ESPN College Football

Thanks for waiting patiently for today's Big Ten chat, which took place a little later than normal. Another day of good spring football chatter around the league.

In case you missed out on the fun, here's the full transcript.

Some highlights:

Jason from Northville: Adam, you're in East Lansing this week correct? With the exceptions of Worthy, Robinson, and Pickelman departed do you see this defense as good or better than 2011's defense at MSU?

Adam Rittenberg: Brian actually will be in East Lansing, as of tonight. Excited to see what he learns from the Spartans. I'm really excited about the Spartans D. Gholston is a potential national superstar. Bullough and Allen form an excellent 1-2 punch at LB. Adams might be the league's top cover corner. Michigan State is loaded with difference-makers on defense despite losing Worthy, Robinson and Pickelman. And being able to retain coordinator Pat Narduzzi is huge for the Green and White.

Tyler from Austin, Minn.: Hey Adam, Do you see the Huskers as a real title contender? Are we going to see Taylor Martinez air it out more this year? Is Rex going to get more or less carries this year and what are your thoughts about him being a heisman contender?

Adam Rittenberg: I see Nebraska as a Big Ten title contender but not a national title contender. I'd definitely expect more passes from Martinez, particularly during non-league play when Tim Beck can experiment a bit. I also think Rex's workload will go down because of how Abdullah and Green are performing in spring ball. That's not a bad thing for Rex, who was overworked at times last year. I think Rex will need a huge game or two early to really put himself on the Heisman radar. It's a crowded pool right now, and he's not on it (although he deserves to be).

Max from the Wisconsin Cheerleading Squad: Adam, As per your article about the changes in how PSU is going to play D this season, do you think a drastic change is a good idea? The system is pretty tried and true, especially with LJ Sr and Ron VDL still on staff. Don't you think Ted Roof should take the "If it isn't broke don't fix it" approach?

Adam Rittenberg: Good question, Max, and one I thought a lot about while in State College. Although PSU wisely retained Larry Johnson and Ron Vanderlinden as position coaches, you can see that Roof is definitely in charge on the practice field. It'll be important for the defensive backs to get comfortable with the presnap motion, disguising blitzes and coverages and the other elements that go along with a more varied defensive approach. But I don't think things will change too much for the front seven guys, who really serve as Penn State's bread and butter on D.

Joe from New Glarus, Wis.: Whether it's a question in the mailblog, chat, or you guys writing, every time the NC comes up it seems like a different group of teams is mentioned as those likely to dethrone the SEC. Removing OSU and UM, which program(s) has/have the BEST shot at winning it all in the next 5 years? Maybe a ranking system of sorts.

Adam Rittenberg: Joe, I'd go with Wisconsin and then Nebraska. Wisconsin has been right there the past two seasons. It still amazes me how the Badgers managed to lose three games last fall. But the program is inching toward a nationally elite level. Nebraska might not be too far away, either, and the talent level in Lincoln is pretty good. But the Huskers might have to skip a few steps to reach the promised land as they haven't won a league title since 1999.

Austin from Colorado: Who has the best chance for Heisman in the big 10?

Adam Rittenberg: Montee Ball has to be up there as a Heisman finalist from 2011. Denard Robinson is the other name to watch because he's so recognizable nationally. That's a big part of it -- how exciting you are as a player and how recognizable you are nationally. People point out Denard's shortcomings, and there are some. But he's a face that college football fans know about coast to coast. And that matters regarding the Heisman.

Thanks again for your participation, and my apologies to those whose questions weren't answered. Let's do it again next week.

The Big Ten saw an unprecedented number of coaching changes during the offseason, as three head coaches were dismissed, Wisconsin's staff lost six assistants and many other moves were made. Barring an unexpected change, only four teams -- Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern -- will return their full staffs intact for the 2012 campaign.

Although the coaching carousel hasn't quite reached its end, Big Ten teams have filled all of their coordinator vacancies for the coming season. The league will have 13 new coordinators at eight different programs.

It's time to pass out quick grades for the coordinator hires (co-coordinators are graded together):

ILLINOIS

Co-offensive coordinators Billy Gonzales and Chris Beatty
Previously: Gonzales was LSU's receivers coach and pass-game coordinator; Beatty was Vanderbilt's receivers coach

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: C

Gonzales and Beatty both are strong recruiters who should help bring talented players to Champaign, but they're both young and unproven as playcallers. They should bolster Illinois' receiving corps, but I'd expect a few growing pains on game days as they adjust to bigger roles with a unit that flat-lined late in the 2011 season.

Brian Bennett: B-

Both are energetic guys who should adapt well to Tim Beckman's style, and both were considered up-and-comers. But as Adam mentioned, neither had led an offense before, so it's hard to give this too high a grade yet.

Defensive coordinator Tim Banks
Previously: Co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Cincinnati

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: A-

After a very successful 2011 season, Illinois' defense is looking for continuity and Banks can provide it. His aggressive style and pressure packages should translate well for a unit that still has a lot of talent in the front seven with linebacker Jonathan Brown, defensive tackle Akeem Spence and others.

Brian Bennett: B+

Vic Koenning declined to stay, and Jon Tenuta took the job for about 20 minutes before deciding to stay at NC State. As a third choice, Banks is a really nice hire and a better fit, in my opinion, than Tenuta would have been. After a tough first year with a Cincinnati defense lacking depth and experience, Banks did a great job turning that unit around in 2011. At Illinois, he merely needs to keep it going.

INDIANA

Offensive coordinator Seth Littrell
Previously: Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Arizona

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: B+

Littrell wasn't the reason Arizona made a coaching change in 2011, as his offense ranked third nationally in passing (370.8 ypg) and 15th in total yards (465.2 ypg). He comes from the fertile Mike Leach coaching tree and should help Indiana's offense become more balanced behind promising quarterback Tre Roberson.

Brian Bennett: A

It isn't easy to hire big-name coaches at Indiana, but Kevin Wilson got a good one as Littrell was left looking for a gig. The addition of Littrell already helped the Hoosiers land promising quarterback Nathan Sudfeld on the recruiting trail.

IOWA

Offensive coordinator Greg Davis
Previously: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas (didn't coach in 2011)

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: B

Davis is an experienced coach who has coordinated offenses at the highest level and won a national title at Texas. He should help James Vandenberg's development at quarterback. The concern is he has been predictable at times and had his most recent success in a spread system, which Iowa likely won't use.

Brian Bennett: C+

Davis oversaw some record-breaking offenses at Texas, but he won't have the same kind of blue-chip talent at Iowa. Then again, in Kirk Ferentz's system, he won't be asked to generate 50 points per game. He's great with quarterbacks, and Ferentz will feel comfortable with a veteran coach who'll keep things simple. But to hire a guy who'd been out of football for a year was not very exciting for a program that probably could have used a battery recharge.

Defensive coordinator Phil Parker
Previously: Defensive backs coach at Iowa

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: B

Parker knows the Hawkeyes' personnel and brings an energetic personality to the defense, but he's not the big-splash addition some were hoping for after Norm Parker's retirement. Phil Parker has coached defensive backs forever but has yet to serve in a coordinator role. It'll be interesting to see how much he actually tweaks the scheme in Iowa City.

Brian Bennett: B-

Parker knows the Hawkeyes defense in and out, and I doubt much will change with the approach now that he is in charge. There was a curiously long time between Norm Parker's retirement and his successor's appointment, and Phil Parker has never been a coordinator before, so that brings my grade down a notch.

NEBRASKA

Defensive coordinator John Papuchis
Previously: Defensive line coach and special teams coordinator, Nebraska

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: B

Papuchis is a rising star and most likely a head coach in the near future. While I'm tempted to give him a higher grade, he hasn't been a playcaller and is just four years removed from being a football intern at LSU. Inexperience is the only main drawback here.

Brian Bennett: B-

Like Adam said, the grade level is held down here by a lack of previous experience. But every coordinator has to start somewhere, and Bo Pelini has been really high on Papuchis, who has done excellent work everywhere he's been put to use so far. Any growing pains should be offset by the knowledge Pelini can impart as a defensive-minded head coach.

OHIO STATE

Offensive coordinator Tom Herman
Previously: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Iowa State

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: B+

Herman is regarded as a rising star and a sharp offensive mind who, with the help of Urban Meyer, will inject some life into a bland Ohio State offense. The only potential drawbacks are that he hasn't proven himself in a big-time job like Ohio State, and Iowa State's offensive numbers from 2011 don't exactly jump off the page.

Brian Bennett: B-

Ohio State fans were probably expecting a bigger name when Meyer promised to bring in the best staff in the country. But Meyer has an eye for offensive talent and will be heavily involved in the offensive game planning himself. Though Herman hasn't done it on a major stage, he'll be working with a lot more talent in Columbus, and this grade could easily prove to be an A in the future.

Defensive coordinator Luke Fickell and co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers
Previously: Fickell was Ohio State's head coach; Withers was North Carolina's head coach

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: A-

There's a lot to like about this pair, as both men return to coaching defense after being put in awkward positions last season. It'll be interesting to see how Fickell fares as the primary defensive playcaller. Withers has a few blotches on his résumé (Minnesota 2007) but brings a lot of experience to the table.

