home games, the economic impact we have here, I just can't pull it away. Because it's a home game. Now if an away game, like Indiana or somebody says, 'Hey, let's go to Maryland,' and it’s their home game, I'd do that in a minute.

"But taking one of my home games, I just can't do it. The economic impact in this community is just huge."

Michigan State AD Mark Hollis has been very proactive in scheduling top nonconference opponents (Boise State, Oregon, Alabama, Miami). But those games will take place on campus.

Hollis acknowledges scheduling trends elsewhere impact what Big Ten teams do, but his position is firm.

"I'd rather bring big games into Spartan Stadium," Hollis said. "We talked to Boise State about playing in Chicago, but we had no interest in that. We want to play them at home. I want Miami there, I want Alabama there, I want Oregon, so our fans can see them."

It's better to carry a tune than a grudge.

• Michigan AD Dave Brandon doesn't view a four-team model as a true playoff. The Wolverines could be sporting more alternate unis in the near future.
• Urban Meyer releases Ohio State's depth chart and doesn't hide his concerns about his personnel. Meyer shares his thoughts on the playoff possibilities. Meyer's intensity will fuel the Buckeyes in 2012.
• Iowa's Kinnick Stadium once again will be reseated in 2014.
• The Big Ten can no longer make the weather argument after backing off on campus sites for the playoff.
• Penn State coach Bill O'Brien continues to reach out to fans in the Mid-Atlantic region. Lions fans who know Glenn Carson, the linebacker should check out Glenn Carson, the wrestler.
• Tight end recruit Greg Hart picks Nebraska over Northwestern.
• Big Ten ADs say the kickoff play needs to be closely watched -- and possibly eliminated entirely.
• Athletic directors from Illinois and Northwestern discuss a potential rematch in Chicago.
• Some good notes from Steve Greenberg on the Big Ten spring meetings.
• Illinois coach Tim Beckman continues his caravan through the state.
• There's strong support for an increase of the bowl-eligibility requirement, even from ADs of schools that recently went to bowls at 6-6.
• Big Ten athletic directors advocate for the importance of schedule strength.
• Maize 'n Brew previews Minnesota in 2012.
• Former Michigan recruit Demar Dorsey will continue his football career at Hawaii, Bruce Feldman reports.
• Former Michigan State star Andre Rison will discuss his financial troubles in an ESPN documentary.
• The Daily Northwestern ranks the Big Ten offensive lines.

Two years ago, expansion took center stage at the Big Ten spring meetings. Last year, league commissioner Jim Delany revealed a proposal being discussed that would allocate more money to student-athletes on full scholarships.

What will be the big topic at this year's Big Ten spring gathering? You'll have to wait and find out. The meetings take place Tuesday and Wednesday at a downtown Chicago hotel.

A major change to this year's joint group meetings is that the Big Ten football coaches will not attend. The coaches held their annual business meeting Feb. 3 at Big Ten headquarters in Park Ridge, Ill., and opted not to join the spring get-together. Most if not all Big Ten athletic directors will attend, along with senior woman administrators and faculty representatives. Delany and other top league officials will be on hand, along with Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman and other BTN representatives.

Let's look at some of the big items to be discussed during the next two days:

1. The Big Ten's place in a future football postseason model: Delany has generated headlines in recent weeks with his so-called top 6 proposal as well as his desire to have league champions and division champions in a playoff ahead of those who didn't win either title. The Big Ten's top priority, in case you've been in a cave, is to protect the Rose Bowl, which Delany regards as the league's most important external relationship. Although the presidents have the final say -- Big Ten presidents meet June 3 in Park Ridge -- and no BCS officials will be attending the meetings, Delany will brief the ADs on the models being discussed. "To me, the the Rose Bowl is still the pinnacle and it’s very important," Purdue AD Morgan Burke told The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier. "The question is how can that can be integrated." What's best for the Big Ten? On-campus games, strong access for league champions or simply Rose Bowl relevancy? There's much to discuss this week.

2. The Pac-12 scheduling partnership: Athletic directors Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin) and Gene Smith (Ohio State) told ESPN.com last month that some details still must be worked out for the Big Ten/Pac-12 scheduling partnership, which is set to begin in football in 2017 but likely will have a staggered start. Alvarez told Brian Bennett that some Pac-12 schools are "dragging their feet" a bit on scheduling, and Smith told me that Ohio State won't begin the partnership until 2018 because of previously scheduled games. The partnership surely will be discussed this week.

