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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.

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.

She's like a dream, wrapped in a wish, poured into jeggings.

• Big Ten commish Jim Delany says the postseason/playoff discussion remains in the early stages.
• Some recruiting analysts think the Big Ten is back to the Big Two (Ohio State and Michigan) and everyone else.
• There's nothing official from Iowa, but all signs point to Greg Davis as the team's next offensive coordinator.
• Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald discusses the recent Twitter issue and lashes out at claims of racism. Wildcats reserve running back Adonis Smith will transfer.
• Purdue's new defensive assistant coaches look for a fresh start. Some video of what the coaches had to say.
• An excellent piece by Scott Dochterman on why Wisconsin-Iowa is the most even rivalry in college sports.
• Michigan picks up yet another commitment for 2013. Another look at the Wolverines' hopefuls at the NFL combine.
• Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith has deep roots with the Buckeyes' program.
• Here's another quarterback prospect Penn State is scouting. A comprehensive recruiting roundup from Black Shoe Diaries. Former PSU assistant Mike McQueary is selling his house in State College.
• More on Bo Pelini's idea to use an outside firm to gauge toughness of Nebraska's recruiting prospects.
• Michigan State gears up for a big recruiting weekend.
• I attended a terrific panel Wednesday on college sports and the media, and you can read about it here.
• Indiana coach Kevin Wilson is looking for more leadership. A quick look at what the Hoosiers are going through during winter conditioning.

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.

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.

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

Penn State assistant Mike McQueary told a grand jury and police that he saw former Nittany Lions assistant Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy in the showers of the team's football facility in 2002.

But he reportedly told a family friend a different account of the incident shortly after it happened.

The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News reports that McQueary told Dr. Jonathan Dranov, a family friend and a colleague of his father's, that he heard "sex sounds" and a running shower before a young boy peered around the corner of a shower stall. An adult's arm then reached around the boy's waist and pulled him out of view. Sandusky walked out of the shower moments later.

A source with knowledge of Dranov's testimony before the grand jury relayed his account to the Patriot-News. Dranov testified that he spoke to McQueary shortly after McQueary witnessed the alleged incident, and advised McQueary that because he hadn't personally witnessed an assault, he should report the incident to his superiors at Penn State but not the police.

The version differs with those from McQueary's statement to police and the summary of his testimony in the grand jury presentment. In both of those accounts, McQueary said he witnessed Sandusky sodomizing a boy of about 10 years old in the shower.

This is a significant development, as McQueary's testimony played a key role in the perjury charges against former Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and ex-vice president Gary Schultz. It also raised questions about what McQueary told former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, who claims he was never told about a rape or molestation when McQueary came to him the day after the alleged incident.

Curley and Schultz have testified they were told about "horseplay" that McQueary said made him feel uncomfortable. McQueary says he told them graphic details about a sexual assault.

As previously reported, McQueary told a friend in an email that he stopped the alleged rape and discussed it with police, something a source familiar with the state's investigation confirmed to ESPN's Tom Rinaldi.

McQueary testified that after witnessing the alleged assault, he left the building, called his father and the next day told Paterno what he saw.

Paterno's response to the situation came under intense scrutiny after Sandusky was charged last month, and eventually led to the Paterno's firing by the school's board of trustees.

While Sandusky has many more problems to worry about, the cases against Curley and Schultz could come down to the credibility of McQueary's testimony. McQueary and Paterno both don't face criminal charges, but their responses to what they saw or what they were told have been major parts of this story.

Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky gave his first extensive interview since being charged with sexual abuse, and in addition to denying he had ever sexually abused young boys, he told The New York Times that former Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno never confronted him about allegations of misconduct.

Paterno was informed in 2002 of an alleged sexual assault by Sandusky on a young boy in the showers of Penn State's football building. Mike McQueary, then a graduate assistant, told Paterno of the incident, and Paterno informed athletic director Tim Curley. Although Paterno faces no legal repercussions in the state's case against Sandusky, he received criticism for not doing more, which led to his firing from Penn State last month.

From The New York Times story:

Mr. Sandusky said the two never spoke about any incidents, not the episode in 2002 or an earlier complaint of child molestation made against Mr. Sandusky in 1998 that was investigated by the Penn State campus police.