Brian Bennett: A

The head-coaching experience both men got last year should only help their development as coaches, and both are excellent recruiters. My only concern is whether there are too many cooks in the kitchen, but there's no reason to believe that Fickell and Withers won't get along and accept their roles. If so, this should work out really well.

PENN STATE

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof
Previously: Defensive coordinator at Auburn (briefly took Central Florida defensive coordinator job in December)

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: C+

While I loved what Roof did at Minnesota in 2008, his exit from Auburn after some struggles there raises a few red flags. The good news is he steps into a very good situation with Penn State's defense, and he has three good assistants: Larry Johnson, Ron Vanderlinden and John Butler, two of whom (Johnson and Vanderlinden) are holdovers from the previous staff.

Brian Bennett: C

Roof has some very bright spots on his long résumé, but he's also been a serial job-changer whom Auburn fans couldn't wait to see leave town despite the national title. Bill O'Brien could have retained Tom Bradley or promoted Johnson and probably done just as well, if not better. But he has a previous relationship with Roof, so the trust factor should be high.

PURDUE

Defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar
Previously: Defensive coordinator for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: C

Both the change and the hire surprised me a bit, and Tibesar is a bit of a wild card coming back to college football from the CFL. He knows how to face the spread offense, a primary reason Danny Hope hired him, and had some success in Montreal. But his previous FBS stop at Kansas State resulted in some struggles (117th-rated defense in 2008).

Brian Bennett: C-

If Tibesar pans out as a successful defensive coordinator, perhaps Hope will start a trend of teams looking to the Great White North for assistant coaches. I'll give Hope some credit for making an unconventional choice, but I'm a little skeptical about just how well the CFL experience will translate to college.

WISCONSIN

Offensive coordinator Matt Canada
Previously: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Northern Illinois

Grades

Adam Rittenberg: B

Canada has extensive coordinator experience, including four seasons in the Big Ten at Indiana, but he has been primarily a spread coach in recent seasons. While he had success running a pro-style system during his first stint at Northern Illinois (2003), he'll have to make some adjustments. The good news: he inherits a lot of talent and understands his main job is to keep the momentum going.

Brian Bennett: B-

I was surprised that Bret Bielema didn't chose someone who was a pro-style disciple through and through given his strong comments about not changing the offense much after Paul Chryst left. As Adam said, Canada knows his stuff and has done some good work as a coordinator. But anytime a coach has to adjust his style to a larger system and not the other way around creates a seed of doubt.

The Big Ten had three head-coaching changes in the offseason, with new leading men stepping in at Ohio State, Illinois and Penn State. We already shared our thoughts on the new staffs at Illinois and Ohio State. We finish off the series by turning to Penn State, which wrapped up its staff recently with the addition of Charlie Fisher as quarterbacks coach.

Here's how the new Penn State staff looks:

Bill O'Brien -- head coach
Stan Hixon -- assistant head coach/wide receivers
Ted Roof -- defensive coordinator
John Butler -- secondary
Charlie Fisher -- quarterbacks
Larry Johnson -- defensive line
Charles London -- running backs
Mac McWhorter -- offensive line
John Strollo -- tight ends
Ron Vanderlinden -- linebackers

So today's Take Two topic is: How did O'Brien fare in putting together his first staff at Penn State?

Take 1: Brian Bennett

We can't evaluate how O'Brien did in a vacuum. He is the first new head coach at Penn State in nearly half a century, taking over a place where assistants hardly ever left under Joe Paterno. O'Brien also got a bit of a late start in assembling his assistants, as he was not hired until early January, and the uncertainty and controversy swirling in State College may not have made this opportunity attractive to all job candidates.

With all that in mind, I think O'Brien did a reasonably good job in putting this staff together. I thought it was a great move to retain Johnson and Vanderlinden, two excellent coaches who didn't deserve to get scapegoated for the Jerry Sandusky mess. They will be able to provide some institutional knowledge about a place that isn't familiar with much change. It would have been nice if O'Brien could have kept Tom Bradley as well, but he brought in a seasoned veteran in Ted Roof, who knows the Big Ten from his time at Minnesota. Roof was pushed out at Auburn and has moved around an awful lot in his career, but he does have a national championship ring and a wealth of experience. Same goes for McWhorter, another greybeard who helped win a BCS title at Texas. I like the mixture of experience (Hixon, Trollo and Fisher have seen it all in their long careers) and up-and-comers like London and Butler, the latter of whom O'Brien was able to lure away from a successful program at South Carolina.

Ultimately, whether this works or not will all depend on O'Brien, who was a surprising choice to replace Joe Paterno and who has never been a head coach before. He has an enormous legacy to follow, as well as some off-the-field challenges. He has a staff full of coaches he knows and has worked with in the past to help guide him through that journey.

Take 2: Adam Rittenberg

It's interesting to see what would have happened with the staff makeup had Penn State hired O'Brien a few weeks earlier. Perhaps we would have seen the same names, perhaps not. But O'Brien had to rush to get coaches in place to help finish off 2012 recruiting while he wrapped up the season with the Patriots. I love his decision to retain both Johnson and Vanderlinden. Johnson has been Penn State's lead recruiter and one of the best in the Big Ten, and both he and Vanerlinden provide continuity for a defense that has been consistently good to great in recent years.

The two most critical hires in my mind are Roof and Fisher. Roof's appointment generated some grumbling around Nittany Nation, as fans were skeptical about a coach who struggled his final season at Auburn before parting ways with Gene Chizik. Although Roof had success in the Big Ten at Minnesota in 2008, he'll be under the microscope. The good thing is he understands his job is to keep Penn State's defensive tradition alive, rather than overhauling what has been a good unit. I like the Fisher hire as he brings a lot of experience to a group that needs a significant upgrade. He'll work with O'Brien more than any other assistant, and they'll collaborate with tutoring the quarterbacks and shaping the offensive vision.

Overall, I think O'Brien did a nice job. My only two concerns here are whether he went with too many familiar names from his previous coaching stops and whether there's enough youth on the staff, which can be beneficial in recruiting. Penn State has no shortage of grizzled vets, but there's not much youth other than London and Butler.

Hoping everyone has a great weekend. The blog will be dark Monday for the holiday, but I'll be back at it bright and early Tuesday morning.

Onto your emails ...

Nick from Omaha writes: Adam, love the blog. I was just thinking: Everyone's asking what will happen to the Rose Bowl if a playoff system comes along. Well in the playoff system, there probably wouldn't be any important bowls so that would mean the end of the Rose Bowl. Well what if the Rose Bowl becomes a championship game of sorts for the B1G-Pac-12 and is played before the playoffs, or maybe as a way to get an automatic seed into an 8-team playoff? That would preserve the Rose Bowl and it would add greater importance to the season and partnership between the conferences. Whats your take?

Adam Rittenberg: Nick, it's an interesting idea. Your model would extend the season well into January, because the Rose Bowl isn't going to move from its traditional Jan. 1 date. In your model, we'd be seeing games at least two weeks into January and possibly three weeks in. Can't see the university presidents going for it, but you never know. Also, if the Rose Bowl determines an automatic bid to the playoffs, would there still be opportunities for other Big Ten and Pac-12 teams to make it. I don't think those two leagues want only one representative between the two of them in an eight-team playoff. I think it's more likely we see the Rose Bowl either incorporated into the playoff structure or exist independently of the playoff but take place around the same time. I think the time window we're looking at for all of this is between Dec. 20-Jan. 10.

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Mark from Wooster, Ohio, writes: Thanks for answering my question but it just raises more questions. You write "While it's possible an undefeated Big Ten team could be left out, history shows it's highly unlikely. 'Bennett writes "Wisconsin makes three more plays last year it goes undefeated" So are you suggesting if the Badgers did not lose those two close games. They would have gone to the National Championship? It is my humble opinion In addition to making those close loses into wins, they would have needed some Quality wins outside the conference. What am I missing here?

Adam Rittenberg: That's exactly what I'm saying, Mark. Wisconsin would have been one of two FBS unbeaten teams (along with LSU) had it won at both Michigan State and at Ohio State, and captured the Big Ten championship game. Your national title game would have been Wisconsin-LSU in New Orleans. As I mentioned to you in my previous note, strength of schedule matters when you're comparing major-conference teams with the exact same record, not major-conference teams with different records. In many cases, we're comparing several 1-loss teams. In that case, Wisconsin's weaker strength of schedule would have hurt. But if Wisconsin and LSU were the only two unbeaten squads on the board, they would meet in the title game. Plus, Wisconsin would have had two more road wins (Michigan State and Ohio State), which would have helped the Badgers with the BCS computers.

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Brian from Newmarket, United Kingdom, writes: Great column, helps me keep up with the Big Ten while I am overseas. My question is do you think the TCU drug scandal is actually a bigger issue than what happened at Penn State? TCU involved many football players and for all we know it could get bigger. Penn State's issue was with a retired coach, a head coach that the legal system considered innocent and some University officials (not football specific). I understand the crime at Penn State is worse but in regards to the football program which is bigger?

