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Bill O'Brien talks to Todd Blackledge about taking over at Penn State, and his conversations with Joe Paterno.

Penn State built a strong foundation to its 2013 class last week when the Nittany Lions picked up three commitments. Their latest is their biggest yet as ESPNU Watch List tight end Adam Breneman committed to the Lions in a news conference Friday night at Cedar Cliff High School.

Click here for Jared Shanker's full story.

It's chat time again, as I'll be discussing all things Big Ten football today at noon ET.

We're a week away from national signing day and about six weeks away from the start of spring football. We're also following an emotional week in State College as Penn State says goodbye to Joe Paterno.

Got questions and comments? Share them with me at noon. See you there.

Here’s a look back at Joe Paterno’s coaching career from a statistical perspective.

Paterno won 409 games, the most of anyone in major college football history. That total ranks second all-time among college coaches in all divisions to John Gagliardi’s 484 (Gagliardi is the head coach for St. John’s, a Division III school in Minnesota).

Paterno averaged 8.9 wins per season as Penn State’s head coach. He also holds the NCAA records for most bowl appearances (37) and bowl wins (24). He was 24-12-1 in bowl games.

He had 24 bowl wins as Penn State’s head coach. Only six teams other than Penn State have won more bowl games in their history.

While at Penn State, Paterno defeated 80 different teams. Oklahoma and Florida were the only teams that Paterno faced MORE than once without a win (0-2 vs both).

Paterno debuted as Penn State’s head coach on September 17, 1966, as the Nittany Lions defeated Maryland, 15-7. He coached the team to five undefeated seasons (1968, 1969, 1973, 1986, and 1994), winning his first national title on January 1, 1983 when Penn State defeated No. 1 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, 27-23.

Paterno has been the record-holder for wins by an FBS coach since Oct. 27, 2001, when Penn State defeated Ohio State, 29-27 for career win No. 324, breaking the mark he shared with Bear Bryant.

His 409th and final win, breaking the NCAA Division I record shared with Eddie Robinson, came with a 10-7 triumph over Illinois on October 29, 2011.

Paterno’s 46 seasons as a head coach are the second-most in major college history, trailing only Amos Alonzo Stagg’s 57.

His 46 seasons are by far the most of anyone who coached a major college program and never coached another team (Frank Howard and Dan McGugin are second with 30 seasons at Clemson and Vanderbilt, respectively).

Paterno finished with 548 career games coached, matching Stagg’s total.

Paterno’s Penn State tenure (including 16 years as assistant coach) spanned 61 years and 12 U.S. Presidential administrations. He was the head coach for 46 seasons, for more than one-third of the games played by the program in its 125-year history.

By now you probably have read the statement from the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors on Penn State. If not, go ahead and check it out from our most recent blog entry.

Does your head hurt? Can't blame you. That's the kind of overly wordy, point-obfuscating mess that only a team of lawyers and academic head honchos could cobble together.

Boil it down to the essence, though, and it's pretty significant. Big Ten leadership has been fairly quiet about the Penn State sex-abuse scandal to this point, with its most significant action so far being the stripping of Joe Paterno's name off the football championship trophy. With this statement, the conference presidents and chancellors are firing a warning shot, telling Penn State that the league may "impose sanctions, corrective or other disciplinary measures" whether the NCAA chooses to do so or not.

The league also wants its own lawyers involved in any NCAA or school-directed review. Usually, a conference brings its legal team to the aid of member schools under fire from the NCAA. (Remember how hard Jim Delany fought for Ohio State around this time last year? Or the league's support for Michigan with the practice-time violations?). Here it sounds like the Big Ten is putting the attorneys on the other side of the bench.

The big question is, of course, what type of sanctions the Big Ten is willing to impose on Penn State if it doesn't like the results of these investigations. Rumors have circulated that at least a few league schools were so angry and disgusted by the Jerry Sandusky sex-abuse scandal that they lobbied to kick Penn State out of the Big Ten altogether, and the Nittany Lions don't have the kind of history with the league that would make that impossible. I still very seriously doubt that would ever happen, since the conference just put so much work into getting to 12 teams and would likely have to deal with all kinds of thorny legal issues to expel a school. Besides, Penn State has taken steps to clean house by firing its president, athletic director and Paterno. The school needs to keep cutting ties to those who were culpable.