3. The bowls: The league is halfway through its four-year cycle with most recent bowl lineup, which remains the nation's most challenging, given the locations. It's a good time to evaluate the bowls and whether to look for any adjustments going forward. The automatic-qualifier status is gone, and there's momentum to revamp the way top bowls select teams in order to generate better matchups. Will league tie-ins even matter going forward? Also, bowl-eligibility requirements might be increased from six wins to seven wins, which Big Ten athletic directors like Iowa's Gary Barta and Michigan's Dave Brandon support but others may not.

Other items: The ADs will discuss football league championship game, how the first event went in Indy and possibly how the first season went with division play. As usual, they'll discuss NCAA proposals/changes (scholarships, academics, recruiting, compliance, etc.), nonconference scheduling and the league's media agreements (BTN, ABC/ESPN). While Big Ten expansion isn't on the horizon, it's hard to imagine realignment won't come off after all of the recent news around college sports.

Who knows, maybe the ADs will have the sudden impulse to approve November night games for football. Ah, to dream ...

Check the blog for spring meetings updates throughout the next few days.

Here's your Thursday linkage.

• Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany reveals a proposal that would create playoff access for the best conference champs. It's important for the Big Ten to protect its Rose Bowl partnership.
• Athletic directors Dave Brandon (Michigan) and Mark Hollis (Michigan State) weigh in on the playoff issues.
• Penn State is moving defensive lineman Kyle Baublitz from end to tackle. Lions coach Bill O'Brien has "a pretty good idea" of how the team's quarterback situation will shake out. O'Brien understands the challenges he faces at Penn State.
• Take it from Minnesota coach Jerry Kill: "You hang around with turds, you'll finish third."
• Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio likens Le'Veon Bell to former Ohio State great Keith Byars. The Kirk Cousins-Keith Nichol connection could continue with the NFL's Washington Redskins.
• Tom Mulhern projects what Wisconsin's depth chart looks like coming out of the spring. The Badgers pick up a verbal commit for 2013.
• Kawann Short's decision to stay at Purdue could pay off for the standout defensive tackle.
• The Big Ten can embrace both the Rose Bowl and the national title, Tom Shatel writes.
• Iowa is paying lower guarantees for nonconference games this season. Like Iowa's other receivers, Kevonte Martin-Manley could see his production surge in the new offense this fall.
• A breakdown of Illinois' 2012 schedule.
• Assistant Ron Brown's remarks shouldn't be tolerated at a public institution like Nebraska, Blair Kerkhoff writes.
• Ohio State assistant Kerry Coombs has settled in well to his new role.
• A look inside draft night for Michigan's Mike Martin.
• Indiana linebacker Jeff Thomas gets a tryout with the Buffalo Bills (subscription required).

I was promised a jetpack.

• Bret Bielema is using the ACC as a quarterback farm system. Pre-Snap Read says Wisconsin needs to do a better job recruiting quarterbacks.
• Here's a Q&A with incoming Penn State running back recruit Akeel Lynch. With Danny O'Brien out of the picture, the quarterback competition heats up for the Nittany Lions.
• Purdue's Robert Kugler has moved from tight end to center and is embracing the change.
• Urban Meyer got a reality check at his first Ohio State practice. Meyer says the Buckeyes have "no choice" but to get big production out of former hotshot recruit Curtis Grant.
• Pat Fitzgerald talks about Kyle Prater in this video. He also preached sportsmanship at an elementary school.
• Nebraska's Justin Jackson moved from defensive line to center and has the coaches' attention this spring in a three-way competition to replace Mike Caputo. Young Huskers offensive tackles Jeremiah Sirles and Tyler Moore are making their move after a year of learning.
• Indiana defensive lineman Nick Sliger has overcome a learning disability and will earn his degree.
• Iowa running backs coach Lester Erb has another challenge on his hands this spring. The Hawkeyes' spring practice will be all about tracking changes.
• Enigmatic Michigan defensive lineman Will Campbell says he's no longer lazy. Ricky Barnum is confident he can fill David Molk's shoes at center.
• Taiwan Jones is getting a great opportunity to impress as a first-team linebacker for Michigan State this spring. Kirk Cousins as a first-round pick?
• This is basketball-related but still interesting, as Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis tweeted advice to Michigan basketball player Trey Burke, and Wolverines AD Dave Brandon didn't appreciate it.
• Beer could be flowing at Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium soon.