Adam Rittenberg: Brian, I see what you're getting at, and I guess in terms of the coming season, the TCU situation could have a bigger impact. The Frogs could be without several key players as they transition to a new conference (Big 12). There also will be further investigation into how rampant the drug problems were in the program. But in the greater picture, the Penn State scandal was a much bigger issue in virtually every way. The alleged crimes are much worse, as you point out. The scandal also led to a historic head-coaching change and the resignation of an athletic director. It negatively impacted a recruiting class and could have an impact in future recruiting. It has prompted the potential -- not the guarantee, but the possibility -- of sanctions from both the NCAA and the Big Ten. You're right in that the Penn State scandal might not impact the current roster in the way the TCU situation might, but in every other way the situation in State College is worse.

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Travis from Omaha writes: I think you put way to much stock into divisional competition. Having followed Nebraska throught he Big12, I can't tell you how many times a cross division loss (Texas or OU) forced a tie breaker. The ONLY reason divisional compeition matters is for the tie breaker itself. Otherwise, it really doesn't mean anything. So lets say Nebraskas sweeps their division, but loses to Penn St. and another cross division team, Wisconsin. That's pretty easy to do, and sweeping your divisions doens't really mean anything because its the team with the best overall CONFERENCE record that wins the division. Michigan's could only lose one game to Nebraska, and beat everyone else on their schedule, but could be in the title game. I would say, look at Kansas's 2007 orange bowl run to see how important cross division games are. The onyl year they don't play OU or Texas, BAM! Orange bowl. Now, that doesn't mean cross division games are more imporant. It just means that a conference loss is a conference loss and division's don't mean anything until a tie breaker is needed.

Adam Rittenberg: Travis, thanks for sharing your perspective, especially as someone who has followed division play for a number of years. While you're right about a lot of this, I would point out that the Big 12 divisional alignment was structured a bit differently than the Big Ten seemingly will be. You had by far the two most dominant programs -- Texas and Oklahoma -- in the same division (South), and as a result you usually had the South division being much stronger than the North. So the North division teams that didn't play Texas and OU -- like Kansas -- had a much easier path, increasing the significance of cross-division games.

The Big Ten, meanwhile, seems to have greater balance in its division alignment than the Big 12. While you're right that all Big Ten games matter, there's still an added significance for division games. Look at Michigan and Ohio State, for example. While both fan bases want that win more than any other on the schedule, a Michigan win against Ohio State often might not be as significant as a Michigan win against Nebraska. Or if Ohio State has to lose one game in league play, it's probably better to lose to Michigan than Wisconsin, which is in the same division.

Let's also look at your favorite team, Nebraska, in 2011. The Huskers actually handled themselves well in tough cross-division matchups, going 2-1 against Penn State, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Nebraska also scored a big Legends division win against Michigan State. But it was the division losses -- Northwestern and Michigan -- that doomed Big Red in its quest for a Big Ten title.

Every conference game matters, but I do think that the Big Ten having pretty good balance in its division alignment (maybe not in 2012, but in most years) adds significance to the division games.

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Michael from New York writes: For next year at least, isn't Ted Roof under a lot more pressure that O'Brien? He replaces a very successful coordinator who most fans feel got a raw deal. He is also inherriting plenty of talent.

Adam Rittenberg: I think both men are under some pressure, Michael, but you make an excellent point about Roof. His hiring was greeted with a lot of skepticism by Penn State fans, mainly because of how things ended at Auburn. Penn State has historically been very strong on defense, and Tom Bradley was one of the better coordinators in the country. Any sort of step back under Roof would cause some grumbling, especially if it's related to the scheme. Roof did retain two excellent defensive assistants in line coach Larry Johnson and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, and I like the John Butler hire from South Carolina. But Penn State likely will need to be a defense-driven team, and there's a lot of talent coming back, particularly at linebacker. It's important for Roof to keep the unit performing at a high level.

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Chris from Bloomington, Ind., writes: What do you think the chances are of the B1G making similar arrangements with other conferences as they have with the Pac 12 in regards to scheduling? With the B1G tv contract negotiations coming up soon and the possible move to a strength of schedule based playoff, it may neutralize many of the drawbacks such as reduced ticket revenue and the need to go undefeated for the NCG.

Adam Rittenberg: Chris, you make some good points, but I don't know how much more the Big Ten can dictate how its teams schedule non-league games. You're dealing with a majority of schools that need at least three non-league home games a year. The Pac-12 agreement calls for home-and-home series, so six Big Ten schools will be playing at least one non-league road game each season. You also have school-specific nonconference agreements like the ones Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue have with Notre Dame, and Iowa has with Iowa State. Another scheduling initiative might be a tough sell to the ADs. So while we'd all love to see every Big Ten school play at least two stronger non-league games a season, I don't see it happening.

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Rich from Baltimore writes: What is the most important out of conference game for the B1G in 2012? UM/Alabama and MSU/Boise stand out, but are there others that can build the case for a deeper B1G?

Adam Rittenberg: The Alabama and Boise State games will shape the Big Ten's national perception more than any others, Rich. And if I had to pick one, it's Alabama. You beat the defending national champion, a team that has won two of the past three national titles, and you gain instant respect around the country. There are some other nonconference games that will matter, too. Notre Dame likely will be ranked in the top 20 entering the season, so beating the Irish at least twice would help the Big Ten. You also have some interesting Big Ten-Pac-12 matchups, such as Ohio State hosting California, Wisconsin visiting Oregon State, Nebraska visiting UCLA and Illinois visiting Arizona State. One game that might fly under the radar is Northwestern hosting Vanderbilt, but Vandy is a program on the rise. This would be a nice win against an SEC opponent.

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Greg from Brockton, Mass., writes: Just to clarify, O'Brien could rejoin former Maryland assistant James Franklin at Vanderbilt, but he couldn't receive a scholarship from the school. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that O'Brien has yet to contact Wisconsin. I thought he was a graduate student and as such could transfer depending on grad programs. How can Maryland restrict those?

Adam Rittenberg: Greg, I can't help but think of "Coneheads" when I see Brockton, Mass. Good times. ... In this case, we're talking about two issues: academics and athletics. From an academic perspective, Maryland can't restrict quarterback Danny O'Brien at all. He can enroll anywhere he wants and pay tuition like any other student. But if he wants to receive an athletic scholarship from Vanderbilt, he needs his release from the previous institution. That's what Randy Edsall is preventing. Maryland reportedly will grant O'Brien's release to a school like Wisconsin, where he could receive an athletic scholarship. So there's an academic component and an athletic scholarship component to this.

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Aaron from New Braunfels, Texas, writes: Hi Adam, I love the work you guys are doing here: I am a big Hawkeye fan, and am a little nervous over Phil Parker being named the new D coordinator. Here is why I am worried. Norm Parker was not only a outstanding coach, but a master motivator. I noticed that when he had to leave the sidelines the D appeared to lose alot of its fire- escpecially in the 4th quarter when it counted the most. All the while Phil was on the sidelines filling in. Exactly what was Phil's role in Norm's abscence, and how concerned (if any) should I be? I want to give the guy a fair shake, but it is hard to ignore the forementioned observation.

Adam Rittenberg: Aaron, that's an interesting take about the defense losing its edge when Norm's health problems forced him off of the sideline. Not sure the two are connected, but it's worth noting. Phil Parker worked in collaboration with the other defensive assistants during Norm's absence in 2010. They all took on additional duties at that time. Phil also was known as the "yeller" on Iowa's staff during the early part of his tenure with the Hawkeyes, and he doesn't seem to lack fire or the ability to motivate players. Iowa fans should pay more attention to Parker's play calls and personnel groupings than his passion for the game, which doesn't appear to be a problem. Will Phil Parker truly put his imprint on the defense or just continue what Norm did? That's what I'm interested to find out this fall.

Charles London doesn't have any connections to Penn State except for admiring the program from afar and having worked for former Nittany Lions player Mike Munchak on the Tennessee Titans. But now he's on new coach Bill O'Brien's staff as running backs coach, representing a new way of doing things in State College. London played and later coached at Duke and then went on to work in the NFL, serving as an offensive assistant and quality control coach for the Titans. He's young and smart (he has a master's degree from Duke), and he recently visited with ESPN.com to talk about why he came to Penn State.

You got to know coach O'Brien while both of you guys were at Duke. How would you describe him as a coach?
Charles London: He's a very passionate guy. He's very smart. He knows offensive football and how to relate to players. He's just very passionate about what he does and really has the ability to get the most out of his players.

You've spent the past couple of years in the NFL. Was your goal to coach in the pros, or were you just looking to break into coaching wherever possible?
CL: Originally, I just wanted to get into coaching, so I started my career as a graduate assistant in 2004. It took me to college and the pros. I spent the last few years in the NFL. But I just wanted to coach. When Coach O'Brien got this job and offered me a position on the staff, it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. I knew he'd be a good coach, and with Penn State being such a special place, I knew it was a great opportunity.

