ESPN College Football

As part of ESPN.com's Hate Week, we asked you on Tuesday to vote for the most hated coach of all time in the Big Ten.

Now to wrap up Hate Week -- and we promise it's only going to be love from now on in this space (ahem) -- here are some of your comments on that topic. Let's conclude the Haters' Ball with a bang.

Philip from Iowa writes: No question it's Jim Tressel. First, he wins a lot of Big Ten Championships so naturally everyone else hates him for that. Second, he lost twice in a row in the National Championship, embarrassing the conference on the national stage -- and it hasn't yet been rebuilt. To make matters worse, the 2 games were 1 where OSU was the overwhelming favorite (against FL) and the other was to a 2 loss team (LSU)! Finally, there is the Terrell Pryor saga that happens while Tressel puts out a book called "The Winners Manual for the Game of Life" There is no contest, every school in the Big Ten, including many OSU alums and fans, hate Jim Tressel. Not many coaches can manage that.

Bert from Portland, Ore., writes: Most hated Big Ten Coach.Bo Schembechler. I attended Northwestern during 1975-79 and the football program won five games during that time (with an infamous 0-0 tie agaisnt Illinois). Woody Hayes would bring his team to town and in the post-game conference at least say that Northwestern played hard. Schembechler would complain that Northwestern did not belong in the Big Ten and that Michigan did not make enough money when it played in Evanston. He was a jerk of the worst kind. I remember watching the Homecoming game in 1978 when, during a rout, Northwestern managed to score a touchdown on a trick play embodiment of a fake punt fairly late in the game. Schembechler started screaming at his players and looked like he was on the verge of having a heart attack. The Northwestern fans started chanting "Rose Bowl! Rose Bowl!" In fact, Schembechler was probably the only man in the world who could make me root for USC in the Rose Bowl (which beat Michigan that season). Woody could be gracious in victory and even humble in own way. Schembechler could accomplish neither.

Logan D. from Saginaw, Mich., writes: The most hated coach in the B1G, or who should be the most hated coach, is without a doubt Bret Bielema. The guy just radiates egotism. All you need to do is type his name into Google followed by "is" and you will know exactly what he's like from the suggested words. As a Michigan State fan, I'm not sure if I have ever been angrier with a coach than I was at the end of last year's Big Ten Championship game. After Wisconsin's punter made his Oscar-worthy dive to seal the game, I don't know if I've ever seen a coach as outwardly exuberant as Bret was in that moment. You would have thought his team just scored a touchdown on the most miraculous play in history. I don't know another coach that would be as excited over seeing a yellow flag in the backfield. Plus, not that the guy is in need of an ego-boost whatsoever, but what compels you to put up 70 on Austin Peay and 83 on Indiana? We get it. You can score a lot of points against bad teams.

Brad W. from Philadelphia writes: Most hated coach? Hayden Fry. Unsportsmanlike, completely ungracious, score-runner-upper, never giving the opposition any credit, moronic 3rd-grade stuff like the pink locker room ... just an unpleasant, vicious old man. Could never beat his butt often enough. Runners-up: Earle Bruce, Mike White.

Rich H. from Wayne, N.J., writes: Most hated coach ever? Woody Hayes without a doubt. Surly, unprofessional, a hick, temper tantrums and unpolished. Dial up an automatic loss in almost every bowl game he coached. Track record of more NFL busts than any program sans Nebraska. Unimaginative offense; never changed with the times either. Never scheduled a tough out of conference game regular season without a 2-1/3-1 deal. His famous bout with Ref Jerry Markbreit on the sideline circa 1971? Should have been fired right then and there. Of course 1978 vs Clemson and Mr. Baumann will live in infamy and is the most embarrassing complete breakdown of any major head-coach EVER and televised on national TV to boot. Good thing he wasn't around in today's day and age - that dooming episode would have gone virile in 20 seconds. Yet alums adore this basic jackwagon, go figure. Did I mention his graduation rate? Less than 70%. Should I continue? Nah, jury rests...

Paul from Johnstown, Pa., writes: Love the Hate! I nominate two coaches, one current and one former. First, Bret Bielema...a totally spineless, classless jerk. Runs up the score. Goes for 2 late in the 4th Qtr with games in hand. Whines, whines, whines, whines like a 5 year old. Loses to TCU with a completely loaded team. Makes tacky comments about how great it is to be a Badger fan when questioned about the situations at PSU, OSU and UM. Sprints across the field like a tool to shake hands quickly with opposing coach in total disprespectful fashion .Second, Bo Scumbechler ... yes, "Scumbechler." As a PSU fan, I have an obligation to hate this man for the lack of class he showed when PSU was brought into the B1G. His comments and efforts to exclude PSU and/or to make PSU's admission into the conference unwelcoming still boils my blood.

Danny from Davenport, Iowa, writes: Adam, as a Hawkeye fan it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep from hating Pat Fitzgerald. He may not be on the radar much outside of Iowa City and his body of work may leave some to question this hatred for PF. But, look at this from an Iowa fan standpoint. PF is a whiner and a coward. Take last year, for instance. PF hid behind one of his own players while that player took heat for admitting to the world that Pat Fitz hated Iowa with a passion. One cannot help but think that this is hostility boiling over from the injury incurred during a game when PF was still in pads. Grow up and get over it. Then, there was PFs whole twitter controversy, or should I say the "director of football operations" twitter controversy while he was "accidentally" logged into PFs account. SURE, man up.

Mark from Oklahoma City writes: John Cooper. I was born in Ohio in 1986. Growing up and watching the pain and anguish that John Cooper put on my father's face Saturday afternoons in late November during the 90s was enough to make me despise him. Interestingly, it's during the same period I grew to despise Lloyd Carr. I hated him more at one point until I went to Ohio State during the Jimmy T era which he spent a good amount of time of beating the same Lloyd Carr into "retirement" which cemented Cooper as my most hated coach. Go back to Arizona State, take Gene Smith with you. Give me a coach from Ohio.