Another really interesting part of the statement reads that the council believes there is "sufficient information to raise significant concerns as to whether a concentration of power in a single individual or program may have threatened or eroded institutional control of intercollegiate athletics at Penn State." In other words, as many have said and written, Paterno was too powerful for the school's own good. (Naturally, no one from the Big Ten was complaining about this when the league was naming awards for him this offseason, but better late than never).

That leads into the council's directive "to initiate an immediate review of the fundamental issues and systems affecting intercollegiate athletics, including the serious issues relating to the institutional control of athletics." The goal is to come up with a set of "stress tests" to insure "(a) to insure that each member is responsible and accountable to the collective membership of the Conference for the control and operation of its intercollegiate athletics programs as well as (b) to prevent anyone, whether a trustee, administrator, faculty member, athletic director, coach, booster or otherwise, from eroding the effectiveness of an institution’s practices and procedures designed to protect the institution’s integrity and control over its intercollegiate athletic programs." (Lawyered!)

To which I say: Good luck with that. Look, there are serious problems with the deification of coaches and the undue amount of influence sports have over our places of higher learning. I wrote about this very thing a couple of weeks ago while warning Ohio State to be wary of the "cult of coach" with Urban Meyer. It's an issue that's ripe for review.

But the Big Ten is going to come up with "standards, stress tests and other criteria" to prevent this from happening by next spring? Right. Just as soon as the Big Ten Network millions roll in and coaches get their bowl bonuses cashed before driving their comp cars to spring practice. The genie isn't just out of the bottle; the bottle is smashed into a million pieces. Plus, there isn't likely to be a situation again quite like Paterno's, where a guy coaches for nearly half a century at a remote campus, basically building the program and much of the university himself.

Still, it can't hurt for the Big Ten -- and all leagues and schools -- to do this kind of soul-searching after one of the worst years ever in college sports. Everyone involved should do whatever it takes to make sure this kind of thing never happens again. Even if that means a league punishing one of its own.

Houston Cougars (12-1) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-3)

Jan. 2, noon ET (ESPNU)

Houston take from Nation blogger Andrea Adelson: It was all right there for Houston.

All the Cougars had to do was beat Southern Miss in the Conference USA championship game to make the first BCS appearance in school history. But they had their worst performance of the season, losing 49-28, dashing any hopes of getting up on the big stage. Now they have to settle for a lower-tier bowl game as they wonder about what could have been.

The loss puts a damper on what has been a special season. The 12 wins are the most in school history, and quarterback Case Keenum shattered virtually every NCAA passing mark -- career yards, career touchdown passes and total offense came tumbling down in a torrent of scoreboards that were lit up every single week. He threw for more than 5,000 yards for the third time in his career, along with a career-high 45 touchdown passes. Patrick Edwards had a terrific season as well, with more than 1,500 yards receiving. Linebacker Sammy Brown anchored the defense with his standout play. But this has been a program with a reputation of dropping a game it is favored to win every season. Just go back to 2009. After beating Oklahoma State and Texas Tech to open the season 3-0, Houston lost to UTEP. Later that season, the Cougars lost to UCF and in the Conference USA championship game. They managed to make it through this season unscathed until the very moment it mattered most. Perhaps the gravity of the situation overwhelmed the players. Perhaps distractions surrounding coach Kevin Sumlin and future coaching destinations were too much to bear. In any case, what has been one of the best seasons in school history may not be remembered that way.

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Penn State take from Big Ten blogger Brian Bennett: Penn State's players deserve a bigger bowl game than this.

The Nittany Lions finished 9-3, tied for a share of the Big Ten Leaders Division lead and are ranked in the Top 25. In any other year, that would all but guarantee a spot in Florida or some other traditional locale.

But this was far from any other year at Penn State. The Jerry Sandusky sex-abuse scandal enveloped the entire university in November and led to the firing of legendary head coach Joe Paterno. Bowls do not like negative publicity, so the Nittany Lions tumbled down the Big Ten postseason pecking order -- all the way to the second-year TicketCity Bowl in Dallas against a non-AQ team.