What types of things did you learn from your time in the NFL?
CL: I just had the opportunity to work with two really good head coaches in Lovie Smith and Mike Munchak. I learned a lot about X's and O's, but I also learned how to relate to people, how to get the best out of players. I think it was a great experience for my growth as a coach.

Was there any hesitation about coming to Penn State given the controversy surrounding the program?
CL: No, there was no hesitation at all. Once you step on campus, you see what kind of special place this is. The administration has been great and everybody has been really supportive as we've gone out hitting the recruiting trail. So there was no hesitation on my part.

What was it like trying to recruit this class with so little time?
CL: Well, you know, it was a challenge. But Larry Johnson, Ron Vanderlinden and Bill Kavanaugh who were on our staff here did a great job of maintaining relationships with the kids while we were in transition, so when the new staff came in we just had to pick up the ball where they left off. We just tried to maintain relationships and hold onto the guys who were committed to us and pick up a few new commits as well.

Were you just basically introducing yourself to recruits at that point?
CL: Exactly. One of the first things we had was a recruiting weekend as soon as we got there. We had a short period of time to let the families feel comfortable with us. A mom or dad sends their son to us for four or five years, so they need to feel comfortable with us. So it was just building relationships with them and conveying our message about where the future of Penn State football is headed.

How difficult was it without coach O'Brien around very much?
CL: He's done a good job of splitting his time between the Patriots and Penn State. It was actually really good for us in recruiting. He could have been around all the time, but the kids were very excited about what he was doing. They could turn on the TV on Sunday and say, "That's going to be my head coach in a few weeks." They understood why he couldn't be around in recruiting.

Having been around him, what do you think the offense will look like at Penn State?
CL: I think it will be multiple. It will be a game-plan offense. We'll take advantage of what the defense gives us. If we've got to throw it 40 times to win, we'll do it. If we've got to run it 40 times, we'll do it as well. We'll have to sit down a little further and evaluate our team and our players and what part of the scheme fits them best, and we'll take it from there.

I know you haven't gotten to know the players that much yet, but what are your initial thoughts about Silas Redd?
CL: Extreme quickness. He has great feet, really good vision, does a good job once he gets in the hole. A really explosive first step and he does a lot of things well. I'm really looking forward to working with him.

How much did you know about Penn State before this? Did you watch the Nittany Lions much growing up?
CL: I've always watched them from afar just because of the tradition that was there. I had the pleasure of working for a Penn State alum for the last year or so, and I just knew from talking to him and from the way he carried himself and how he transformed the Tennessee Titans that it was a good place. And that the ideals that they shared at Penn State were similar to my beliefs. So I just knew it would be a good fit.

How did Mike Munchack react when you took this job, especially since he was reported as a head-coaching candidate for a while?
CL: He was very excited. I left with his blessing, and we had a good conversation before I left. He was excited for me and I'm sure he'll be up to a game sometime. Now he has somebody to hold accountable.

How much of a responsibility do you feel as a new staff to be transparent and help bring people back into the fold after all that has happened here, even though you weren't in any way a part of it?
CL: We just want to uphold the tradition of Penn State football. We've been telling people we want to restore the roar here. We're going to do things here with the highest integrity, athletically and academically, and I think people will be proud of the product they see on and off the field.

Where will your recruiting areas be?
CL: We're still figuring some of that out right now. Each coach will have a piece of Pennsylvania. We'll definitely hit Pennsylvania hard and some of the mid-Atlantic states. But also with some of the experiences and relationships we have, we might hit some areas that maybe Penn State hasn't recruited heavily in the past, like North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, those areas. Maybe hit Texas. We'll definitely be aggressive in recruiting.

Finally, just looking around at the facilities, the fan support, what do you feel like is the potential for this program going forward?
CL: I think the sky's the limit for this program.We're going to go out and try to identify the top student-athlete prospects around the country and go after them the best we can. We're going to run a pro-style offense and a really attacking defense. It's going to be a really good place to be, so we're excited about the future.

Of the eight assistant coaches Bill O'Brien has named to his staff at Penn State, no hire has sparked more debate among Nittany Nation than defensive coordinator Ted Roof. He spent the past three seasons at Auburn, winning a national title in 2010 but finishing no higher than 60th nationally in total defense. After facing scrutiny this past season, Roof left for a position on Central Florida's staff before joining O'Brien, one of his former ACC colleagues, at Penn State. Roof has an interesting résumé, highlighted by a successful run as Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator and a solid season as Minnesota's defensive coordinator in 2008. But he also went 6-45 as Duke's head coach between 2003-07 (O'Brien served as the Blue Devils' offensive coordinator in 2005 and 2006).

Roof takes over for longtime Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who guided the Nittany Lions following Joe Paterno's firing in November. He'll work alongside two assistants retained from the previous staff -- defensive line coach Larry Johnson and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden -- as well as defensive backs coach John Butler, who Roof worked with at Minnesota.

ESPN.com recently caught up with Roof. Here are his thoughts on his new gig.

Why Penn State? Why did this job make sense for you?

Ted Roof: It started with Bill O'Brien. This is the third stop that we've worked together [Georgia Tech, Duke]. He's a very strong leader, he's passionate about what he does, he's high-energy, and I know that he's going to be successful. And it's hard to say no to Penn State. To me, Penn State is one of those 'wow' places. There's only a handful of them in the country. When you're there, the facilities are unbelievable. The people are very welcoming. It's an outstanding university with a huge alumni network. It's something I don't think you can say no to.

What do you know about Bill that a lot of people don't? How do you think he'll fare in a head-coaching position?

Roof: He's very organized. He has a very detailed and thorough plan for every aspect of the program. He was in college football for a while, and then to be in the NFL the last five years working in [the New England Patriots] organization for a guy like Bill Belichick, I know he's enjoyed that experience. He relates to players well. He's going to be a disciplinarian, because he knows we're going to do things the right way. At the same time, football at the highest level and a meaningful academic, collegiate experience, they can coexist. You don't have to settle for one or the other. The values of what he's about align with the values of Penn State. It matched up.

What has been your impression of Penn State from the outside as someone who has worked in college football for a long time?

Roof: The success both on and off the field. The number of football games they won and the way they won, and at the same time, the graduation rates and what their players do after they graduate. It's really, really classy, and it's a great combination of the best of both worlds: the best academically, and the best also on the football field.

What type of defense do you want to play?

Roof: Multiply aggressive. Here's what I think we've got to do: evaluate who our players are, what their strengths are and then ask them to do that -- not stuff a square peg into a round hole. I do know that in order to be great, we're going to have to stop the run, we're going to have to affect the quarterback, and we're going to have to defend the deep ball. If we can do those three things, we're going to be real successful.

Coach O'Brien kept coach Johnson and coach Vanderlinden on staff. Do you know them? What has it been like being in touch with them?

Roof: The transition has been great. Those guys are both highly respected in this profession, both good men. It's been real good. They've helped during this transition for the new guys coming on board to kind of catch us up and indoctrinate us into Penn State and give us their vantage point and perspective on what Penn State stands for and what it's all about. They've both been extremely helpful. They have awful good reputations, and I'm looking forward to working with them.

You worked with coach Butler at Minnesota. Was that a big factor in him coming to Penn State?

Roof: Coach O'Brien hired guys that he either worked with before, guys that had Penn State ties or guys that were native Pennsylvanians. I certainly was familiar with John after working with him for a year. I have a lot of respect for the job he did. He's a relentless recruiter, a relentless recruiter and a heck of a football coach. I'm looking forward to reuniting with him and moving forward.

Penn State has played defense a certain way for a lot of years. How do you blend the way they've done things with what you do, or are there a lot of parallels?

Roof: They've played really good defense for a long time, and the previous staff did a wonderful job. Everybody in college football respects what they've done. At the same time, I don't know exactly what they've done. All I know is it's worked. We've got to evaluate who we've got on our defensive squad right now and put them in positions, always under the mantra of being multiply aggressive.

Have you had a chance to look at the personnel yet?

Roof: Not as much as we're going to, but I've watched some of it. We've got to get into more of getting to know our current players, and also finishing up this recruiting class and starting the next one.

What types of players are you looking for as you're out recruiting?

Roof: Guys who will be great fits at Penn State, guys that want to do things the right way, guys that understand the value of a degree, and at the same time doing what's right in our system. In the back end and at linebacker, we want guys that can run, want guys that are tenacious, and want guys that can change direction and make plays in space. And up front, we want guys that can turn the corner and attack the quarterback, and guys inside that can push the pocket and hold the point, and be productive in the run game.

You've coached in the Big Ten, the ACC and the SEC. Do you draw much on your Big Ten experience at Minnesota?

Roof: It's a great conference. There's so much tradition in this conference and pageantry. It's a good conference to be a part of. College football changes so much and so quickly. It's certainly changed since I was in the Big Ten in 2008. I've got to study it as we move forward, and go from there.

What type of challenge does this situation at Penn State present after what's happened the past few months?