Did you miss me? I'm back at your service after a trip to Turkey. While I unfortunately didn't meet this guy in Istanbul, it was an excellent vacation, filled with sightseeing, history and even a Turkish soccer match. If you think you get upset at your team, you should have seen the Karþýyaka fan who broke three stadium seats after a questionable call. Good times.

Brian Bennett took good care of you during my absence, and I had a few thoughts on some of the happenings while I was away.

• As an advocate of more night games, it's great to see Michigan and Notre Dame meeting under the lights for the second consecutive season. The Big Ten/Notre Dame have been a bit late to the party in scheduling more night games, which most fans and players absolutely love, but the movement is picking up. Despite the Big Ten's policy opposing November night games, we're seeing more primetime contests in September and October. Although Michigan won't play a home night game this year, the Wolverines will be playing at least two primetime contests (Alabama, Notre Dame) and most likely at least one more during Big Ten play. Michigan AD Dave Brandon says the school will host a night game in 2013, and Brandon told the Detroit Free Press, "Everybody has come to the conclusion that they should schedule 1-2 night games a year." While the Big Ten reached this conclusion a little later than most leagues, it's better late than never.
[+] Enlarge
Rob Carr/Getty ImagesCould former Maryland QB Danny O'Brien play for a Big Ten school in 2012?
• Wisconsin and Penn State both need help at quarterback, and either team would welcome Danny O'Brien into the fold. While Wisconsin has always been mentioned as a potential destination for O'Brien, Penn State coach Bill O'Brien confirmed last week that the former Maryland quarterback has expressed interest in the Nittany Lions, too. I figured Danny O'Brien would head to Vanderbilt after Maryland reluctantly did the right thing in granting his release, but it's interesting to see two Big Ten programs in the mix. Wisconsin's biggest selling point is Russell Wilson and the success the NC State transfer had last year. Penn State's biggest selling point is Bill O'Brien and how he can help quarterbacks.
• Speaking of O'Brien, can a coach have a honeymoon period despite being mostly panned after his hiring? O'Brien faced a lot of skepticism after being named Penn State's coach in early January, but his approval rating has improved in recent weeks, and rightfully so. In addition to saying all the right things and making some important changes to the program's culture, O'Brien and his staff are off to a strong start to 2013 recruiting. Penn State has five strong verbal commits, highlighted by quarterback Christian Hackenberg and tight end Adam Breneman. O'Brien coaches his first practice a week from today, but he has impressed so far.
• It's not a big surprise to see coaches like Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald and Purdue's Danny Hope opposing the proposal to increase the bowl-eligibility requirement to seven wins from six. Both men, after all, coached 6-6 teams to bowl games in 2011. While Fitzgerald's Wildcats lost yet another bowl game, Hope's team built a bit of momentum for 2012 with a win in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. I don't expect coaches to support anything that would reduce the number of bowls and increase pressure on coaches to make the postseason, but they'll likely lose this argument. As Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and others have pointed out, when bowl games are pairing 6-win teams with fired head coaches -- as we saw in the most recent Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (Illinois-UCLA) -- there's something wrong.
• Offensive line will be one of the more intriguing position groups to watch around the Big Ten this year. Teams like Minnesota, Michigan and Northwestern already have discussed some personnel shuffling along the offensive line or new players joining the mix. Michigan must replace a superstar in center David Molk and Northwestern loses some experience, while Minnesota needs to find the right group after using many different combinations of lines in 2011.
• I'm excited to visit Lincoln early next month and check out Nebraska's spring practice. There seems to be a renewed sense of urgency for the Huskers, who didn't reach their goals in 2011 and ended the season on a down note in the Capital One Bowl. Quarterback Taylor Martinez drew some good reviews in the first few spring workouts.

Your Valentine's Day hangover is no excuse to miss the Big Ten chat. But just in case you did, I've got your covered.

Check out this nifty chat recap. A lot of good stuff in there, aside from the annoying Wolverine Nation questions.

