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1. When the Fiesta Bowl invited NCAA president Mark Emmert to attend a panel discussion next week on concussions, Emmert not only accepted, he offered to serve as moderator. Emmert joins NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in being overt in taking head injuries seriously. The panel discussion also provides gravitas to the Fiesta’s resumption of its annual gathering of athletic directors and head football coaches. The former Fiesta Frolic used to be known for a lot of things. Gravitas was never one of them.

2. Typical, isn’t it? Arkansas made the best possible choice in an impossible situation when it hired John L. Smith to serve as caretaker of the Razorbacks for 2012. Smith, a veteran head coach, had spent the last three seasons on Bobby Petrino’s staff in Fayetteville. He knows the players. He knows the staff. The typical part? Weber State, which hired Smith as its head coach in December, becomes just another FCS victim of a big-spending school.

3. The Penn State administration continues to botch its dealings with Joe Paterno, weeks after the legendary coach died. The university contractually owed the Paterno estate $6.7 million, yet tried to negotiate the family into signing a legal release before it would pay the money. To call it ham-handed is an insult to hams everywhere. The university, after embarrassing itself again, paid the money last week.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Paul Haynes and Taver Johnson were among the coaches entrusted to guide Ohio State through a storm 2011.

The last thing the two men could have expected at their next coaching stop was another tempest. And, in many ways, a more damaging one.

Haynes and Johnson are part of an Arkansas staff left to pick up the pieces from the Bobby Petrino scandal. Johnson, the Razorbacks' assistant head coach/linebackers coach, is in charge until a head coach is named, while Haynes serves as the Hogs' defensive coordinator after leaving Ohio State in December. Johnson had a chance to remain with Ohio State but left to join Hayes in Fayetteville.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, who served as the Buckeyes' head coach last season after Jim Tressel's departure, has been in touch with Haynes since the Petrino scandal broke.

"A very, very difficult situation," Fickell told ESPN.com on Thursday. "Different in a lot of ways, but similar in some ways, too. Everybody learned from last year, whether they were an administrator here, whether they were an intern, a defensive coordinator or a head coach, you learn a lot of different things, and it's going to help them in the long run."

Fickell and Haynes are close friends and remain in regular contact, as do their wives. Fickell hasn't spoken as often with Johnson, but he's confident the two men don't need his advice despite another difficult situation.

"Hell, they were here, they know what happened," Fickell said. "Now if the situation [at Arkansas] stays the way it is, before they start a season, I'm sure just like I had, they'll have an opportunity to communicate with some different people and pick some brains. Right now, they're probably just trying to keep the whole ship afloat."

Through some very choppy waters.

Bo Pelini's name seems to come up often whenever there's a high-profile coaching vacancy.

That's in part because of Pelini's success at Nebraska, in part because of the very low buyout clause in his contract and in part because of the assumption by some -- though never voiced by Pelini himself -- that he might be tiring of the pressure of living up to Cornhuskers fans' high expectations.

So it's little surprise that Pelini's name has been mentioned prominently for the brand new opening at Arkansas. But the Nebraska head coach told reporters Wednesday night that he intends to remain the Nebraska head coach.

"Actually, I didn't even know my name got thrown around," he said, when asked about the Arkansas opening. "I don't even know how that stuff happens. I'm here and I'm happy to be here."

The fifth-year Huskers coach called Nebraska "a destination job" and said his sole intention was to try and bring a championship to Lincoln. He said all other speculation linking him to Arkansas is "kind of ludicrous."

Pelini wouldn't be the first coach to say he has no interest in a job and turn around a few days later and take that gig. Heck, he wouldn't even be the 100th coach to do that. Arkansas can certainly throw some money around, and the Hogs are desperate to clean up the Bobby Petrino mess. Pelini doesn't have any of the character issues that plagued Petrino.

But Pelini shot this down just as strongly as he denied rumors that he'd interviewed with Ohio State last November. Truth is, he's got a good situation at Nebraska, and if he ever privately thinks things are crazy in Husker Nation, what would he make of the dysfunctional Hogs family and the SEC West madness?

At this point, when Pelini says he's staying, we should take him at his word. After all, he's not Bobby Petrino.

1. The NCAA slapped a five-year penalty on former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel last year, and as of Tuesday night, the question arose of who will return to run a team faster -- Tressel or deposed Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino? Tressel at least has nothing preventing an NFL team from returning him to the sideline. Petrino is persona non grata in the BCS and, because of his callous treatment of Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and general manager Rich McKay, it’s a good bet that no NFL team will rush to hire him, either.