Roof: I think there are great opportunities here. We're following a legendary coach at a legendary institution. So it's a great opportunity, and we're just excited about moving forward.

What's your message to the players?

Roof: I met with them the first week I was there and right now, it's all about getting to know each other, understanding the expectation level, and working to take the next step. That's what we've got to do, because the standard at Penn State is extremely high.

Shortly before kickoff at Ohio Stadium, several other reporters and I left our seats in the press box and took positions in the hallway outside the press elevator.

Two top 10 teams with storied histories would play that October night in 2008: No. 3 Penn State and No. 9 Ohio State. The game eventually would decide the Big Ten's BCS bowl tiebreaker and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Penn State came in undefeated and needing four more victories to likely secure a spot in the national title game. Ohio State had only one loss and eyed a third consecutive outright Big Ten championship. The game featured two consensus All-Americans, three national award winners and 12 players who would be selected in the NFL draft the following April.

But rather than watch pregame warm-ups, several national and local media members, along with an ABC cameraman, watched an 81-year-old man on crutches hobble off the elevator, down the hallway and into the visiting coaches' booth.

Joe Paterno seemed surprised to see us, saying, "Geez, what is this?" Assistant Ron Vanderlinden joked to the coach, "They're not waiting for us, right?"

Not you, Ron. Joe.

Paterno's game location (press box or field) became as big a story on fall Saturdays as Penn State's pass rush or quarterback play during the coach's last few seasons. As various ailments forced Paterno to the coaches' booth, the familiar questions surfaced about how much he really coached the team, whether he had any role with in-game planning and, the big one, whether all of this was a precursor to retirement.

Although Paterno's coaching future dominated the discourse around Penn State football, Paterno also made news in other ways. He called for the Big Ten to expand and add a championship game (which it did). He gave candid thoughts about major college football issues that resonated nationally. He made fun of Twitter and then started Skyping with recruits. His Tuesday press gatherings during the season were events, and he was the star.

Paterno might have been genuinely surprised to see us that night in Columbus, but he shouldn't have been. When it came to Penn State, he was the story, even if he didn't want to be.

The Joe Paterno narrative has been much bigger than the Penn State football narrative.

It might not have been that way at the start of Paterno's 46-year run as Lions coach, but it was for most of his tenure. It certainly has been the case since the Big Ten blog launched in 2008. While the blog technically covers 12 teams, it really has covered 11 teams and one coach.

Penn State has had great teams and great players that moved the needle nationally. But Paterno was the constant. He was the newsmaker.

The narrative will change at Penn State following Paterno's death Sunday at age 85. Make no mistake, Paterno's presence will remain with the team, the university and the fans. Penn State will pay tribute to Paterno in the coming days, during the coming season and in ways that will remain with the program forever. He built Penn State football, and his imprint will never be removed from the program.

But at some point, Penn State football will be the story and Joe Paterno will not. It's going to seem odd.

There likely won't be many columns about whether new Penn State coach Bill O'Brien, 42, will coach from the field or the press box. O'Brien's potential retirement won't be discussed nearly as much as whether he can be an effective head coach for a program dealing with a turbulent time. His ability to develop quarterbacks is sure to generate more copy than his thoughts on conference realignment or whether freshmen should be eligible.

The Penn State players themselves also will be bigger parts of the narrative. Paterno was known for being insular with the program and sheltering his players, restricting access to both media members and NFL scouts. While stars like former linebacker LaVar Arrington drew some national attention, Penn State seems to have far fewer players in the spotlight than most programs of its ilk. I've sometimes wondered whether the closed-door policy has hurt Penn State players when it comes to national awards -- the program has produced only one Heisman Trophy winner, John Cappelletti in 1973.

Will things change under O'Brien? Time will tell, but it would be surprising not to hear more and see more from Penn State's players in coming years.

As the tributes roll in, Paterno is the story at Penn State. He'll be mourned and remembered throughout the week. But at some point -- maybe the start of spring practice or the start of the 2013 season -- the narrative will shift.

There won't be an iconic figure on the sideline, at the podium or in the coaches' booth. There will be players and coaches, trying to uphold a legacy and forge their own.

It will become all about the team.

Paterno would like that.

New Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien has only been on the job for a little more than a week, but he has already hired all but one of his assistants.

The school officially announced the hiring of Ted Roof as defensive coordinator and John Butler as secondary coach on Friday. Both guys come from the SEC.

O'Brien only has to hire a quarterbacks coach to complete his staff. The New England Patriots offensive coordinator has said he will call his own plays with the Nittany Lions and will not name an offensive coordinator.

Roof was Auburn’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2009 until this season and oversaw the defense on the Tigers' national championship team last season. He was named Central Florida's defensive coordinator on Dec. 8 before the Penn State job came along. Roof worked with O'Brien when both were assistants at Georgia Tech.

Butler was South Carolina's special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach last season. He served on the same Minnesota staff as Roof in 2008.

Roof and Butler join veteran Penn State coaches Larry Johnson (defensive line) and Ron Vanderlinden (linebackers) on the defensive coaching staff. O’Brien previously had announced four members of the offensive coaching staff: Stan Hixon (assistant head coach/wide receivers), Charles London (running backs), Mac McWhorter (offensive line) and John Strollo (tight ends).

Penn State made it official Thursday and announced the hires of six assistant coaches on Bill O'Brien's staff.

All of these names have been previously reported, but here they are again:

• Larry Johnson, defensive line
• Ron Vanderlinden, linebackers
• Stan Hixon, assistant head coach/wide receivers
• Charles London, running backs
• Mac McWhorter, offensive line
• John Strollo, tight ends

O'Brien has three more positions to fill: defensive coordinator, secondary coach and quarterbacks coach. Central Florida defensive coordinator Ted Roof confirmed in a text message to ESPN.com on Monday that he's taking the Penn State defensive coordinator spot. South Carolina assistant John Butler reportedly is heading to State College, likely to take the secondary coach spot.

New England Patriots offensive assistant George Godsey reportedly will take the quarterbacks coach role. Godsey worked directly with O'Brien in New England during the 2011 season and played for O'Brien at Georgia Tech.

O'Brien definitely went with familiarity in his hires, as he worked alongside London, McWhorter, Strollo and Roof as an assistant at Georgia Tech and/or Duke. There's also a decent mix of college and NFL experience, as O'Brien promised.

It's definitely a veteran staff, as London, Godsey and Butler are the only assistants who logged some playing time in the recent past.

I like the retention of both Johnson and Vanderlinden, who are great at what they do. Roof's appointment has sparked some angst among Penn State fans, but he did good work at Minnesota and will have good position coaches working under him.

It'll be interesting to see how things go with O'Brien as the offensive play-caller, at least for Year 1. A lot of folks will make the Charlie Weis comparisons, which are a little unfair. It's important to point out that while Weis ultimately failed at Notre Dame, his offenses certainly didn't in 2005 and 2006. My preference is defensive-minded coaches who delegate play-calling to their coordinators, but there are offense-minded coaches who call their own plays and have success (i.e. Bobby Petrino).

"I said last weekend we were going to put together the best staff for Penn State and I firmly believe we have done that," O'Brien said in a prepared statement. "It was crucial to get an experienced, passionate and enthusiastic staff together quickly so they can hit the ground running. All of these coaches have varied and successful backgrounds coaching in the NFL, college and high school across the country. They have developed extensive relationships with coaches that will be vital in our recruiting efforts. They are excited to meet our current players, get on the road and become part of the Penn State football family."

What are your thoughts on the staff?

The season might be over, but the mail never stops.

Let's do this.

Mike from Phoenix writes: As a Badger fan I was waiting to see your final power rankings of the year because I had a feeling that you might make MSU number 1. I just don't get it. It's the same way the coaches poll has MSU and Michigan ahead of Wisconsin. That's a joke.Look at the teams everyone played in the bowl season. MSU barely beat Georgia who is not the 2nd best team in the SEC even though they went to the title game. They are the 4th best team in that league. Michigan looked bad, and played one of the easiest teams in BCS history. Wisconsin would have destroyed both Georgia and Va. Tech, but you are penalizing them for going blow for blow with the most talented offensive team in the country. They were a fumble away from possibly winning.

Adam Rittenberg: Brian and I had a spirited debate about Wisconsin vs. Michigan State for No. 1. You can make good cases for both teams, but you can't base it solely on the bowl competition. Would Wisconsin have rolled Georgia? Maybe, maybe not. Georgia has a much better defense than Oregon and would have moved the ball against a Wisconsin defense that wasn't nearly as good as its stats indicated. Wisconsin also was extremely fortunate to beat Michigan State in the Big Ten title game, which the Spartans dominated for stretches. The two teams are evenly matched, as their two games this season showed. And I believe Michigan State ended the season playing better football than Wisconsin. I also tend to value teams with good to great defenses above those that rely on their offense. Michigan State is certainly superior to Wisconsin on defense.