"I never talked to him about either one,” Mr. Sandusky said of Mr. Paterno. "That's all I can say. I mean, I don’t know."

Mr. Paterno, through his son, Scott, has denied knowing about the 1998 investigation at the time it happened.

"He's the only one who knows whether anybody ever said anything to him," Mr. Sandusky said of Mr. Paterno.

Keep in mind these are Sandusky's comments, and Paterno has kept quiet, on the advice of his lawyer, about what he knew, what he didn't know, who he told, who he confronted, etc. We have yet to hear Paterno's side of the story.

Asked about the fallout for Paterno and Penn State from his indictment, Sandusky told The Times he didn't think it was fair.

Other notes from the interview.

• "They've taken everything that I ever did for any young person and twisted it to say that my motives were sexual or whatever," Mr. Sandusky said. He added: "I had kid after kid after kid who might say I was a father figure. And they just twisted that all."
• Asked directly why he appeared to interact with children who were not his own without many of the typical safeguards other adults might apply -- showering with them, sleeping alone with them in hotel rooms, blowing on their stomachs -- he essentially said that he saw those children as his own.
• [Sandusky] said that his relationships and activities with Second Mile children did cause some strain with Mr. Paterno, but only in that Mr. Sandusky worried that having some of the children with him at hotels before games, or on the sideline during games, risked being seen as a distraction by the demanding Mr. Paterno.
• In 1998, the mother of a child reported concerns to the Penn State campus police when she learned her son had showered with Mr. Sandusky at the university. After an investigation, Mr. Sandusky admitted to the police and child welfare authorities that he had most likely done something inappropriate, according to prosecutors. The local district attorney declined to prosecute. In the interview this week, Mr. Sandusky said the boy and his mother remained a part of his life for years. He said that the mother had sought him out for tickets to Penn State games for her son, and that Mr. Sandusky had contributed financially years later, when the young man, interested in the ministry, went on a mission.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The tendency during a time of crisis is to go conservative, limit risks and simply try to survive.

Penn State is mired in a crisis, perhaps the biggest crisis in college sports history. A sex-abuse scandal has enveloped the institution. Beloved football coach Joe Paterno has been fired, and recently his son Scott said his father had been diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer. Assistant coach Mike McQueary has been placed on administrative leave. Coaches are shuffling responsibilities. The future is hazy.

And, by the way, Penn State finds itself in the thick of the Big Ten title race.

Given these circumstances, few would blame Penn State, already known as one of the nation's most conservative football programs, to play it even safer with its schemes and personnel. Crisis Management 101, right?

Think again.

Interim coach Tom Bradley and his staff decided this would be the perfect time to shake up the offense. The Wildcat formation, run by two former high school quarterbacks, Curtis Drake and Bill Belton, fueled a potent rushing attack in Penn State's 20-14 victory against Ohio State at Ohio Stadium.

The new wrinkle led to a new result in a place Penn State had won just once before (2008) as a member of the Big Ten.

"With all that we've been going through, we need a spark," said Drake, who had a 38-yard scamper and finished with 50 yards on three carries. "We need something new, we need to uplift ourselves. ... [The coaches] were looking at it just to say, 'We've got nothing else to lose. We've been kicked, we've been spit on by everybody. So now let's just go out and play.'"

Penn State set the tone Saturday on its opening drive when Drake, lined up in the Wildcat, took the snap and handed the ball to Stephfon Green, who raced 39 yards to the end zone. Penn State racked up 91 yards out of the Wildcat in the first half and finished the game with 239 rush yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries (6.1 ypc).

Belton had practiced at quarterback on the scout team heading into the Nebraska game. After seeing Belton "torch" his defense for 10 days, Bradley wanted to use Belton against the opposition. Drake always had been an option at Wildcat, but his recovery from a leg injury kept the plan on hold.

"We'd thought about it a while ago, but we never just got to the package," Bradley said. "We thought today coming in, it would just give us a little change of pace, which it did."

No team in America could use a change of pace more than Penn State. The program has been under siege the past two weeks. Paterno's firing last Wednesday triggered an outpouring of emotion, and the players weren't immune from it.

Then came Friday, when Bradley informed the players of Paterno's cancer diagnosis.