At least it's an intriguing battle of offense versus defense. Penn State, led by Big Ten defensive player of the year Devon Still, finished fifth nationally in scoring defense and 10th in yards allowed. That defense will get a major challenge from record-breaking quarterback Case Keenum and a Houston offense that averaged an FBS-best 50.8 points per game this season.

Both teams could have new head coaches by the time the game kicks off, as the Lions are being led by interim coach Tom Bradley, while Houston coach Kevin Sumlin is a candidate for several current openings. We already know at least one winner from this bowl: Penn State has pledged to donate $1.5 million of its postseason proceeds to sex-crime advocacy organizations.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Get ready for a game like no other.

There's never been a game with the storylines we have in this one between Nebraska and Penn State. Security is at a high level here at Beaver Stadium, with a highly noticeable police presence including a horse patrol circling the stadium. I saw some scattered protestors in the parking lots but just as many people carrying signs supporting Joe Paterno. And there are a lot of people simply expressing pride in Penn State, as well as those accepting donations to help victims of child abuse.

Police said a bomb threat was called into the stadium on Friday, but the threat was proved false after a sweep of the area. Hundreds of fans still lined up for the traditional arrival of the team buses and cheered on the players. The front seat of the first bus that belonged to Paterno for decades was left empty; interim coach Tom Bradley arrived on the second bus. Bradley shook hands with many students when he entered the stadium.

There are also a lot of former players in attendance. Former star linebacker LaVar Arrington spoke at Friday night's candlelight vigil. Most fans are wearing blue in support of child abuse prevention.

We do still have a football game today, and I'll have a lot more on that coming up. I'm fascinated to see what, if any, tributes the players make to Paterno. There is a planned moment of silence before kickoff to recognize the victims in the sex abuse scandal.

We have clear, sunny skies and temperatures climbing into the 50s. Some personnel nuggets and actual football talk coming soon ...

The Penn State Alumni Association has issued its own statement about the Jerry Sandusky alleged molestation scandal. Here is the statement, which was signed by executive director Roger L. Williams, in its entirety:

"This is a deeply troubling time for Penn State and the Penn State Alumni Association. The allegations against a former assistant football coach on charges of child sexual abuse and the subsequent perjury allegations against the director of athletics and the interim vice president for business and finance have shaken the University community profoundly and have resulted in these two University officials stepping down.

"The Alumni Association has received e-mails, social network postings, and calls from alumni expressing their deep concern regarding the charges—and we share those concerns. All alumni communications are being acknowledged and forwarded to multiple members of the University administration.

"Certainly the officers and staff of the Alumni Association are greatly concerned about the children who are said to be involved and understand we have a duty to keep them safe.

"The Alumni Association supports the University’s Board of Trustees, which met Sunday night, Nov. 6, and announced steps designed to increase the safety and security of all University facilities and to make changes to promote sufficient procedures. The chair of the Board of Trustees will:

• Appoint a task force to engage external legal counsel to conduct an independent review of the University’s policies and procedures related to the protection of children. This action is not intended to interfere with the ongoing judicial process.

• Publicize the findings of the independent review.

• Review police reporting protocols with administrators.

• Enhance educational programming around such topics.

"Going forward, the Alumni Association will continue to support the University and the Board of Trustees in efforts to reinforce that Penn State remains committed to honesty, integrity, and the ideals expressed in our Alma Mater."

Penn State and Pittsburgh announced this week that they would resume their once long-running rivalry for at least two years, beginning in 2016. The game is sure to be a hot topic for Pennsylvanians between now and then, and it's a perfect setup for a debate between Big Ten blogger Brian Bennett and Big East blogger Andrea Adelson.

Brian Bennett: Andrea, how is my old conference beat treating you? Good thing they didn't set us up as a blogger-in-waiting thing, because I may have started some rumors about your behavior at casinos.

Anyway, I think we both agree that the Pitt-Penn State game is a good thing for college football. Frankly, I was surprised to see it happen. The Nittany Lions had been holding out since the last game in 2000, wanting at least two out of every three meetings to be played in Beaver Stadium. Since the series was announced, I've heard from several Penn State fans who wonder what their school has to gain by this game. And while it's great for football in the state, I tend to agree that the Nittany Lions don't necessarily need this series.