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Tim from Iowa writes: While it might get you some back lash, I'd like your opinion on this.....me and several friends have the opinion that if 2 B10 teams(esp in our champ game) played like LSU-Bama, the B10 would once again be ripped for 3 yards/cloud of dust 1950's football. I watched parts ofthe game last night, then the final 8min. what I saw was one great def, 2 bad quaterbacks, a very repeative ineffective O from LSU, and Iowa/B10 style ball control from Bama. then Saban being proclaimed the next "Bear".

Adam Rittenberg: Tim, you're right to a degree, although there was less SEC love about the national title game than there was about the 9-6 contest. The SEC in a sense has earned the right to have ugly games because teams from other leagues simply haven't stacked up against the SEC's best. The common belief is that while Oklahoma State would have scored against Alabama, the Tide still would have rolled the Cowboys by 20-30 points. But I agree the SEC is the only league that can "get away" with games like last night's. Most people would much rather see games like the Rose Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. Alabama is a great football team with one of the best defenses I've ever seen. But LSU's offense would be mediocre to bad in most leagues, not just the SEC.

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Ryan from Pittsburgh writes: Adam,What are your thoughts on the new Penn State staff? I have to admit I'm somewhat surprised. For years I thought that PSU would turn the corner if they could only get a younger fresher staff in place to energize recruiting. This new staff that O'Brien has coming in is not young at all, so I doubt they're great recruiters. Plus any Auburn fan will tell you that Roof was fired. Mack Brown fired McWhorter last year. Am I overreacting?

Adam Rittenberg: You bring up a good point, Ryan. A lot of veteran assistants are joining Bill O'Brien in State College. Keeping Larry Johnson is huge and a somewhat obvious move. He's one of the Big Ten's top recruiters, and he'll maintain Penn State's presence in the Maryland/DC area. His age isn't a factor in that regard. Ted Roof is the hire that has some Penn State fans upset. I agree he doesn't have the best track record, but the overall defensive staff with both Johnson and Ron Vanderlinden still looks solid to me. Charles London is a younger guy (mid-30s), but he's definitely the junior member right now. It'll be interesting to see who O'Brien hires to fill out the staff. Some more youth would be nice.

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Jeff from Omaha, writes: Adam? Why am I so awesome?

Adam Rittenberg: Ask myself the same thing every morning.

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Sam from Kalamazoo, Mich., writes: Adam, can you please explain your rationale for naming MSU as an early favorite to win the B1G in 2012 over, say, Michigan? The Wolverines return two 1,000 yard rushers in Denard and Fitz Toussaint, 3 starting receivers, and a top-5 recruiting class loaded with 4 and 5 star DLs, LBs, and OLs. Molk, Van Bergen, and Martin will be sorely missed, but I'm not sure it makes sense that MSU is so ramped for success after losing 6 All-Big Ten players and playing in the Big House. Can you even name next year's replacement for mighty Kirk Cousins off the top of your head?

Adam Rittenberg: Sure, Sam. Andrew Maxwell. Michigan State has been grooming him the past two seasons. Will he be as good as Cousins? That's a tall order, but he's not coming out of nowhere. Michigan State is my pick because of its defense. While Jerel Worthy is a big loss, the Spartans return a ton of elite athletes in all three levels, players like Will Gholston, Denicos Allen, Johnny Adams and Darqueze Dennard. The Spartans have more difference-makers on defense than Michigan will in 2011, at least in my view. I also believe MSU will be a more effective running team than it was this season because of an experienced line and a strong lead back in Le'Veon Bell. I certainly could see Michigan winning the division, but the Wolverines have a much tougher schedule in 2012 and could have a better team with a worse record (much like MSU this season versus 2010).

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Ben from Fargo, N.D., writes: One of the big stories in 2012 will be a surprising improvement in Minnesota's defensive line play. Ask Jerry Kill about Thieren Cockran. He's coach Kill's secret weapon.

Adam Rittenberg: Will do, Ben. Thanks for the note. Minnesota's defensive line play has struggled since Willie VanDeSteeg departed following the 2008 season. Gophers have ranked and 78th, 120th and 86th nationally in sacks in the past three seasons. It's an area of focus throughout the offseason as Minnesota loses linebacker Gary Tinsley and standout safety Kim Royston. Cockran, a redshirt freshman defensive end from Florida, is among those who needs to step up in 2012.

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Matt from Burbank, Calif., writes: Hi Adam,Regarding Northwestern next year, do you think Kain Colter gets the starting QB job? I've been of the opinion that he is more dangerous in a utility role as he was used these season, but on the other hand he's proven he can win and be effective as the top guy. Additionally, do you think there's any hope for this defense?Thanks for a great season, can't wait till next year! Bowl win or bust!

Adam Rittenberg: Matt, I think Colter will be the starter for 2012, but he has to make some important strides as a passer during the offseason. Northwestern's offense is predicated on short passing and accuracy. The Wildcats convert a lot of third downs, and Colter has to be able to make the throws Dan Persa, Mike Kafka and C.J. Bacher have made in recent years. He's the best athlete Northwestern ever has had at quarterback, and he's a perfect fit for the spread -- as long as he gets better as a passer. If there's little to no progress, Northwestern will have to use another quarterback, likely Trevor Siemian, to spark the passing game. Offensive coordinator Mick McCall has developed quarterbacks well at Northwestern, and Colter is his next big project.

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Kevin from New Orleans writes: It's been a tough couple weeks to be a Badger. Lost the Rose Bowl, lost 3 straight in hoops, lost 5 coaches. First let me say, if Bielama has Barry's confidence and support, then he has mine. Have you heard anything? Are the Badgers getting some really good coaches? I doubt we'll get anybody that can match the talent we are losing, but maybe we get an upgrade on the recruiting. 4 of the 5 coaches that left were not good recruiters. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Adam Rittenberg: Kevin, while it's tough right now, I think Wisconsin fans should have faith in Bret Bielema to make some good hires. As you note, Joe Rudolph is the only major loss from a recruiting standpoint. Bielema has made good choices in the past, such as defensive coordinator Dave Doeren (now head coach at Northern Illinois), Dave Huxtable (did a great job with UW linebackers in only year) and Chris Ash (has upgraded secondary, now defensive coordinator). It'll be interesting to see where he turns to replace Paul Chryst and Bob Bostad, but a lot of good coaches will want to come to Madison after seeing what Wisconsin has done the past few years. So I would look at Bielema's hiring track record and feel confident.

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Lance from Arlington writes: "While Penn State has produced some solid college quarterbacks -- most recently Daryll Clark, the 2009 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year"While your opinion is correct in general, saying Daryll Clark was solid does him an injustice. DC (along with Drew Brees) was the best QB the Big Ten has had since Kerry Collins and Michael Robinson is right there. Simply put, Penn State has produced three of the top five QB's to have competed in the Big Ten since their arrival. You will no doubt disagree since you hate Penn State but you are wrong.

Adam Rittenberg: Lance, I don't hate Penn State. I hate every school according to you folks. Let's get that cleared up. I was a big Daryll Clark fan during his career, but your argument doesn't hold up. Troy Smith won a Heisman Trophy in 2006. He played between Brees and Clark. Iowa's Brad Banks won the Davey O'Brien award in 2002. He played between Brees and Clark. While Clark led the Big Ten in pass efficiency in conference games in 2009 (136.6), it's the lowest rating for a Big Ten leader since at least 1980. His season rating that year (142.6) didn't lead the league (Terrelle Pryor did) and ranks behind all of the league leaders since 1980. Again, not hating on Daryll, who has a really nice career in State College, as did Michael Robinson. But there have been better Big Ten quarterbacks since Kerry Collins, including Wisconsin's Russell Wilson this year.

The college football season is officially over. So it's time to break out the crystal ball and offer our projections for the preposterously-too-early 2012 Big Ten power rankings.

1. Michigan State: The Spartans must replace a lot of leadership, including quarterback Kirk Cousins, receivers B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin and All-American defensive tackle Jerel Worthy. But nine starters return off the Big Ten's top overall defense, featuring Will Gholston, Denicos Allen and Isaiah Lewis as potential breakout stars. Le'Veon Bell could have a big year as the No. 1 tailback, and if Andrew Maxwell can adequately fill in for Cousins, the offense should be fine, especially if Tennessee transfer DeAnthony Arnett gets his waiver to become immediately eligible at receiver. Plus, the road schedule (at Central Michigan, at Indiana, at Michigan, at Wisconsin, at Minnesota) is far more manageable than what the team navigated in 2011.

2. Michigan: A lot of things went right for the Wolverines in 2011, including a favorable schedule. That slate gets harder in 2012, beginning with Alabama at Cowboys Stadium and including road trips to Nebraska and Ohio State. Still, Denard Robinson and Fitz Toussaint form one of the most dangerous offensive duos in the league, and the second year under Brady Hoke and his staff should mean more familiarity and comfort. Coming off a BCS win, Michigan could start the season in the Top 10.