"When it rains, it pours," linebacker Glenn Carson said. "That was what was said amongst each other. It's been a tough week, it's been a tough couple days for us. But I can't be more proud of how this team [handled] the adversity."

Joe's son Jay, the team's quarterbacks coach, wanted to keep the news about his father private until the end of the season, but realized it wouldn't be possible with the intense media attention. While Jay Paterno learned of his father's diagnosis last week, he didn't even tell his children until Friday.

Bradley repeatedly checked in with Jay Paterno, telling him if he needed to miss a meeting to be with his family, don't hesitate to do go. Jay stayed.

"I would go to work and look at film of Ohio State and that was frightening enough," he said. "Working on the game plan, it really kept me distracted. ... It's one of those things that if I didn't do my job and didn't carry it like I'm supposed to, I think I'd be disappointed in myself. But it's not easy."

The other coaches have taken a similar approach.

"It's very emotional," said defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who coordinated the defense with linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden on Saturday. "I try to leave the house in the morning, try to leave all that behind, walk in the [football] building and try to turn myself back into a coach as quick as possible. You can't help but have emotion with the things that have happened. The Coach Paterno news, the victims, we pray for them every day and we make sure we honor them.

"And then we go to work."

Johnson said the players, despite their age, might have an easier time focusing because they didn't know former assistant Jerry Sandusky and weren't at the school when the alleged sexual abuse occurred. But the players know Paterno and they know McQueary, who wide receiver Derek Moye said played a huge role communicating offensive plays and personnel decisions.

Although Friday's news was yet another blow, game day brought players a refuge.

"Guys are anxious to get on the field," quarterback Matthew McGloin said, "just to forget about what's been going on for however long it is, three hours, and just have fun and play the game. That's what we were able to do today, and that's what we were able to do all week in practice.

"Your problems off the field aren't going to go away, but once you step on the field, you have to focus."

In the Big Ten title race, Penn State's game Saturday meant nothing. Wisconsin's victory at Illinois earlier in the day ensured the Leaders Division would come down to next week's game between Penn State and the Badgers in Madison.

But for the Lions' players and coaches, Saturday meant everything, and it showed. Midway through the third quarter, Penn State faced fourth-and-goal from the Ohio State 1-yard line, leading by six.

"Normally, I would have probably kicked it," Bradley said. "But I felt that would have been the wrong decision. ... I'm asking those guys to go to the wall, so I'm going to the wall."

Although Penn State couldn't punch it in, it prevailed in the end. Team Crisis now heads to Madison with a chance to reach the Big Ten championship game.

"We're still at the top of the division, it's still in our hands," McGloin said. "I don't think people are too worried about what's going on outside."

I sleep clown.

• Police say they have no record of former Penn State assistant Mike McQueary reporting an alleged sexual assault by Jerry Sandusky. McQueary has become one of the main figures in the scandal, Sara Ganim writes.
• A lawyer representing an alleged Sandusky victim says his client will testify about the abuse he endured.
• A posting on an Internet forum helped investigators in the Sandusky case, Jo Becker writes.
• Penn State's trustees won't escape scrutiny in the school's internal review of the sex-abuse scandal .
• Doug Lesmerises examines the complicated return of WR DeVier Posey to Ohio State. Ohio State president Gordon Gee called AD Gene Smith a "role model" in a recent performance evaluation.
• Better communication has helped Michigan's defense make strides this year. Former Wolverines recruit Demar Dorsey tries to capitalize on a second chance.
• Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio isn't rooting for Michigan because he doesn't have to, Jamie Samuelsen writes. Safety Trenton Robinson has evolved into a team leader for the Spartans.
• The Big Ten Network's Dave Revsine goes inside the numbers for Week 12.
• Purdue AD Morgan Burke admits there's no rhyme or reason for the Purdue-Iowa crossover series other than every team needed one.
• Bob Flounders looks back at another strange week for Penn State's football team.
• Rick Morrissey writes that Ron Zook's track record at Illinois indicates it's time for a change. Illinois has been up and down, but does it mean the end for Zook?
• Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson deserves to be back in the Heisman Trophy mix, Tom Mulhern writes. Badgers DE David Gilbert likely will seek a medical hardship waiver, Jeff Potrykus writes.
• Nebraska's banged-up offensive line knows this is no time to complain about pain. Brett Maher's success as the Huskers' do-it-all specialist is no surprise to his mentor.
• Saturday marks a reunion of sorts for Northwestern and Minnesota players from Chicago, Tina Akouris writes.
• Barry Alvarez sees hope for Minnesota. Patrick Reusse wonders which Minnesota football team becomes competitive again first: Vikings or Gophers?
• Rivals.com's David Fox previews Week 12 in the Big Ten.
• Some good news for Iowa on the recruiting trail. RB Mika'il McCall's medical hardship case with the Hawkeyes is a bit complicated.
• Indiana adds a juco cornerback. Hoosiers coach Kevin Wilson has some connections on the opposite sideline Saturday.
• The Big Ten will have a bunch of bowl teams, but it doesn't mean the league is strong, Nick Baumgardner writes.