Shawn from Minneapolis writes: You gotta admire talent, so I'm not picking on anyone who won, not even those [REDACTED] coaches from Michigan. Most hated B1G coach: Tim Brewster, with a pathetic record of (*googles* ... cripes it didn't feel like that many wins) 15-30 in FOUR LONG YEARS. Long live Coach Kill!

Zach from Lincoln, Neb., writes: In regards to your most hated coach ever...Can the worst coach not have ever coached in the B1G? I think universally, Bill Callahan (excuse my french) is the dirtiest word that can be spoken in 'sker country.

Joe P. from Chicago writes: My most hated Big Ten coach ever is John L. Smith. As a Spartan fan, it was bad enough getting regularly slaughtered by our rivals (and inferior programs like Indiana), but he made our program into a punchline. God Bless Dantonio.

Chris from Wisconsin writes: As soon as Urban Meyer entered the B1G he instantly became the most hated coach of all time. As a Badger fan, I didn't even really hate any coaches in the Big Ten over the years but wow do I hate Urban Meyer and I can't even figure out what it is. I can't stand the guy and he has yet to coach a game at OSU hoping Bielema runs up the score on him for many years to come "and for Urban many is about 3 which is how long I expect him to stay at OSU.

Robert V. from West Bloomfield, Meechigan, writes: Most Hated Big Ten Coach:Wayne Woodrow Hayes.

Travis form Midland, Mich., writes: As a Michigan fan, I would have to say I hate Jim Tressel the most. I was not alive during the 10-year war between Woody and Bo, so I don't hate Woody as much as some other Michigan fans. The biggest reason I hate Tressel the most would be the violations. Before "tattoogate" broke, I hated him, but I respected him for running an honest program. After the NCAA violations, I hated him and I lost most of my respect for him. Personally (and this might be my Michigan fan bias), I believe Ohio State went beyond just the tattoos. I believe that there were rule infractions as early as Maurice Clarett. To sum it up, I hate Jim Tressel because, 1. He coached at Ohio State, 2. He was extremely successful against Michigan, 3. He turned his back to NCAA violations and is labeled a cheater in my mind because of this. My second least favorite coach might just be Jerry Sandusky, for obvious reasons.

John from New Hampshire writes: Easy question: Lloyd Carr hands down without a doubt. His sideline ranting made it even easier to just despise Meeechigan. His BS screaming for more time on the clock won him a miracle game about five years ago when Penn State was in the Big House and winning till Lloyd's crying got the refs to make a historically insipient call, giving undue time on the clock and giving those hideously clad (...that bright yellow....) chumps the game - and costing my beloved Nittany Lions perhaps a perfect season.

The trial of former Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky on child sex abuse charges will begin as scheduled on June 5.

Judge John Cleland on Monday denied a request from Sandusky's attorney for a delay in the trial. Attorney Joe Amendola on May 9 asked that the start of jury selection be pushed back because he needed more time to find and interview witnesses, and because pending criminal charges against two former Penn State administrators (Tim Curley and Gary Schultz) made them unavailable as witnesses. Attorneys for both Curley and Schultz have informed Amendola that their clients will invoke the Fifth Amendment rights and refuse to testify during the Sandusky trial if subpoenaed.

Sandusky faces 52 counts of alleged abuse of 10 boys during a 15-year span. Jury selection begins June 5, and jurors will be selected from the State College area.

Jerry Sandusky's lawyer has asked to push back the trial date for the former Penn State assistant after prosecutors presented new evidence in the case.

Joe Amendola wrote in a court filing Wednesday that he needs significantly more time to investigate new information and prepare for the trial. Amendola wrote that he's still waiting to receive information from prosecutors about the child sex abuse charges filed against Sandusky.

Jury selection was set to begin June 5, and Judge John Cleland has expressed reluctance about pushing back the trial.

Amendola's request comes after a very busy Tuesday in the cases against Sandusky and two former Penn State officials charged with perjury. A prosecution document was filed online and mistakenly revealed the name of one of Sandusky's young accusers. The document later was taken down and re-posted without the name. Monday, prosecutors said the alleged shower incident involving Sandusky and a young boy took place a year earlier than they first claimed.

This hasn't been a good week for the state prosecutors, and it's pretty clear the drama around this case isn't going away any time soon.

The trial for former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky on child-sex abuse charges is scheduled for June 5. But if you thought things were going to be quiet on that scandal front until then, guess again.

Ex-Nittany Lions assistant Mike McQueary, whose explosive allegations that he saw Sandusky assaulting a young boy in a shower in the football complex set this story into hyperdrive, now intends to sue the school under whistleblower's statutes.

McQueary's attorney filed a motion in court on Tuesday that notifies Penn State that he intends to sue. The motion contains no details except that he intends to prove he was the person to point out wrongdoing or misconduct within an institution, and that he is entitled to compensation. The former wide receivers coach was placed on administrative leave Nov. 11.

McQueary's original allegations said the shower incident occurred in 2002, but prosecutors have now changed the date on that account to around Feb. 9, 2001. The discrepancy in the details prompted lawyers for Gary Schultz and Tim Curley -- two former school administrators who are charged with perjury -- to call for dismissal of the charges against them. Has McQueary's credibility been damaged by the date discrepancy? That's something that's sure to be pursued by the defense at trial.

And also on Tuesday, a prosecution document related to the case was filed online and mistakenly revealed the name of one of Sandusky's young accusers. Prosecutors are under court order not to release the names of alleged victims. The document was taken offline and later re-posted without the name. But we all know that once something goes online for even a short amount of time, it can get passed around and have a long shelf life.

We're still nearly a month from the scheduled start of the trial. If the past 24 hours are any indication, it's going to be a circus from now until (especially) then.