3. Wisconsin: The Badgers will have to overcome many challenges to reach their third straight Rose Bowl. The biggest concern is at quarterback, where there's no experience to replace Russell Wilson and his record-breaking efficiency level. Bret Bielema will have to remake almost his entire offensive coaching staff after Paul Chryst took several assistants with him to Pittsburgh. Still, Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball returns to keep the Wisconsin running game among the best in the country. And the two Big Ten teams who beat the Badgers in 2011 -- Michigan State and Ohio State -- must come to Madison in '12.

4. Ohio State: The Buckeyes aren't eligible to make the Big Ten title game, but don't be surprised if they put up the best record in the Leaders Division. A transition period can be expected as Urban Meyer takes over as head coach and installs an entirely new offensive system. But Ohio State had a small senior class in 2011 and brings back many talented players, such as defensive lineman John Simon, quarterback Braxton Miller and running back Carlos Hyde. A schedule that features eight home games should equal much improvement over this year's 6-7 record.

5. Nebraska: Few teams will be as experienced on offense as Nebraska, which returns seven starters and just about every key skill player on that side of the ball. Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead should be even better with another year in offensive coordinator Tim Beck's system. The questions are on defense, where the Huskers struggled at times in 2011 before losing their top two players in linebacker Lavonte David and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard. Nebraska must get tougher up front defensively to handle the Big Ten grind and has difficult road assignments looming at Ohio State and Michigan State.

6. Penn State: For the first time since 1965, we'll see what a Penn State team looks like that is not coached by Joe Paterno to start the season. New coach Bill O'Brien made a wise decision to retain defensive assistants Larry Johnson and Ron Vanderlinden, and even without All-American lineman Devon Still, that side of the ball should stay stout with standouts like Gerald Hodges, Jordan Hill and hopefully a healthy Michael Mauti. O'Brien's biggest impact should come on offense. The former New England Patriots offensive coordinator will try to bring the Nittany Lions attack into the 21st century with a competent passing game. Tailback Silas Redd provides a nice crutch while that transition occurs.

7. Iowa: After two straight 7-5 regular-season finishes, the Hawkeyes will look to get back into Big Ten contention. But they'll have to overcome the losses of star receiver Marvin McNutt, offensive tackle Riley Reiff, defensive linemen Mike Daniels and Broderick Binns and cornerback Shaun Prater. When he's on, James Vandenberg is as good a dropback passer as there is in the Big Ten, but making up for McNutt's production won't be easy. Assuming Marcus Coker returns from suspension, the running game should be very good. The defense simply has to improve after giving up too many big plays in 2011, and Kirk Ferentz hasn't yet named a successor to veteran defensive coordinator Norm Parker, who retired.

8. Purdue: The Boilermakers have a chance to make a move in a Leaders Division that is marked by coaching changes. They return most of the major pieces of their Little Caesars Bowl-winning team, and the return of Rob Henry from his season-ending knee surgery opens up some interesting possibilities at quarterback. Kawann Short should be one of the top defensive linemen in the league if he decides to return for his senior year. We'd still like to see more consistency from Danny Hope's program before we rank Purdue too high, however.

9. Northwestern: Dan Persa and his record-breaking accuracy are gone, along with top receiver Jeremy Ebert. Yet we're not too concerned about the offense and like the multi-dimensional options that Kain Colter provides with his all-around athleticism. Northwestern's issue is whether it can fix a defense that had trouble stopping anybody. The fact that the Wildcats lose their top three defensive backs from a secondary that was routinely torched does not inspire confidence.

10. Illinois: New coach Tim Beckman has his work cut out for him in Year One. He has to completely revamp an offense that couldn't shoot straight in the back half of 2011 while implementing a new spread style. He has to try to maintain the defense without coordinator Vic Koenning or All-American defensive end Whitney Mercilus. And he faces a schedule that sees the Illini going to Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan, all three of which won in Champaign this past season. There's still talent on defense, led by promising linebacker Jonathan Brown. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase needs to build on his second-half showing in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

11. Minnesota: After a horrible start, the Gophers showed a lot more fight down the stretch in 2011, beating Iowa and Illinois at home. Jerry Kill knows how to build a program, and the team can't help but be better in 2012, especially if MarQueis Gray continues to develop at quarterback. But Minnesota still has some holes on its roster that can only be fixed through recruiting, and while the Gophers could make a run at bowl eligibility this year, they'll be hard-pressed to make too much noise in a stacked Legends Division.

12. Indiana: The good news for the Hoosiers is that they played a ton of freshmen in 2011, and the growing pains should start to pay off for guys such as Tre Roberson and Mark Murphy in 2012. The second year under Kevin Wilson should also bring progress. Still, this is a team that went 1-11 in 2011 with no wins over FBS teams, so it remains an uphill climb.

Bill O'Brien wasn't lying when he said his coaching staff would be assembled in a hurry.

Penn State's new coach has quickly hired a group of assistants to help him during the transition.

Ted Roof comes aboard as the Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, Roof confirmed to ESPN.com in a text message Monday night. He joins a defensive staff that includes two holdovers from the previous regime, defensive line coach Larry Johnson and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden.

Roof spent the past two seasons as Auburn's defensive coordinator, although he left last month for the same post at Central Florida. He and O'Brien worked together at Duke from 2005-06, Roof as the Blue Devils' head coach and O'Brien as the team's offensive coordinator. The two also worked together at Georgia Tech from 1998-2001. Although Roof's name is eliciting mixed reactions from Penn State fans, he did a nice job in his last Big Ten stint with Minnesota's defense in 2008.

Penn State's hasn't officially announced any of O'Brien's assistants, but three other coaches reportedly will join the staff. They are: Buffalo Bills wide receivers coach Stan Hixon, former Texas offensive line coach Mac McWhorter and Ball State offensive line coach John Strollo. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports McWhorter will coach offensive line at Penn State and Strollo will coach tight ends.

Tennessee Titans assistant Charles London has confirmed he'll coach running backs at Penn State.

There's also buzz that former Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, who had O'Brien on his staff, could be coming to Penn State as offensive coordinator. Don't bet on this, though, as O'Brien plans to call the offensive plays in Year 1.

So while nothing is official, here's how O'Brien's staff could look in 2012:

Defensive coordinator: Ted Roof
Defensive line: Larry Johnson
Linebackers: Ron Vanderlinden
Running backs: Charles London
Offensive line: Mac McWhorter
Wide receivers: Stan Hixon
Tight ends: John Strollo

O'Brien told ESPN.com on Sunday that at least seven assistants will be in place by Wednesday. He's working quickly as he needs his assistants on the road recruiting while he's fulfilling his responsibilities with the New England Patriots.

Thoughts on the potential staff?

New Penn State coach Bill O'Brien is keeping two defensive assistants from the previous staff.

O'Brien, who announced Saturday he's retaining defensive line coach Larry Johnson, also will keep linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, Penn State players said after meeting their new head coach Sunday night. It's a wise move as both Johnson and Vanderlinden are two of the best at what they do. There's no official word on whether O'Brien will retain defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, but Bradley's statement following O'Brien's hiring all but spells out that his time at Penn State is over.

Other assistants not retained include tight ends/tackles coach Bill Kenney and secondary coach Kermit Buggs.

For the first time since Feb. 19, 1966, Penn State has introduced a new head football coach. Bill O'Brien is the new man in charge, and he conducted himself well during his first public appearance in the new job. He was energetic and confident and hit on most of the issues Penn State fans needed to hear.

O'Brien, 42, received a five-year contract that will pay him $950,000 annually plus a five percent annual increase and performance incentives not to exceed $200,000 per year. The deal includes $1 million annually from TV and radio, and $350,000 from Nike. Total compensation: $2.3 million.

Before getting to the notes, O'Brien finished his opening remarks with a letter he wrote addressed to the Penn State football community, portions of which had expressed outrage at his hiring and the search process.

It reads:

"We respect the right to one's opinions, beliefs and contributions to Penn State. We admire one's loyalties to Penn State, Penn State football, its grand tradition, coach [Joe] Paterno and all of its football staffs, and present and former players. We respectfully request the opportunity to earn your trust through communication and field it through our abilities, ethics, beliefs, work ethic and commitment to Penn State. In time, you will find that we have more common interests and goals than not.

"We are now with you. You should be proud of Penn State's numerous accomplishments. You should be proud of Penn State's football program. You should love this school. You are why we love to be here. We want you to know that you will always be welcome and are part of our program because we are Penn State."