Already dreaming about next week's turkey ...

• Mike McQueary has changed his story; what does that do to his status as a key witness? Tom Bradley is trying to focus on the Ohio State game under extremely difficult circumstances. Grades have been a concern for receiver Devon Smith. Bernard Fernandez suggests Pat Fitzgerald as a good fit for the next Nittany Lions head coach.
• There's no normalcy in the pregame buildup to Penn State-Ohio State. The Buckeyes are dealing with a couple of key defensive injuries but will get DeVier Posey back.
• Kirk Ferentz says he hasn't had any contact from Penn State about its coaching job. Iowa has to overcome its road woes with its last two games away from home.
• Beating Iowa would be even more important than the Ohio State win for Purdue, because it would make them bowl eligible. The Boilers need to fix their third-quarter problems.
• Wisconsin tight end Jake Byrne only has one catch, but he has had a big impact on the offense. Ryan Groy takes over at center for the Badgers with Peter Konz hurt.
• Ron Zook's seat is only going to get hotter from here. AD Mike Thomas will have to make a move soon, Mark Tupper writes.
• The Michigan State senior class, which was the first group Mark Dantonio recruited, will go out as the winningest class in school history because of perseverance and character, Dantonio says.
• Michigan's defensive players have responded to criticism. It's like looking into a mirror when the Wolverines view Nebraska.
• Minnesota's MarQueis Gray has bruises and babies to deal with.
• Brett Maher is the latest in a long line of outstanding kickers at Nebraska. Mobile quarterbacks have given the Huskers problems, and now here comes Denard Robinson.
• Northwestern receivers need to work on fighting for the ball in the air to help out their quarterback.
• Indiana is 1-9, but the Hoosiers are playing for pride and a couple of trophies in the last two weeks (subscription required).

Tom Bradley had his first regular game-week news conference as Penn State's interim coach earlier Tuesday, and there was more news on the sex-abuse scandal still enveloping the school.

Here's a roundup of Penn State-related news, notes and links:

• Bradley said he didn't watch NBC's interview Monday night with former Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky, saying he "had other things to do," namely preparing for this week's game at Ohio State. Bradley also declined to discuss his relationship with Sandusky, saying, "I'm not going to go there."
• Bradley declined to comment on assistant Mike McQueary's future with the team. He said McQueary wasn't in protective custody last week and knows where the team's wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator is right now. Bill Kavanaugh, a graduate assistant, will coach receivers this week.
• McQueary reportedly told a friend he went to the police in 2002.
• With Bradley taking over the head-coaching duties, defensive line coach Larry Johnson and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden will serve as co-defensive coordinators going forward. Bradley will work with the kickers, a role McQueary previously handled.
• Bradley isn't worried about the team's safety Saturday at Ohio Stadium and spoke earlier this week with Buckeyes head coach Luke Fickell about the safety issue. Fickell said on the Big Ten teleconference that before the game, the two teams will conduct a "little handshake or something to make sure we all understand it’s a tough time, and the people in the stands understand there are some different things going on outside of the football game." Good to see this.
• Junior Matthew McGloin is listed as Penn State's starting quarterback against the Buckeyes. Joe Paterno had declined to label McGloin as the team's clear-cut starter, but Bradley did exactly that on Saturday. "It's my decision," he said. Rob Bolden still could be in the mix.
• Asked about the Big Ten removing Paterno's name from the league championship trophy, Bradley said, "I just think it's another part of a tragedy that's occurring."
• Bradley received a text message from former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who offered his support. Bradley recruited Pryor to Penn State.
• Bradley said he and the other coaches don't know about their future with the program beyond this season.
• Sophomore running back Silas Redd is expected to play this week despite dealing with a collarbone/chest injury. Redd likely won't practice much this week.
• U.S. Senator Bob Casey from Pennsylvania is asking for a hearing on how federal laws apply to the investigation into the sex-abuse case at Penn State.
• Colleague Wayne Drehs writes about McQueary and how he reached this point.