Time to take a break from Day 2 of my Hoosier State adventure and answer some of your emails:

Brian from Atlanta writes: Why are you two always so wrong about every issue surrounding a playoff? Every system has problems, and the four team plus is no worse than the others in that regard. A 4 team playoff has lots of problems (EX. If a 1 loss team beats an undefeated team in the semis -- why does that loss count more?), and it hurts the Rose Bowl. You playoff proponents put blind faith in the system to accurately pick the top 4 teams and seed them, but somehow think that same system would fail after the bowls. That makes no sense. Either the system works all the time or none of the time.

Brian Bennett: Well, Brian (great name by the way), I can give you a very simple answer as to why the proposed plan to include the Rose Bowl in a playoff is dumb: It's being called, as you mentioned, a "four-team plus." How ridiculously convoluted does that sound? And that's the very point: We've finally gotten to a place where the powers that be are very open to the excellent idea of a four-team playoff and now there's an option that would muck up the whole thing.

No playoff system is perfect; there are those who would argue that the NCAA basketball tournament doesn't always crown the best team because of its single-elimination format (though the bracket did a pretty darn good coronation job this year). But a four-team, seeded football playoff where the best teams qualify is as good as we're going to get. Let's not ruin it before it begins.

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Scott from East Lansing, Mich., writes: Brian, I think the talk about the Pac-12/Big Ten partnership making it harder for either of the conferences to reach the title game is unjustified. I think it would make it more likely that a team from one of those conferences would go. You need to run a stronger schedule to convince people to get into the championship game, and these match-ups would only make it more likely that the most dominant teams in both conferences could make it to the BCS title game. Am I right or are people seeming something I am not? Also, I am so stoked for the MSU/Oregon series!

Brian Bennett: What the Pac-12/Big Ten series does is potentially make it harder to go undefeated. And going undefeated is the surest way to get into a four-team playoff, because there's no way a team from either league that goes 13-0 would be left out. Adding another difficult game only increases the chances for a loss. Though it does add to a team's strength-of-schedule argument, that would really only come into play if a one-loss Big Ten or Pac-12 team was trying to lobby its way in against other one-loss or non-power-league teams.

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Brian from Newmarket, United Kingdom, writes: I was curious on your thoughts regarding Don Van Natta Jr's article on Penn State? Do you feel differently about JoePa's firing? Seems like Joe may not have been as guilty as everyone says and there was some other shady things going on.

Brian Bennett: Cheers, Brian (great names in the 'bag today!). The story was a fascinating look at all the political and behind-the-scenes power struggles going on in the context of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. But it doesn't really change my opinion of whether Joe Paterno needed to be let go. I've said all along that virtually no one in this entire saga -- not Paterno, not Penn State administrators and trustees, not the governor, not the original investigators -- comes off looking good in this whole mess. I still believe Paterno should have done more and that he could not have been allowed to coach another game under the circumstances, though the way his dismissal was hired by the trustees was also handled very poorly.

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Ben from Connecticut writes: OK, I give. Every article involving Jim Delany always -- always! -- refers to him as some flavor of "powerful." Just what makes him so powerful? Is it simply the title of Big Ten commish or something more? Chutzpah? Dirty pics of Mike Slive? I'd love to know how, if the rest of the world wanted to do something, he'd be able to stop it.

Brian Bennett: He has pictures of Slive eating Chick-fil-A on a Sunday. Actually, Chris, in some respects anyone who is the commissioner of the Big Ten (or the SEC) is going to wield enormous influence simply because of the league he represents. The Big Ten might not be winning national titles in football right now, but it still has a tremendous financial impact on the sport. That said, some milquetoast commissioner wouldn't have the same respect as Delany has. He's been extremely successful and is always going to be one of the brightest guys in any room. The rest of the power brokers need him and the Big Ten to make this playoff system happen.

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Grant from Detroit writes: Thanks for your interview piece with Pat Narduzzi. From your experience with the B1G D-Coordinators, is there a better one in the B1G? And I don't mean that I want you to point out DC's whose teams are successful. I am asking if there is another DC in the conference who has done more with such unheralded recruiting classes. I don't think it takes a great coach to maintain the play of great recruits. I think a great coach sees the talent where others don't and grows that talent into true greatness.

Brian Bennett: I've been impressed with his work since I covered Cincinnati over on the Big East blog, and many of the players that he coached played major roles in getting the Bearcats to BCS games under Brian Kelly. Narduzzi is very bright, a great motivator and one of the best in the business. You also can't discount the impact of Mark Dantonio, who's a defensive-minded coach (and a former brilliant defensive coordinator himself). I think it's the combination of those two guys and their working relationship that has made the Spartans' defense so good.

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Cam from Columbus, Ohio, writes: Love the blog and all, but in your Week 9 road trip post, you said that Michigan State-Wisconsin has become the most exciting new rivalry in the B1G. With all due respect, I wholeheartedly disagree. I would say Ohio State-Wisconsin has become a MUCH more intriguing rivalry in recent years. Ohio State's only loss of the regular season coming in Camp Randall in 2010, followed up by a last-minute upset of the Badgers in the Shoe in 2011, and some poisonous feelings that definitely are felt in other sports too (see: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin basketball final seconds; timeouts BETWEEN last second freethrows? Cold.). Now that both of these teams are possible "elites" again, what do you think about their budding rivalry and its effects on the B1G as a whole?

Brian Bennett: I love college hoops as much as anybody, but I don't think you can include that in this discussion. Michigan State-Wisconsin gets the nod for me because they played two thrilling, monumental games last year; because the Spartans ruined Wisconsin's shot at a perfect season in 2010; and because the two teams staged very close games in the previous three years. Other than last year's barnburner in Columbus, the Wisconsin-Ohio State series hasn't been nearly as close, as four of the previous five games were decided by double digits. So Spartans-Badgers is more exciting, though this year's Ohio State-Wisconsin game could easily ratchet things way up.

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A.J. from Madison, Wis., writes: If the Badgers had their 2012 schedule in 2011, would they have gone undefeated in the regular season? They would have gotten OSU and MSU, their two losses, at home but had to play Nebraska and Penn State on the road.