Here are some notes:

• O'Brien plans to assemble a staff in the next 2-3 days, but he confirmed that current Lions defensive line coach Larry Johnson will be a part of it. Johnson, the team's top recruiter and an excellent position coach, served as co-defensive coordinator with Ron Vanderlinden after Tom Bradley took over the head-coaching duties in November. O'Brien will meet with the other current assistants during the next few days. Keeping Johnson is a good move.
• It doesn't appear as though Bradley will remain on staff (no big surprise), and Bradley issued a statement Saturday saying Penn State has his full support going forward. Classy remarks from "Scrap."
• O'Brien discussed Paterno in his opening remarks, saying he grew up following Penn State football. He loved the "helmets, the uniforms, the black cleats, no names on the back of the jerseys, and also because of the man on the sidelines." O'Brien added that there "will never be enough words to say what he did for this program." O'Brien looks forward to meeting Paterno as soon as possible.
• O'Brien said he will take the NCAA exam today or Sunday that will then allow him to contact Penn State recruits. He emphasized the importance of securing Penn State's verbally committed recruits and making a push in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and the Washington D.C. area -- "our bloodlines."
• While his assistants will be on the road, O'Brien himself will be splitting time between Penn State and the New England Patriots, much like Charlie Weis did with the Patriots and Notre Dame in 2005 during the Patriots' Super Bowl run. "There’s no way I can stand up in front of our football team and our recruits and talk about loyalty and commitment and then leave the Patriots at the start of a playoff run," he said. "... I will also continue any break I have to make sure I am full-time as much as I can for Penn State." This will be tricky, but it's hard to fault O'Brien for finishing the job with the Pats. Johnson will lead Penn State's recruiting efforts during the next few weeks.
• O'Brien didn't mention Jerry Sandusky or the sex-abuse scandal directly but acknowledged he has "a lot of confidence in my ability to lead us through what some people would say is a tough time right now." He said there were a lot of tough questions asked and answered from both sides during the interview process and praised acting AD Dave Joyner and president Rodney Erickson. Asked why he can lead Penn State through a tough time, O'Brien replied, "I believe in myself. I believe in Penn State. I believe in the academic diversity of Penn State. I obviously believe in the football traditions here and the past football successes. What is there not to sell about Penn State?"
• O'Brien said Penn State will be multiple on defense and continue to reflect the program's tradition on that side of the ball. The offense will be game-plan-oriented. "The offensive philosophy will be to find out what our players do best ... and put them in position to take advantage of these strengths," he said. O'Brien says he'll call offensive plays, at least for the first year.
• O'Brien wasn't part of a Friday night conference call with Lions players -- he spent the time preparing for the news conference -- but will meet with them Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. Classes start Monday. This meeting can't happen soon enough, in my view.
• Joyner said he was receptive to the Letterman's Club members and others who wanted to give input on the coaching search. Former Penn State player Brandon Short told media outlets Friday that Joyner hadn't been receptive to the program's alums. As for the secrecy of the search, Joyner said, "We conducted this search very similar to normal academic searches for a dean for a chair of a department."
• O'Brien on being a first-time head coach: "Everybody’s got to start somewhere, and what better place to start than Penn State? I know there's many challenges ahead. I'm going to surround myself with really good people."
• On current boss Bill Belichick: "He allows his coaches to coach, to be creative, to come up with their own play designs and their own game plans. He’s the most challenging guy I’ve ever worked for, and I’ve learned so much from him."
• On Patriots quarterback Tom Brady: "He’s a special, special guy, and a special friend of mine, and he always will be. We have a unique relationship. It was like two brothers ... so there were times when things got heated, and most of that was probably my fault."

More to come on O'Brien's hiring ...

Hope you have a great weekend. Lord knows I need one.

Joe from Ann Arbor, Mich., writes: Adam, regarding your big ten bowl column what do you think about Delaney twisting the arm of a few conference sponsors to create a bowl game in Indianapolis and/or Chicago and dumping more money into the Detroit bowlto attract higher profile opponents? Then get a tie in with the Pinstripe Bowl. Drop the Gator and TicketCity Bowls. Thoughts?

Adam Rittenberg: Joe, it wouldn't surprise me to see another bowl game or two take place in the Midwest besides the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit. It's almost a guarantee the Big Ten's next bowl lineup, beginning in 2014, will feature more tie-ins with the Pac-12 besides the Rose. Kraft Fight Hunger in San Francisco makes a lot of sense for the Big Ten. Pinstripe also could be a possibility. They'll have to evaluate whether Gator and TicketCity are worth continuing or not.

Steiny from Dow City, Iowa, writes: Adam, youve posted many of my topics, so they must be good enough to post, hers a new one....what are the chances iowa goes after tom bradley, and second would he come to iowa? scale of 1-100 . I give it an 80 that kirk will try to obtain bradley and maybe one other penn state guy for the d-line whatcha think?

Adam Rittenberg: I think Bradley would be a great choice for Iowa, but the tricky part is determining how long he'd want to stay there. He has head-coaching aspirations and was a candidate for the Pitt vacancy last year. Kirk Ferentz likes staff continuity and would prefer not to have a guy bolt after one year. But I think Bradley, Larry Johnson and Ron Vanderlinden all would be good fits for defensive coordinator posts in the Big Ten or elsewhere.

Dan from O'Fallon, Ill., writes: Adam...I'm a PSU alum who would've liked to see Tom Bradley become head coach at PSU, but I don't understand a few things: 1. why does the media that follows PSU think they are owed information about what the hiring committee is doing...their shock at a new coach being hired without someone giving them the scoop first is bombastic and tiring. 2. I've been a PSU football fan for over 30 years, and I get that past players have a strong connection to the program, but it isn't their job to hire/fire the coach. Lavar Arrington and others need to get over themselves. I appreciate his loyalty, but his emotions are misplaced. Am I missing something?

Adam Rittenberg: Dan, your first point is valid, and while we in the media would like more information, it's not unusual for schools to be tight-lipped. Think the issue is the delay in confirming anything. The whole process has taken a lot longer than normal, even the process to confirm Bill O'Brien's hiring after ESPN reported it Thursday night. And there seems to be a lack of transparency not just with the media but with the current coaches and players. Tom Bradley deserved to be informed earlier than he was. Agree with your second point to an extent, but I also see why players want to be involved. They feel like Penn State is totally divorcing itself from the Joe Paterno era, and that stirs up emotions. Would there have been any harm done by just listening to them and what they had to say?

Martin from Michigan writes: After all the flack you gave MSU and Chris Rucker last year over him being allowed to play after one mistake, you let Stonum and UofM off the hook essentially after his 5th mistake. Show some journalistic integrity why don't you. Stonum should be gone. Bad enough he got off with just red-shirting a year.

Adam Rittenberg: Martin, I will weigh in more after Brady Hoke makes a decision on Stonum. I believe Stonum should be dismissed from the team. He has had several chances and has blown them. Now he's going back to jail for the second time. There should be consequences. If Hoke doesn't dismiss Stonum, I'll weigh in, just like I weighed in last year after Dantonio allowed Rucker to play. I love these fans who demand equal outrage on these situations, as if it somehow wipes away a poor decision made by their coach. It's silly.

Tim from Columbus, Ohio, writes: Hey Adam,Why is Ohio State ineligible for the B1G title game? As Alabama proved, bowls have NOTHING to do with winning your conference. Without expansion, OSU could win it (when standings determine the champ), why ban them with a conference championship game?

Adam Rittenberg: Not sure I understand your last point, but the Big Ten doesn't want its signature event to feature a team banned from a bowl for violating NCAA rules. Think the Rose Bowl committee wants to invite the team that loses to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game? That would be more than a little awkward. Makes perfect sense not to allow Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. Alabama is the exception rather than the rule. Imagine if this year's Big Ten title game featured a team banned from the bowls? Would be a little less on the line.

Stephen from Harrisonburg, Va., writes: Hey Adam the reports that I have seen have said that O'brien will continue to coach the Patriots for the rest of the season. How will he be able to recruit during these next three weeks if he is busy preparing for playoff games that could last through early February?

Adam Rittenberg: It poses quite the challenge, Stephen. He'd have to do most if not all of his recruiting over the phone, much like Charlie Weis did in 2005 when he took the Notre Dame job while continuing to coach with the Patriots through their Super Bowl run. He would need to get his assistants on board ASAP and have them out on the road as much as possible between now and signing day.

Vivek from Cambridge, Mass., writes: Adam, you and Brian both disappointed me in your discussion of Big Ten bowl performance. Brian especially wrote something to the effect that Big Ten teams should simply be better so that they aren't underdogs. I believe that the issue is more structural and hence not even a problem. Big Ten schools have huge alumni bases and fans willing to travel south (especially) in the winter, so they are attractive to bowl organizers; they are fundamentally more attractive to bowls than the quality of their teams. This will make them typically overmatched. But the fans enjoy the trips. Why is this something to be solved?

Adam Rittenberg: Maybe it shouldn't be solved, Vivek. But in that case, Big Ten fans should accept the losing bowl records and the national criticism that comes with it. What I'm saying is that to expect broadcasters to spend four hours talking about the Big Ten's tough bowl lineup and how the matchups aren't favorable and how Big Ten fans travel so well and how we should cut the Big Ten slack isn't realistic. I think there are lineups that maintain some high-profile games but don't make it so difficult overall. Right now, it's extremely tough for the Big Ten to post a winning record in the bowls. Maybe that doesn't matter, but it does shape perception like it or not. The Big Ten shouldn't get rid of the Rose Bowl or the Capital One or the Outback. But beyond that point, there could be some tweaks to make things a bit easier.

Ryan from San Francisco writes: Any chance we will get the end of the year power rankings for the big ten?

Adam Rittenberg: Absolutely, Ryan. Check the blog Tuesday late morning.