Penn State coach Tom Bradley said Tuesday that the Nittany Lions will accept a bowl invitation despite all the recent turmoil around the program.

Do you agree? After all that has happened, some think Penn State would be better off closing the book on this season and beginning the difficult process of moving forward. The school will be conducting a coaching search at some point, and the bowl process will only delay things. While head coach Joe Paterno and assistant Mike McQueary are gone, many longtime assistants remain with the team -- not the clean break some are asking for.

Vote in our poll about what Penn State should do when bowl invite time rolls around.

Another question here is do the bowls still want Penn State?

Several bowl officials told CBSsports.com's Brett McMurphy that Penn State's postseason appeal has taken a major hit in light of recent events. Although Penn State is a national program with a national fan following and a terrific bowl tradition -- Paterno won more bowls than any coach in history -- the sex-abuse scandal has placed a dark cloud over the program.

"I can't see someone eager to take them," a bowl official told McMurphy. "I don't think you want that story on your hands. When you bring a bowl team to your community, you want warm, fuzzy stories about student-athletes. You don't want what's going on there."

That's the unfortunate part in all of this: the student-athletes. Penn State has some terrific ones with terrific stories this season -- defensive tackle Devon Still and running back Silas Redd, to name two.

As I've written numerous times since the scandal broke, Penn State's players did nothing wrong and deserve no blame for what happened or didn't happen at their program. But if you think entities like the Big Ten care about the effect of negative publicity -- as shown by the decision to remove Paterno's name from the championship trophy -- may I introduce you to the bowl folks.

For them, it's all about perception.

"The shame of it is the kids at Penn State now had nothing to do with all the controversy," a bowl official said. "But there's a bigger picture here. Bowls are part for the economic impact and part being an opportunity to showcase the community. With Penn State, the other team won't be a story. Everything will be what happened at Penn State [concerning former assistant Jerry Sandusky]. It's not what you're looking for as a bowl. It's not a fun story. No matter what, the story with Penn State will be the residue of that situation. As a bowl game, you don't want to bring that on yourself."

At least the official is being honest. But it's still very unfortunate for the players.

Penn State can make this all moot by winning the Big Ten championship and earning a Rose Bowl berth. Even by reaching the league title game, the Lions can ensure they fall no further than the Gator Bowl, which would be required to select Penn State according to Big Ten bylaws.

The danger is if Penn State loses out to finish 8-4, it could be leapfrogged by other Big Ten teams for the league's tie-in spots. Here's a look at the Big Ten's bowl selection guidelines.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Back to football. Finally.

Both teams went through normal workouts. I didn't see any signs of a Paterno tribute on the Penn State players' uniforms, wrist bands or shoes. But that could change when they come back out for kickoff.

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden will serve as co-defensive coordinators with Tom Bradley acting as head coach. Terrell Golden is working for the receivers with Mike McQueary on administrative leave and reportedly finished as a Nittany Lions coach.

For Nebraska (remember the Huskers?), guard Andrew Rodriguez didn't make the trip because of an undisclosed injury. Seung Hoon Choi will make the start in his place. Choi has started this season, and the Huskers play a lot of guys on the offensive line, so it shouldn't be much of an issue. Defensive lineman Chase Rome was banged up last week but practiced and should be good to go. Nebraska rarely operates in the shadows, but the focus has clearly been away from the Huskers this week.

Penn State had its bye last week, so the team is about as healthy as it could be at this point in the season. Backup running back Derek Day had his foot stepped on in practice this week and is not available, but he wasn't expected to contribute, anyway. The Nittany Lions' mental and emotional health is the real question.