Brian Bennett: Really interesting question. Wisconsin absolutely pounded Nebraska and Penn State at home, so logically you could assume the Badgers would have won those games on the road, too. And Camp Randall would likely have provided enough of an advantage to change the outcomes against Michigan State and Ohio State. But here's why I say no: Wisconsin is simply so, so much better at home that the odds are the Badgers would have slipped up somewhere on the road, where they undid themselves with special-teams disasters and mental breakdowns in the two regular-season losses last season.

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Brian from Warrensburg, Mo., writes: Can you please explain why you guys think Michigan St will finish atop Nebraska this season? Unless their schedule is considerably easier, I feel like they lost too much star power last year to compete head to head with a Nebraska team that only lost a couple good players and beat them very soundly last year.

Brian Bennett: Another Brian! This must be some kind of a record. I put very little stock in last year's Nebraska-Michigan State game when trying to forecast this season. While the Huskers deserve all the credit for playing a great game, I firmly believe the Spartans were emotionally spent from playing and beating Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan in three successive weeks before going to Lincoln. And didn't Nebraska lose almost as much star power as Michigan State, with Alfonzo Dennard, Lavonte David and Jared Crick? I know that Michigan State's defense is going to be great; I don't know how good Nebraska's defense is going to be or if the Huskers' offense can become more consistent in league play.

With all that said, it's not even tax day yet, so these early predictions don't mean a whole lot. I will form better opinions after spring practice. Adam has seen Nebraska up close, and I will be checking out the Spartans soon. Can't wait to compare notes.

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Nate from Easley, SC, writes: I really like the idea of a spring scrimmage but, other than injuries, I have one major concern. The current system is slanted toward benefiting those with a good pre-season ranking, so, if voters took the results of a glorified scrimmage into account, wouldn't it further skew the pre-season rankings? (Granted, voters' pre-season ranking are already perception-based and not entirely accurate.) Said another way, do you think a scrimmage "Win" would take on more value than player development? Would two highly perceived teams want to to scrimmage if it hurt their stock going into the season?

Brian Bennett: That's an angle I hadn't considered. On one hand, maybe it's not so bad if voters took spring scrimmages into account, because preseason polls are mostly based now on what a team did last year and what it brings back, never having seen one spring or summer workout. If a voter actually paid attention to a spring scrimmage and how a team looked in an exhibition like that, that's probably at least as accurate as the way most voting is done now. I don't think preseason rankings are as big of a deal in a four-team playoff anyway, because the cream should rise to the top in most years.

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The final three Big Ten squads hit the practice field this week. Got spring fever yet?

• Bill O'Brien finally gets a chance to coach as Penn State opens spring practice today. A look at O'Brien's spring to-do list and his biggest concern. Penn State fans are warming up to their new coach.
• Brian Christopherson has a good primer on spring football around the Big Ten.
• Despite starting every game last season, Purdue quarterback Caleb TerBush knows there are no guarantees. Boilers coach Danny Hope has high expectations for a young cornerback.
• Matt Canada might be new to Wisconsin, but the offensive coordinator has a lot of familiarity with one of his assistants. Badgers quarterback Curt Phillips slowly works his way back from injury.
• Nebraska will face three new but proven coaches during non-league play in 2012.
• New assistant Kerry Coombs will help Ohio State strengthen its ties to Cincinnati. A good look at 10 changes for Ohio State as spring ball begins. Charlie Weis must have forgotten about the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.
• Michigan's Brandon Moore has emerged as the leader to take the top tight end spot. Roy Roundtree is excited about moving to the flanker position.
• A psychologist who examined a 1998 allegation against Jerry Sandusky reported that the former Penn State assistant fit the profile of a pedophile.
• Minnesota likes having mobile run-stoppers along its defensive line.
• Pat Harty looks at 14 mostly unproven players who could play big roles for Iowa this fall. Not surprisingly, the Kansas City Chiefs are once again eying several draft prospects from Iowa.
• USC transfer WR Kyle Prater went through his first practice at Northwestern earlier today. Wildcats quarterback Dan Persa tries to prove he's NFL-worthy.
• Illinois is scouting several recruits from a high school in Wisconsin, including DE Chikwe Obasih. Illinois trustee Lawrence Oliver is satisfied the school is keeping diversity in mind with its coaching searches.
• Indiana TE Ted Bolser talks about his expectations for 2012. The Hoosiers' revamped defense looks different in the team's first spring scrimmage (subscription required).
• Los Angeles police are looking into a sexual assault allegation against former Wisconsin administrator John Chadima.

The Penn State board of trustees has given its explanation several times in statements and media interviews about why it fired football coach Joe Paterno on Nov. 9.

The board did so again Monday in a public statement made available on the school's website. The statement recounts the reasons why both Paterno and then-president Graham Spanier were dismissed a few days after the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke wide open.

Both were let go for a "failure of leadership," according to the statement. Here's some of what the trustees had to say about Paterno's actions after the coach was informed by assistant Mike McQueary of allegations against Sandusky:

"While Coach Paterno did his legal duty by reporting that information the next day, Sunday, March 3, to his immediate superior, the then Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley, the Board reasonably inferred that he did not call police. We determined that his decision to do his minimum legal duty and not to do more to follow up constituted a failure of leadership by Coach Paterno."

The trustees apologized for having to fire Paterno over the phone that night, but said there was no better way to do it.

"Because Coach Paterno’s home was surrounded by media representatives, photographers and others, we did not believe there was a dignified, private and secure way to send Board representatives to meet with him there. Nor did we believe it would be wise to wait until the next morning, since we believed it was probable that Coach Paterno would hear the news beforehand from other sources, which would be inappropriate."

The trustees also said options are being considered for honoring Paterno on campus, but that no decisions would be made until the internal investigation headed by former FBI director Louis Freh is finished and released to the public.

None of this is really new information, but the trustees have been under fire since early November and apparently feel the need to justify their decisions. This statement is unlikely to change the minds of people who have already chosen a side in this debate.