Some highlights:

Jordan from Madison: Adam, even taking into account the question mark at QB and the turnover with the high number of assistant coaches leaving, is UW still the favorite to win the division?

Adam Rittenberg: I would say so, Jordan. Wisconsin is undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary of Ohio State's bowl ban. The Badgers could win the division with a 9-3 or 8-4 record, depending on how things go elsewhere. Penn State and Illinois both are replacing head coaches, and Purdue has been inconsistent at best under Danny Hope. Indiana is coming off of a 1-11 season. So the Badgers, despite all their changes, look like the team to beat.

JB from Ann Arbor: In the latest mailblog you said that "no team is a "lock" for the Rose Bowl. Especially a team that opens against Alabama and plays Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State on the road" For Michigan, how much does Alabama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State stand in their way of getting to the Rose Bowl? Ohio State may factor if there is a tie in the division, but if Michigan handles Nebraska, MSU, and the rest of the division then those other games really don't matter. Or do I have something wrong?

Adam Rittenberg: JB, that's a good point and I'm glad you're grasping the importance of division games. My general statement is that it's foolish for fans to think their team is a "lock" for the Rose Bowl in almost any year. Michigan State has beaten Michigan four straight years and returns a very strong team. Winning at Nebraska will be very tough. Same with Ohio State, even though it's a cross-division game. If Michigan beats MSU and Nebraska but loses to Ohio State, it should be in good shape as long as it doesn't stumble against a team like Iowa.

MSU, Mich and Purdue: With the PAC 10 agreement in 2017, what's the chance we tell ND to find new games? ND hasn't been relivent on the national title level in 20+ years, lets not use the moves the needle excuse, or is it just we enjoy the easier "quality" wins ND gives up

Adam Rittenberg: I don't think you'll be abandoning Notre Dame any time soon. Especially not Purdue, which often is only in the national spotlight when it plays Purdue. Michigan State has elevated its national profile, but the Spartans always get a little more attention when they face the Irish. Although Michigan has been a bit more creative with scheduling under AD Dave Brandon, I don't see the Wolverines taking more than a two-year break from the Notre Dame series. Facing ND still has some benefits, even if it's not always a high-quality win.

Addison from East Lansing: While there is no set number of successful seasons that makes your brand power become elite what do you think it will take for MSU to make this happen? Will it be one Rose Bowl berth and victory to make this dream a reality? Is this the season?

Adam Rittenberg: Addison, this is a great question. When does a team truly increase its national brand? It'll definitely take a BCS bowl appearance, preferably the Rose, for Michigan State to take this step. Another 10-win season certainly would help, but the Spartans need to show they can get to that elite level. A Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl appearance and victory would do wonders for a program that is already on the rise.

Ashley from Lincoln: Who do think will be the bigger instant impact for the Huskers, Mo Seisay or Zaire Anderson?

Adam Rittenberg: Good question, Ashley. I think Seisay is ready to be an impact player right away for Nebraska, which needs some help at cornerback. The Huskers also haven't been quiet about their need for more linebackers, and Anderson wasn't brought in to sit on the bench. I see both players seeing the field this fall. I'd give a slight edge to Seisay, but it'll be interesting to see how things unfold.

As always, thanks for joining me for the chat, and for your questions and comments. My apologies to those whose questions weren't answered. You can try again next week.

Last week I went out with a girl whose favorite band was Glee!

• You guys truly love to hate — Big Ten coaches, that is.
• Mark Dantonio says Michigan State and Wisconsin remain the teams to beat in the Big Ten. Wisconsin and Michigan State also reportedly are in the mix for Maryland quarterback transfer Danny O'Brien.
• Best wishes to former Iowa and Wisconsin assistant Dan McCarney, who recently suffered a stroke.
• Bill O'Brien signed an incentive-laden contract at Penn State. An evaluation of the Nittany Lions' NFL draft hopefuls.
• A good piece from Chip Scoggins on the grind of winter workouts at Minnesota. The Daily Gopher looks at Minnesota's offensive recruiting needs.
• Rodney Coe might land at Iowa after all, but he's not thrilled about playing defensive line.
• Ohio State adds a talented lineman to its 2013 recruiting class.
• A terrific Valentine's Day tribute to Denard Robinson. Michigan announces its plans for spring game weekend (spring game: April 14). Some interesting thoughts from Michigan AD Dave Brandon.
• Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald takes heat for a tweet he didn't post.
• A former Purdue assistant is on the way to the Oakland Raiders.