2. Integrity returns? Maybe winning is neither everything nor the only thing. First, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell crushes the New Orleans Saints for their bounty program, and now Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long resists the urge to keep the lying, misleading coach who took the Hogs to a 21-5 record over the past two seasons. The great Bobby Jones assessed himself a one-shot penalty in the 1925 U.S. Open, which he then lost in a playoff. Complimented for his self-assessed penalty, Jones replied, “You may as well congratulate me for not robbing a bank.”

3. The changes at Penn State will unveil themselves in many ways over the months to come. The athletic department announced Wednesday that new coach Bill O’Brien, with other Nittany Lion head coaches, will do 18 alumni meet-and-greets on nine days from Apr. 30 to May 16. Joe Paterno last did this sort of thing in the spring in 2009, when he went to three dinners. Paterno didn’t need to do them. O’Brien does. The alumni want to like him. But they have to meet him first.

1. The fact that Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino still hasn’t been fired by the university he lied to is good news for Petrino and the won-loss record of the 2012 Razorbacks. It's bad news for integrity. No more damning details have emerged since Petrino confessed Thursday to his improper behavior and to lying in order to hide it. If Arkansas doesn’t fire Petrino, it needs to announce the penalty (Fine? Suspension?) soon. Make the story go away. As for Petrino: if Hogs quarterback Tyler Wilson panicked under pressure the way Petrino did, the coach would blister him, which makes me wonder if a softer, chastened Petrino will come out the other side.

2. When I wrote last week about the 16 consensus All-Americans that Nick Saban has coached at LSU and Alabama over the past decade, I said I couldn’t find another coach who had developed as many (I counted players, not seasons; i.e., I didn’t count a two-time All-American twice). Tim Tessalone, the longtime SID at USC, points out that Pete Carroll, in his nine seasons with the Trojans, had 15 players named consensus All-Americans. Duly noted.

3. As we all race to figure out what the new format of college football's postseason will be, Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne is unconvinced that the BCS will be abandoned. “Are we sure we’re going to move on?” Byrne asked. “I’ve heard a lot of these comments before.” Byrne is a playoff guy. In the mid-1990s, he stood with a group of athletic directors who pushed for an eight-team, post-bowl format. The plan went nowhere, which is why Byrne remains a skeptic.

1. The desire of the Big Ten and Pac-12 to keep the Rose Bowl as first among equals is understandable. But the playoff proposal that would allow a champion of one of those two leagues that finished in the top four to play in Pasadena and still remain eligible for the championship game solves nothing. There would be two “semifinals” but the Rose Bowl winner could be voted into the championship game. Talk about credibility issues -- how’d you like to win a “semifinal” and be voted out of the final?

2. Over the past decade, as Nick Saban has won three BCS championships, 16 of his players at LSU and Alabama have been voted consensus All-Americans. I can’t find another coach in the postwar era who developed that many All-Americans in so short a period of time (and don’t forget: Saban spent two of those last 10 years in the NFL). By comparison, Lou Holtz, a Hall of Fame coach, had 16 consensus All-Americans in 33 seasons.

3. The return of Arkansas tailback Knile Davis, recovering from the ankle injury he suffered last August, receded before the gutsy appearance of head coach Bobby Petrino at practice Tuesday. Petrino showed up less than 48 hours after he broke four ribs and cracked a vertebra in a motorcycle accident. Davis isn’t allowed any contact yet, and neither is Petrino, who watched from the press box. I’m glad he’s OK, but how a guy that smart who has ridden a motorcycle his entire life can go out without a helmet is beyond me.

The Pac-12 is the conference of quarterbacks. The SEC is all about defense.

Oh, and winning national championships.

But as good as the defenses are in the SEC, what role does poor-to-middling offense play in that perception? As in, what would happen if those defenses played against a series of future NFL quarterbacks, as Pac-12 (and Big 12) defenses do?

The question before us is this: How would USC quarterback Matt Barkley do against those rough-tough SEC defenses?

Ted Miller: It’s sort of a chicken and the egg question. Are SEC defenses so good because they rarely play against A-list quarterbacks? Or do Pac-12 quarterbacks pile up eye-popping numbers because they don’t play against SEC defenses?

Is it more notable that four of the top 11 quarterbacks in the nation in terms of passing efficiency in 2011 were from the Pac-12, compared to none in the top 20 from the SEC? Or is it more important that six SEC defenses ranked in the top 17 in pass efficiency defense compared to zero for the Pac-12?

It’s hard to say. It’s likely a person’s home -- Los Angeles or Baton Rouge -- has a large influence on his or her opinion.

Pac-12 fans would be prone to point out: In 2005, LSU ranked No. 3 in the nation in passing efficiency defense. But in the Tigers' trip to Tempe that season, Arizona State’s Sam Keller completed 35 of 56 passes for 461 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 35-31 defeat.

Or this: LSU’s defense did a nice job against Oregon’s offense in the 2011 season opener. Of course, the Ducks scored more points on LSU than ANY OF THE OTHER 13 TEAMS LSU PLAYED.