Penn State's board of trustees has heard its share of criticism for the way it dealt with the Jerry Sandusky controversy and for the firing of legendary head coach Joe Paterno. Some alumni have led a charge to relieve all the board members of their duties.

In response, 13 Penn State trustees recently met with the New York Times to share their side of the story and recount what happened in the most difficult week in school history.

The article by Pete Thamel and Mark Viera was published today and leads off with a description of how the trustees decided to fire Paterno. Trustees vice chairman John P. Surma asked the 32 trustees if anyone had an objection to the decision.

"No one in the room spoke. There was silence from the phone speakers. Paterno’s 46-year tenure as head coach of one of the country’s storied college football programs was over, and the gravity of the action began to sink in.

“'It was hard for us to want to get to the point where we were going to say that,' said Ira M. Lubert, a board member who works in private equity. 'I was laying in bed that night shaking. And I couldn’t sleep, thinking: We just terminated Joe Paterno.'"

The trustees told the Times they had three key reasons for firing Paterno:

1. His failure to do more than merely inform his superiors when alerted to a suspected sexual assault by Sandusky in football locker-room shower 2002.

2. What they saw as his questioning of the board’s authority; remember Paterno's statement when he said the board shouldn't spend any time debating his job status?

3. His inability to coach the team effectively while the ongoing controversy swirled around the program.

Some of the trustees thought Paterno should have gone to the police instead of telling athletic director Tim Curley and school vice president Gary Schultz, who oversaw the Penn State police department. They also told the Times that the sight of Paterno enjoying the student rally on his front lawn the day before his firing was insensitive in light of the Sandusky news.

"To me, it wasn’t about guilt or innocence in a legal sense,” said trustee Kenneth C. Frazier, who is leading Penn State's investigation into the Sandusky case. “It was about these norms of society that I’m talking about: that every adult has a responsibility for every other child in our community. And that we have a responsibility not to do the minimum, the legal requirement. We have a responsibility for ensuring that we can take every effort that’s within our power not only to prevent further harm to that child, but to every other child.”

I've been inundated with emails from Paterno supporters who insist that he did all he was supposed to do after Mike McQueary told him about the shower incident in 2002. For those of you who think that way, read that last paragraph again.

The trustees also told the Times that they received a short briefing from then PSU president Graham Spanier in May about the Sandusky grand jury investigation. But they said Spanier did not tell the board anything about his own testimony or what the nature of the investigation was. Most trustees got the impression from Spanier's briefing that it was not a major issue for the school.

“He should have told us a lot more,” Lubert said. “He should have let us know much more of the background. He was able to legally share his testimony and I think that he had an obligation to do that with the board so we could get more engaged with the problem.”

The Times story also recounts exactly how the Paterno firing went down, adding a few details to what we learned from Sally Jenkins' story in the Washington Post on Saturday.

"Shortly before 10 p.m., Fran Ganter, the associate athletic director for football, delivered an envelope to Paterno’s home, just off of Penn State’s campus. Inside the envelope was a telephone number. Paterno called the number, and [board chairman Steve] Garban answered. Then he passed the telephone to Surma, who was seated next to him. Surma asked if Paterno could hear him O.K. Paterno said that he could. Then Surma told Paterno of the trustees’ decision. “The board of trustees has determined effective immediately you are no longer the football coach,” Surma recalled saying.

"Then he heard a click. Paterno hung up.

"Surma and Garban sat at the table for a moment, numb. Then the telephone rang again. Surma answered. It was Paterno’s wife, Sue, who said, during the short conversation: “After 61 years, he deserved better.” Then she hung up on Surma."

On Saturday, The Washington Post published Joe Paterno's first interview since the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke in November. Those who were hoping for solid answers on how Penn State could have harbored an alleged child sex-abuser under Paterno's watch probably came away disappointed.

In the interview with Sally Jenkins, Paterno sounded many of the same themes we have heard from his issued public statements and from his sons: that he reported what he knew about Sandusky to his superiors and that he was unaware of his longtime assistant's alleged abuse until Mike McQueary brought forth an allegation about Sandusky in the shower with a boy in 2002.

The story paints Paterno as being in much worse physical condition than when we last saw him in public, the day before his firing Nov. 9. Since then, it has been revealed that the winningest coach in Division I history is dealing with lung cancer. Jenkins writes that Paterno is using a wheelchair, is wearing a wig because of chemotherapy treatments and labors to speak. He has experienced fogginess from the chemo and has had trouble eating. Paterno finished the interview Friday and was admitted to the hospital later that day for further observation.

Paterno seems aware that time might be running out for him, but he hopes he has enough time left to restore his tarnished legacy.

The story, while lacking many bombshells, adds to our understanding of how Paterno says he handled the allegations McQueary brought to him.

"He was very upset and I said why, and he was very reluctant to get into it,” Paterno said. “He told me what he saw, and I said, what? He said it, well, looked like inappropriate, or fondling, I’m not quite sure exactly how he put it. I said you did what you had to do. It’s my job now to figure out what we want to do. So I sat around. It was a Saturday. Waited till Sunday because I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing. And then I called my superiors and I said, ‘Hey, we got a problem, I think. Would you guys look into it?’ Cause I didn’t know, you know. We never had, until that point, 58 years I think, I had never had to deal with something like that. And I didn’t feel adequate.”

Many have wondered why Paterno, the most powerful figure in the Penn State community, didn't personally do more instead of merely reporting the accusation up the chain of command.

"I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was,” he said. “So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way. ...

"I didn’t know which way to go,” he said. “And rather than get in there and make a mistake ...”

Paterno also portrayed himself as being too much from the old world to really understand what McQueary was telling him. McQueary, the former Penn State assistant coach, testified to the grand jury that he witnessed what he believed to be a sexual encounter between Sandusky and what appeared to be a 10-year-old boy in a locker room shower at the school's football complex. McQueary has said he was reluctant to get into too many details with the then-78-year-old Paterno but that he later described in more detail what he saw to school administrators.