Back from some basketball moonlighting:

• Kirk Ferentz's staff changes show that he's not a major overhaul kind of guy. Mike Hlas weighs in with some thoughts on the Hawkeyes' coaching moves.
• Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon isn't sold on the idea of a college football playoff. Junior Hemingway was the victim of a burglary.
• Ohio State AD Gene Smith says he's among those open to the playoff idea.
• The Big Ten is being practical with its playoff proposal, Dan Wetzel writes.
• Police have denied that they used unnecessary force in a traffic stop of former Michigan State defensive back Trenton Robinson. A Cleveland-area wide receiver accepted a spot as a preferred walk-on for the Spartans.
• Fundraising will be a huge part of the next Minnesota AD's job. The Minnesota president talks about why Joel Maturi's retirement needed to happen this year.
• Jared Crick is healing and trying to get ready for an NFL career.
• SI.com is no fan of Penn State's recruiting class, giving it an 'F'. The Joe Paterno memorial services cost about $29,000.
• Danny Hope expects that changes on staff will help improve Purdue's defense.
• New Wisconsin assistant Eddie Faulkner can use his experiences as a Badger to be an effective recruiter.

Statement are beginning to roll in from around the Big Ten Conference following the passing of former Penn State coach Joe Paterno on Sunday morning. Paterno coached his final 19 seasons in the Big Ten and won three league titles (1994, 2005, 2008).

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Joe Paterno. His passing marks a tremendous loss for Penn State, college football and for countless fans, coaches and student-athletes. Our condolences go out to the Paterno family and to the entire Penn State community."

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer

"I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing of coach Joe Paterno. He was a man who I have deep respect for as a human being, as a husband and father, as a leader and as a football coach. I was very fortunate to have been able to develop a personal relationship with him, especially over the course of the last several years, and it is something that I will always cherish. My prayers and thoughts go out to his wife, Sue, and to their family, and also to the family he had at Penn State University. We have lost a remarkable person and someone who affected the lives of so many people in so many positive ways. His presence will be dearly missed. His legacy as a coach, as a winner and as a champion will carry on forever."

Nebraska athletic director and former coach Tom Osborne

"I am saddened to hear the news of Joe Paterno's passing. Joe was a genuinely good person. Whenever you recruited or played against Joe you knew how he operated and that he always stood for the right things. Of course, his longevity over time and his impact on college football is remarkable. Anybody who knew Joe feels badly about the circumstances. I suspect the emotional turmoil of the last few weeks might have played into it. We offer our condolences to his family and wish them the very best."

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon also tweeted: "The U-M Athletic Dept expresses its condolences to the Paterno Family on Joe's passing. Very sad. May he RIP."

Fans at Indiana's Assembly Hall observed a moment of silence for Paterno before today's basketball game between IU and Penn State.

More statements from around the league are on the way and we'll post them on the blog.

NEW ORLEANS -- A major theme during bowl season has been teams dealing with distractions, particularly of the coaching variety.

A year ago, Michigan was one of those teams.

Rich Rodriguez hadn't officially been fired as Wolverines coach, but few believed he would survive past the team's Gator Bowl matchup against Mississippi State. Athletic director Dave Brandon had opted to wait until after the bowl to make an evaluation on Rodriguez, eschewing the common practice of determining a coach's future following the regular season.

Although Brandon's decision kept Rodriguez with his team through the bowl game, the uncertainty had its effects. Mississippi State ended up drubbing Michigan 52-14, handing the Wolverines their worst-ever bowl defeat by 18 points.

"That was definitely somewhat of a distraction," Wolverines defensive end Ryan Van Bergen said of the RichRod limbo. "We did have that kind of hanging over our head, whether our coach was going to be back. You can't say it wasn't a distraction.

"It had to be on the minds of some of us. It was on my mind."

Michigan players don't have to worry about their coach's future heading into Tuesday night's Allstate Sugar Bowl matchup against Virginia Tech. Brady Hoke claimed Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in his first season at the helm and won't be leaving Ann Arbor any time soon.