What has been the reaction from Pitt fans, and who stands to benefit more from this rivalry resumption?

Andrea Adelson: Brian, you were not supposed to mention anything about the casinos! Thanks a lot for ruining my rep three weeks into the job.

As for the Penn State-Pitt game, I think the overwhelming majority of Panthers fans are excited because they never wanted this game to end. They also believe this means there is no way JoePa is coaching the team in 2016 because they are convinced he is the reason the series ended. But even with the excitement, there are those who say it is no big deal because it is just two games.

What do two games against a former rival really mean? In the time since the Penn State series ended, West Virginia has become a much more bitter rival. The "Backyard Brawl" is one of the nastiest rivalries in all of college football. I don't think that changes even though this series resumes. That being said, playing Penn State is extremely important for Pitt. Anytime a Big East team gets an opportunity to play a marquee team from a conference like the Big Ten, the stakes are much higher. Beating Penn State would definitely be a big win for Pitt and the Big East itself. The league can use all the big nonconference wins it can get.

BB: Andrea, we all know JoePa will be coaching for at least 20 more years, even if he's calling plays via Skype by then. Anyway, I agree that a win over Penn State would be big for Pitt and the Big East, potentially. But unless Todd Graham gets the Panthers playing at an elite level, beating Pittsburgh probably won't be considered a marquee victory for the Nittany Lions, while a loss could damage Penn State's reputation and recruiting efforts in Western Pennsylvania.

But you mentioned the West Virginia-Pitt rivalry, and I think that's an important point. Penn State doesn't really have a true annual rivalry game right now. The school still feels like somewhat of an outsider in the Big Ten as that league's far Eastern school. Sure, Syracuse and Temple appear at times on the schedule, but those games simply wouldn't move the needle as much as a duel against the state's other AQ team. College football is at its best when there are good old-fashioned neighborly feuds to follow.

I know Pitt would like this to be an annual home-and-home series (if for no other reason than to guarantee a rare sellout at Heinz Field). Right now, only two games are scheduled. Do you think the two schools should extend this to a yearly date like it used to be?

AA: Absolutely. I think both schools would have something to gain. As you mentioned, Penn State has no true rival and getting Pitt back on the schedule would certainly help. Fans would enjoy watching a game against Pitt, as opposed to the Cupcake U. flavor of the year. What does Penn State really have to lose here? I understand about the extra home dates, but how much money are we really talking about Penn State losing if they go on the road every other year to play Pitt? Florida State and Florida still play each other in a home-and-home series, and they have been able to maintain their strong rivalry and fill in the rest of their home dates without a problem. What does Penn State have to lose with this game, other than an old grudge from JoePa?

BB: Well, Penn State has to consider the very real possibility that the Big Ten will go to nine conference games by 2016. That means there are only three nonconference games available, and the Nittany Lions would want to schedule at least one guarantee game. If the school wants to have another big-name opponent like the current Alabama series, then all of a sudden the schedule becomes both very difficult and perhaps not financially feasible.

Then again, Penn State likes to believe its program is vastly superior to Pitt's. So why not prove it on the field?

I'm back to provide a few more Big Ten lunch links now that Adam is on his third (or is it his fourth?) week of vacation.

As I promised the last time, there will be no barbs directed the Big Ten's way and no cheap shots. That's not the way we roll in the SEC. One thing I would like to remind you of, though, is that everything in this correspondence should be treated as confidential and not shared with anyone. Glad we've got that cleared up.

Now, onto some links:

• Nebraska senior Austin Cassidy could end up staying at safety, but he's versatile enough to factor in at nickel, too.
• Wisconsin beats out several SEC teams, including Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee, to land a commitment from offensive lineman Dan Voltz of Barrington, Ill., for the 2012 class.
• Michigan's Denard Robinson will have to get used to taking snaps from under center in Al Borges' new West Coast-like offense.
• Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio says the two Spartans' players arrested last week following an incident at a Colorado bar have been disciplined internally.
• Ohio State coach Jim Tressel apologizes to the fans.
• A closer look at the Iowa defensive line heading into next season.
• Bob Flounders of The Patriot-News examines five hot-button items for Penn State heading into spring practice.

I come in peace.