“You know, he didn’t want to get specific,” Paterno said. “And to be frank with you I don’t know that it would have done any good, because I never heard of, of, rape and a man. So I just did what I thought was best."

To me, that defense rings false. There's no question Paterno is from a different generation, one in which certain types of sexual behavior were often not spoken about. But no matter what age you are, you should be able to quickly ascertain that any sexual activity between a man and a child is both wrong and illegal. There aren't many ways to go when it comes to that, except to do everything in your power to stop it.

How many opportunities did Paterno have to stop Sandusky? Although Sandusky worked alongside Paterno for more than 30 years, Paterno said in the interview that he never suspected Sandusky of any deviant behavior. As for Sandusky's oddly timed retirement in 1999, Paterno said he thought it was because he had told Sandusky that he would never succeed him as Penn State head coach. Paterno said he was frustrated with how much time Sandusky was spending at his children's charity, The Second Mile, rather than coaching and recruiting. Prosecutors have alleged Sandusky used The Second Mile to recruit his victims.

Paterno said he was not close to Sandusky and could not recall the last time he had seen or spoken to him. Sandusky had been investigated by local police in 1998, but Paterno said he was unaware of that.

“You know it wasn’t like it was something everybody in the building knew about,” Paterno said. “Nobody knew about it.”

That, too, seems hard to believe. In a best-case scenario, Paterno's insistence that he was unaware of what was going on in his own football building confirms what many had long suspected: that the now-85-year-old was far too out of touch and ineffective to be running a major college football program. In the worst case, it shows negligence or willful ignorance.

To Paterno's credit, he doesn't point fingers at others for what happened in the Sandusky case. His wife, Sue, is upset at how Paterno was fired by the school's Board of Trustees. The Paternos say a school administrator showed up at their door at 10 p.m. Nov. 9 with trustee vice chairman John Surma's phone number written on a slip of paper; when Paterno called it, he quickly was told he'd been fired.

But in the interview, Paterno expressed little anger at the way the university has treated him.

“You know, I’m not as concerned about me,” he said. “What’s happened to me has been great. I got five great kids. Seventeen great grandchildren. I’ve had a wonderful experience here at Penn State. I don’t want to walk away from this thing bitter. I want to be helpful.”

So why has Paterno, who has not been accused of any legal wrongdoing, waited so long to speak out?

"I wanted everybody to settle down," he said.

This interview likely won't settle the debate between those who say Paterno was martyred in this scandal and those who think Paterno bears a large share of responsibility. You can believe Paterno did what was legally required and was too old to understand the ramifications of the McQueary allegations. Or you can believe Paterno simply didn't want to know more about what was happening.

In the end, we all want to know how something this ugly could have occurred at Penn State or anywhere. After Paterno's first interview -- and given his health, who knows how much more we'll hear from him -- we're still left wondering.

Like many people, former Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny knows little about Bill O'Brien, beyond a well-publicized sideline spat.

"I don't know a whole lot about him, to be honest with you, except that fight he had with Tom Brady," Posluszny, a linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars, told ESPN.com earlier Friday.

O'Brien's exchange with Brady during a New England Patriots game last month against Washington is all many non-Patriots fans know of the man soon to be named Penn State's new head coach. O'Brien has no known ties to Penn State and has never served as a head coach before. He spent 12 seasons as an FBS assistant in the ACC before moving on to the Patriots in 2007.

Although Posluszny isn't as outraged by the hiring as some other former Penn State players, he had wanted interim head coach Tom Bradley, who coached him at the school, to get the permanent job. And like everyone else, Posluszny has some questions about O'Brien.

"I'm a little mixed," Posluszny said. "Obviously I hope O'Brien does a great job for the success of Penn State, but I need to have a better understanding of who he is and what he's all about."

Posluszny is "very surprised" Penn State didn't hire a coach with some ties to the school, saying he and many other former players believed the team needed someone with a strong knowledge of the institution and the program. Asked if Penn State's decision not to hire someone with ties stemmed from concerns about a P.R. backlash following the sex-abuse scandal, Posluszny said: "If they were, I don't know if that would be appropriate. Let's be honest. All this started because of Jerry Sandusky, one man and his unspeakable actions."

"Just because you had a connection with Penn State, I don't think that should mean you are now tainted for an opening like that," he said.

Posluszny noted that O'Brien needs to spend time learning about Penn State's traditions and history, and he's confident the new coach will do so. It would be "beneficial," Posluszny said, for O'Brien to hire assistants and staff who have previously worked at Penn State.

Although the initial reaction to the hiring hasn't been positive, Posluszny thinks fans, alumni and former players will eventually give O'Brien a chance. If O'Brien reaches out, Posluszny is more than willing to help the new coach.

"That's what we have to do," he said. "I obviously wanted Tom Bradley to get the job, but if this is the decision that's been made, trust me, I want Penn State to be successful and continue on to regain some of the glory that's been lost because of everything surrounding the situation. I'm hoping that O'Brien has the abilities to do that."

How long will it take for Penn State to return to glory?

"I think it will take time," Posluszny said. "We first have to go through the legal trials and issues surrounding everything and get that determined, and then continue to move on.

"It's not going to be an easy thing by any means."

Penn State's unique and drawn-out coaching search is the type that makes you hesitant to believe a hire has been made until he's being introduced at the podium in State College.

But after an unsuccessful push to woo Boise State's Chris Petersen, Penn State has shifted its focus and finally could be closing in on its man.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Penn State's search committee has targeted Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak for the school's vacancy. Munchak played offensive line for the Nittany Lions from 1978-81 before embarking on a Hall of Fame career in the NFL. The 51-year-old is in his first season as Titans coach after 14 years as the team's offensive line coach.

Another NFL coach, Green Bay Packers assistant Tom Clements, also is near the top of Penn State's list, according to multiple reports.

Munchak told reporters Monday that "nothing is going on" with Penn State, but a lot of coaches make similar statements while their teams are still playing. The Titans on Sunday face Houston needing a win and some help to secure a wild-card spot in the AFC playoffs.