Although there are some different distractions this year -- Bourbon Street being just around the corner from the team hotel, for starters -- Michigan seniors like Van Bergen and defensive tackle Mike Martin have tried to keep the team focused.

"The guys after practice, they see [the veterans] in the hotel watching film instead of going out and doing whatever," Martin said.

Martin saw a more relaxed attitude last year in Jacksonville.

"There wasn't as much of a focus as there needed to be," Martin said. "That's just watching the older guys. It trickles down. I'm a senior, and this is my time to show these younger guys how important this game is to me. That rubs off.

"Every single day, there's an intensity that you need to win a football game."

After the big news about the Big Ten-Pac-12 partnership, the links will be split into two categories.

BIG TEN-PAC-12 PARTNERSHIP

• Check out all of ESPN.com's coverage here.
• Some good overall analysis of the merger here and here and here and here.
• Ohio State AD Gene Smith said the plan won't change the school's approach to non-league scheduling.
• Iowa AD Gary Barta expects the Cy-Hawk series won't be affected.
• Michigan AD Dave Brandon also weighs in on the impact.
• The partnership also won't impact the Purdue-Notre Dame series.

OTHER BIG TEN LINKS

• Michigan State junior defensive tackle Jerel Worthy is "50-50" on whether he'll return in 2012. Max Bullough and Denicos Allen have formed a new linebacker legacy in East Lansing.
• Ohio State's juniors gear up for what will be their final bowl game (bowl ban in 2012). The Buckeyes' offense hopes to build on its last performance.
• It has been 50 years since Minnesota last played in the Rose Bowl.
• Penn State quarterback Matthew McGloin (concussion) missed practice again Wednesday. Lions interim coach Tom Bradley has helped his players through a difficult time, David Jones writes.
• Nebraska coach Bo Pelini insists he's not looking around for other jobs. T-Magic is very much on South Carolina's radar.
• Wisconsin's departing assistants discuss what the program has meant to them. The Badgers will be sharp when the Rose Bowl kicks off, Tom Oates writes.
• It's time for Purdue to raise the bar in 2012. A nice wrap-up of Purdue's 2011 season.
• Iowa offensive lineman Riley Reiff will discuss his NFL future next week. Kirk Ferentz and Bob Stoops are big fans of one another.
• Illinois linebacker Trulon Henry, who should return to the field Saturday, feels like he has "nine lives." Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase wants to end the season on a high note. New Illinois coach Tim Beckman answers your questions.
• Northwestern is ready to get rid of the bowl monkey. Check out the chat wrap from Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.
• Injuries on the defensive line force Michigan's veterans to pick up the slack.

New Ohio State coach Urban Meyer met with a small group of reporters today in Columbus. Some highlights from what Meyer had to say:

• Meyer said current assistant coaches Stan Drayton and Taver Johnson will remain on the staff, along with Luke Fickell. He hasn't yet decided on linebackers coach Mike Vrabel. Meyer said he would announce his full staff on Jan. 3, one day after the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.
• Meyer said he didn't understand some of the consternation about Ohio State being granted a waiver so it could have extra coaches on staff during the transition. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon was among those who voiced his displeasure about it. Meyer said he received the same waiver when he was hired at Florida.
• The Buckeyes will run Meyer's spread offense, but it won't just be a spread. Meyer said attacking the perimeter of a defense is key, but that's not all you have to do in the Big Ten. "Ohio State's still Ohio State," he said. "We're going to turn around and smack (people) ... That will be a part of who we are, probably more than we've done, because of who we have." Meyer said he would incorporate the I-formation in his offense and that he likes new offensive coordinator Tom Herman because Herman is open to ideas instead of married to his own system.
• Meyer has told recruits not to expect heavy sanctions from the NCAA, which could issue its ruling on the Ohio State infractions case sometime this week. Though Meyer doesn't know for sure what's coming down, he said he has spoken to friends in the NCAA and feels secure that there won't be a bowl ban or other heavy penalties. Meyer said he would work to prevent future rules violations. "If you see something that doesn't look right, you go like a torpedo and go blow the whole thing up and then go put it back together," he said. "We had that approach in Florida."
• Meyer doesn't plan to go to Jacksonville to watch the Gator Bowl. He said he might not even watch it on TV because he is so close to both Florida and Ohio State.