Adam left me strict orders not to stir it up on his blog while he's out sailing around the world (only the Big Ten blogger could afford such a vacation), so I'm here solely to help while he's away. There are no hidden agendas. In other words, you're not going to hear me asking if the Big Ten is ever going to win another national championship or hear me dredging up Ohio State's record versus the SEC in bowl games.

Nope, I'm merely here to provide a few links, and here goes:

• A Lincoln, Neb., boy is an inspiration to his favorite athletes, including members of the Nebraska football team.
• A Q&A with future Minnesota speedster Marcus Jones, who will start out on offense for the Gophers.
• Ken Gordon of The Columbus Dispatch provides a few observations from Ohio State's workout Monday morning.
• Former Ohio State tight end/offensive lineman Andrew Miller decides to call it a career in football.
• Former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and former Michigan State players Lorenzo White and Gene Washington are on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.
• Penn State, with just about everybody returning in the secondary, is looking to settle a couple of starting spots.
• A recap of Purdue's spring practice: Day 3.
• Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is eager to adjust the Wildcats' attitude.

Florida Gators (7-5) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-5)

Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)

Florida take by SEC blogger Chris Low: It will be a short drive for Florida to its bowl destination. The Gators are headed to Tampa, Fla., to take on Penn State in the Outback Bowl.

A bit of a surprise choice this high in the SEC’s bowl pecking order, the Gators (7-5) still carry a lot of clout with their brand, especially in the state of Florida. That brand won’t help them come Jan. 1 unless they figure out a way to move the ball and score some points.

They ended the regular season with a dismal 31-7 loss to Florida State, the third time this season the Gators were held to a touchdown or less. It was a struggle the whole way offensively, as John Brantley simply wasn’t a fit for Florida’s spread offense. The Gators went to a three-quarterback system after losing three straight games in October, adding Trey Burton and Jordan Reed to the mix, but the results weren’t much better in their last two losses to South Carolina and Florida State.

It’s hard to get a read on where this team is emotionally right now or how excited it will be to even play in a bowl game. Florida coach Urban Meyer vowed to rebuild the program the “right way” following the loss to Florida State.

This is a chance for the Gators to get off on the right foot in that process as they make their 20th consecutive bowl appearance.

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Penn State take by Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg: Joe Paterno has done his best work preparing teams for the postseason, as the legendary Penn State coach owns a record 24 bowl victories in his extensive career. Paterno once again will try to prepare a young Nittany Lions squad for an intriguing postseason test against Florida in the Outback Bowl.

Although a 7-5 regular season never sits well in State College, Penn State won four of its final six games and showed significant strides on offense down the stretch. Spunky sophomore quarterback Matt McGloin provided a lift for a struggling unit and needs to perform well against the Gators. He’ll also need help from running backs Evan Royster and Silas Redd. Florida boasts a top 10 defense, so the Outback Bowl should provide a good barometer for the Penn State attack.

Penn State’s defense will get some time to heal up before facing a Gators offense that has taken several steps back following the departure of superstar Tim Tebow. Penn State won a low-scoring Capital One Bowl against LSU in January, and while we all hope for better weather and much better field conditions in Tampa, this game could play out in a similar way.

All but one of Penn State’s losses came against top 20 opponents, so the Lions have fared well against comparable opponents. Florida certainly qualifies as one.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban talks about preparing for Penn State.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Ohio State dominated the line of scrimmage and the second half, cruising to a 24-7 win over Penn State at Beaver Stadium.

After a tight first half, Ohio State outscored the Nittany Lions 14-0 in the second half of a game that provided Buckeyes’ quarterback Terrelle Pryor the signature win he had been seeking.

The victory for Ohio State (8-2, 5-1 in Big Ten) sets up next weekend’s game against Iowa (9-1, 5-1) in Columbus which could be for the Big Ten title and the conference’s automatic BCS bid.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Fire up the RV, this one is over.

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor found Brandon Saine on a 6-yard touchdown pass play to give the Buckeyes a commanding 24-7 lead over Penn State with 9:37 left to play.

It was Pryor’s second touchdown pass of the second half. He is now 8 of 17 for 125 yards passing with those two scores. He’s also carried the ball four times for 54 yards in leading the Ohio State attack.

The Buckeyes now have 156 yards in the second half, including 92 through the air by Pryor.