Several of Munchak's former Penn State teammates spoke to statecollege.com and indicated Munchak is on the verge of taking the Lions job. One ex-teammate told the website, "I root for Tennessee to win every week. Not this week."

If the Titans lose Sunday or fail to make the playoffs, the Munchak-Penn State talks could heat up in a hurry. Penn State interim head coach Tom Bradley told reporters Tuesday that a permanent head coach won't be named until after the team's appearance Monday in the TicketCity Bowl against Houston. Bradley is one of several current assistants, including defensive line coach Larry Johnson and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, who have interviewed for the job.

Naming a coach might simply be a matter of timing, as The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News' David Jones reports.

Whatever decision is made, it appears the 6-person committee's work is finished. Committee member Russ Rose, the PSU women's volleyball coach, left Monday with his wife on a 2-week vacation throughout Italy. You would think that wouldn't be happening if any hay remained outside the barn.

Munchak is an intriguing candidate, to say the least. Many wonder question why he would consider making a move from the Titans, his employer for the past 29 years, especially after becoming the team's head coach and having a decent first season. He has no experience coaching at the college level and has been an NFL guy through and through.

Still, Penn State fans should be excited if the school lands the former Nittany Lions star. Luring an NFL head coach under tough circumstances would be a coup of sorts for Penn State. And while Munchak has Penn State roots and played for former coach Joe Paterno and former assistant Jerry Sandusky, he's removed enough from the key figures in the sex-abuse scandal. He's close but not too close, which could be the perfect result for Penn State. His NFL background also would appeal to recruits trying to reach the next level.

The search for Paterno's successor appears to be hitting the home stretch.

Stay tuned to the blog for the latest developments.

Have a great holiday weekend! Big Ten bowl season is just around the corner.

AK from Monroe Township, N.J., writes: Hi Adam. OSU fan here. I don't think the bowl ban next year is all that bad. First, I don't see OSU contending for the national title yet. Second, if there are no practices for the bowl game, that means Urban Meyer will be fully hitting the recruiting trails like this year. If he can do an incredible job this year in limited time and scholarship, imagine what he can do next year?

Adam Rittenberg: AK, you're definitely putting a positive spin on things. I see the situation a bit differently. Ohio State would have been the favorite in the Leaders division as the Buckeyes return most of their key players. The bowl ban prevents the Buckeyes from reaching the Big Ten championship game with a chance to go to Pasadena. So it's definitely a blow for next year as things were set up well for the Scarlet and Gray. Also, coaches can still be effective recruiters while preparing their teams for bowl games. Ohio State's team undoubtedly would have benefited from the extra practices next December. Long term, the ban shouldn't sting too much, but it definitely has some drawbacks for the Buckeyes. We do agree on this: Ohio State is more likely to compete for a national title in 2013.

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Dave from Pasadena, Calif., writes: Hey Adam! Upon reading all the news re Wisconsin football the last couple days, it stinks to lose Coach Chryst to Pitt (though it's very deserving and expected), lose out on the battle of Dayne Crist (though maybe it's better to groom the current QBs on the roster), and most likely losing Ball to the NFL (again, deserving and understandable). I know last year, everyone on the team is alluding the Rose Bowl loss to distractions. How do you suppose the Badgers will block out these distractions now??

Adam Rittenberg: Dave, this is a really good question. Brian and I talked with Montee Ball for next week's podcast and he brought up the distractions last year and the need for better focus heading into this year's Rose Bowl. Several factors should help the Badgers. It's not their first trip to Los Angeles, and they shouldn't get as caught up in the glitz and glamor this year. Wisconsin had a similar coaching situation last year with defensive coordinator Dave Doeren, who had accepted the top job at Northern Illinois but still coached the bowl game. Doeren's situation didn't seem to negatively affect the Badgers, and Paul Chryst is the type of guy who will do all he can to keep the focus on the team and on the task at hand. Chryst cares a great deal about his players and wants to get this win. I also think it's good that a guy like Ball, who has a big decision to make, understands the potential distractions and has taken a proactive approach toward keeping the team locked in on the game.

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Daniel from Lincoln, Neb., writes: I need some understanding behind the move of Rick Kaczenski leaving Iowa to go to Nebraska for the same job. Essentially, he is going to be doing the same thing but just different school. Usually coaches that do this move up, i.e. bigger school, conference, division, ect, but I see this as a lateral move. What do you think is the motivation behind this move? It's obviously not for the better scenery, however, we do have better looking women.

Adam Rittenberg: Ha, no comment on your last point. It's interesting that Kaczenski would take the same position on Nebraska's staff. He's not really closer to a coordinator job as John Papuchis, 33, was promoted to the role on Thursday. Sometimes, you just need a change, and Kaczenski had been at Iowa for a while. We'll see about Kaczenski's salary at Nebraska, but he almost certainly received some sort of bump. The Hawkeyes are changing defensive coordinators when Norm Parker retires following the Insight Bowl, and Kaczenski wasn't going to get the job. He's now working for a defensive-minded head coach in Bo Pelini, and at a program where it might be easier to springboard to other things. I hope to visit with Kaczenski soon and see why he made the move.

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Hal from East Meadow, N.Y., writes: Adam, regarding Penn State's next coach there has been a lot of talk, including on this blog, about how it is very likely that Penn State hires from outside of the Penn State community. The main implication of this is that Tom Bradley has virtually no shot of remaining head coach because he is a JoePa disciple. From a PR standpoint this makes total sense, but how much is the school willing to sacrifice quality coaching in favor of what looks good? Bradley was going to be a top candidate to replace JoePa before the scandal, and that was with top flight national candidates competing for the job (presumably). But now, with most of the best head coaching candidates of this offseason either taking jobs elsewhere or denying that they have any interest in coaching at Penn State, it's looking more and more like Bradley is by far the best coach available (from a purely football standpoint) who actually wants the job. With that in mind, how much of a drop off from Bradley is the school willing to take for the sake of appearances?

Adam Rittenberg: Hal, while it appears as though elite coaches don't want the Penn State job, the school could still end up making a really good hire. I don't think we can definitively say Bradley is "by far" the best available coach who wants the job until we see how this saga plays out. There's a good number of good coaches out there, and it only takes one willing to take on the unique challenge at Penn State. No one questions Bradley's coaching ability, and the entire situation is really unfortunate for a guy who has a lot of respect in the Penn State locker room. But I'd be stunned if Bradley gets the job, as he was close to the key figures -- Jerry Sandusky, Mike McQueary, Joe Paterno -- involved in the sex-abuse scandal.

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Joe from Chicago writes: Adam,In your budding rivalry take two commentary that compared Iowa-Nebraska and Michigan State-Wisconsin, you characterized Iowa and Nebraska as being in bordering states (implicitly drawing a distinction to Michigan State and Wisconsin). Michigan and Wisconsin do in fact border one another (remember the Upper Peninsula of Michigan), and the two states do in fact hate each other.

Adam Rittenberg: Aaargh! You're right, Joe. And to think I actually did well in geography. I'll have to turn in my card as an honorary Midwesterner for failing to point out that Michigan and Wisconsin also share a border. Beautiful part of the country, too.

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Dave from Fredricton, New Brunswick, Canada, writes: Hi Adam, love the blog and the job you both do.A Dec 21 blog entry referenced Denard Robinson's paperwork submission to the NFL draft advisory board. Can you elaborate and explain this process for the uninitiated like myself? Thanks in advance!

Adam Rittenberg: No problem, Dave. It's a fairly common practice for draft-eligible juniors like Robinson to submit paperwork to the NFL draft advisory board, which then gives the players an evaluation of where they'd most likely be selected in the draft. The projections come from a panel of professional scouting experts and provide a good picture of whether the players will be first-, second- or third-round picks or fall to the later rounds or out of the draft entirely. The evaluations help players make their decisions on whether to stay in school or go to the draft by Jan. 15.

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Steve from West Des Moines, Iowa, writes: If you'll indulge me, I have two memos with regard to today's lunch links:Memo 1 to Bobby Bowden - spare us what you would have done. Shame on your public posturing of a hypothetical when you were the captain of Free Shoes University.Memo 2 to Kirk Ferentz - you can stop reassuring your fans that you are happy at Iowa. Penn State was never interested, nor was the NFL. The more you issue statements the more you sound like Kristen Wiig's SNL character "Lillia" (don't make me say I'm happy at Iowa again).

Adam Rittenberg: Steve, I agree with you on the Bowden thing. He's entitled to his opinion, but he wasn't placed in the same situation with the same circumstances. It's always easy to say what you would have done. And as you say, Bowden didn't exactly run a controversy-free program at Florida State. Wonder if Joe Paterno would ever talk about Florida State's sparkling academic reputation under Bowden. As to the Ferentz thing, it was a bit surprising he chose to come out with the statement, but the Kansas City Chiefs job seemed a bit different from the positions he's been mentioned for in the past. Also, with the way recruiting goes, coaches don't want prospects thinking they're on their way out. While I don't think it was totally necessary, I don't have an issue with the statement, either.

For links on the Ohio State/NCAA situation, see our earlier post. Now, zipping around the rest of the Big Ten ...

• Illinois is getting low on running back options for the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. The coaching transition makes for a weird time around the Illini.
• Defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski left Iowa, and all signs point toward him taking the same job at Nebraska. Tom Osborne believes Bo Pelini will stay put in Lincoln.
• Bobby Bowden said he would have done more than Joe Paterno to stop Jerry Sandusky. It's a bittersweet birthday for JoePa. Should Penn State change its name?
• The Marcus Coker suspension is all too familiar for Iowa. Kirk Ferentz made a statement with his statement about staying.
• Al Borges says the Michigan offense has a lot more it can do next year. Fitz Toussaint got better and better as the year went along.
• Michigan State players got a special helmet to mark their win over Michigan this season. Isaiah Lewis has moved past his Big Ten title game mistake, and he has the full support of his coach. The Spartans are finding it hard to duplicate Georgia's size in their bowl rep.
• Two more Purdue players got in trouble and could miss the Little Caesars Bowl game.
• Wisconsin's Paul Chryst made a very good impression at Pitt but still looks like the second choice in that coaching search.

Lunch links roasting on an open fire ...

• Luke Fickell is waiting on word from Pitt about its head coaching job. Six reasons to care about Ohio State's game against Florida in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.
• Penn State might have to start a walk-on quarterback in its bowl game. Colleague Joe Schad reports that Penn State is interested in Baylor assistant Brian Norwood. A former detective recalls the 1998 investigation into Jerry Sandusky and says he thought there was enough at the time to file charges.
• Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst isn't talking about his interview at Pitt. Patrick Butrym delivered a stirring halftime message to his Badger teammates at the Big Ten title game.
• New Illinois coach Tim Beckman is making the rounds at the local high schools.
• Kirk Ferentz says he won't be going to the Chiefs or anywhere else next year. A former Iowa player says Norm Parker saved his life, long after his football career ended.
• Allstate Sugar Bowl officials say they "hit the mother lode" with Virginia Tech and Michigan, even if most of the rest of the world disagrees. Freshmen made an impressive impact on the Wolverines' defense this season.
• Michigan State's offensive line finished the season strong after a shaky start. The Spartans are eager for some bowl redemption under Mark Dantonio.
• Nebraska's defensive ends are trying to live up to the legacy of that position at the program. Andrew Green is still working to become a complete player at cornerback for the Huskers. Mike Caputo's DUI situation demands clarity, Sam McKewon writes.
• Northwestern must find a way to stop Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
• Purdue will likely be missing two starters -- suspended receiver O.J. Ross and recently-arrested linebacker Dwayne Beckford -- for the Little Caesars Bowl.

ESPN's Jeremy Schaap discusses Mike McQueary's testimony in a preliminary hearing.