Apologies for the caps lock. Reckless typing.

While we can all acknowledge the SEC -- at least the elite teams -- play better defense than the rest of the nation, it is also worth noting that when future first-round NFL draft picks played quarterback in the SEC, they put up good numbers, whether we’re talking about the Manning brothers, Matt Stafford or Cam Newton. And I’m sure, one day in the future --perhaps this decade! -- we’ll be able to add a name to that list.

There are some nice quartebacks in the SEC: Tyler Wilson, AJ McCarron and Aaron Murray. All three seem like they’d have a good chance of winning the backup job at USC. Maybe.

Chris Low: No way am I going to argue that Barkley wouldn't have success in the SEC.

He's a future pro and probably the front-runner to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012.

The question is: How much success would he have, and would he hit the proverbial wall going against SEC defenses on a weekly basis?

My feeling is that all quarterbacks hit that wall. Any coach will tell you (ask your buddy Lane Kiffin) that what separates SEC defenses is the speed in the front seven, particularly in the defensive line. There are fast players all over the country in college football, but the SEC has cornered the market on fast, explosive defensive linemen and pass-rushers who also have the size and strength to overpower people.

That's the difference, and that's where Barkley would notice the greatest difference.

It wasn't a banner year for quarterbacks in the SEC last season. And, yes, I realize that's an understatement. But it was a banner year for premier defensive players. That's why the first round of the NFL draft next month is going to look like an SEC who's who. As many as 10 SEC defensive players could go in the first round.

Don't sleep on the SEC's quarterback class this coming season, either. Wilson may be a future first-rounder. Murray has thrown nearly 60 touchdown passes in his first two seasons, and we all saw what McCarron did in the BCS title game against an LSU defense that was outstanding.

Barkley's a big-time talent, no question. But it's a different game when you're trying to throw from your back.

And in this league, ALL QUARTERBACKS (sorry, my caps tend to lock up, too) encounter that problem.

Ted Miller: Truth is, Wilson, Murray and McCarron are good quarterbacks who look like guys with NFL futures. Loved how McCarron handled the pressure of the title game, and Murray has Pac-12-type talent.

We're trash talking here, but if you can't acknowledge what is real, well, then it's just noise.

And the reality of this debate is this: Barkley would be more challenged on a weekly basis by SEC defenses than by Pac-12 defenses -- which I believe are underrated but still a step behind the SEC for the reasons the Inimitable Low mentioned above. If Barkley played at Vanderbilt, Mississippi State or Kentucky, he'd just be the best quarterback in the history of those programs while leading those teams to "historic" seasons. Like a third-place finish in their divisions.

Yet what makes Barkley, Barkley is not just Barkley. It's USC. It's his supporting cast. It's receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee, who will both have NFL careers. And two tight ends who will also. And a good offensive line, and a 1,000-yard rusher who averaged 6.9 yards per carry in 2011 (Curtis McNeal).

By the way, if you wonder where USC's true potential Achilles heel is this year, it's the defensive line. The Trojans have three A-listers -- guys who would be touted in the SEC -- but are thin thereafter. That's a problem for a team that views itself as a national title contender.

That's ultimately the rub here, too. If all goes according to plan, Barkley and USC should be in position to play for the national title. It's hard to imagine that wouldn't be against another SEC team.

Now, Chris, wouldn't it be fun if it were USC and LSU? Recall that in 2003, LSU won 1/16 of the national title when no one in the entire world thought LSU was better than USC, other than computers obviously loaded with all sorts of viruses.

Or USC-Alabama? Great history, and Saban versus Barkley & Co. would certainly attract plenty of eyeballs.

Chris Low: One of the most compelling things that could happen to college football next season would be for USC and Barkley to take their shot at an SEC defense in the money game.

Then, we could quit debating and let it play out on the field. As much as I knew that Alabama and LSU were the two best teams in the country last season, there was a part of me that wanted to see Oklahoma State against either the Alabama or LSU defense in the BCS title game.

It's the matchup we all want to see: A high-powered offense versus a suffocating defense.

Maybe that's what we'll be treated to this fall.

Of course, I go back to the 2010 national title game, and Oregon had been short-circuiting scoreboards all season long. The Ducks go up against an Auburn defense that had been opportunistic, but wasn't one of the best in the SEC that season statistically. But in that game, Auburn put the clamps on Oregon and won 22-19.

The Tigers won because the Ducks couldn't block Nick Fairley.

And that's what the Trojans would run into if they find themselves up against an SEC team next January in Miami.

It won't come down to Barkley. Sure, he'll make a few plays. He's legit. But what it will come down to is the group of guys blocking for Barkley, and that's where it always gets ugly against SEC defenses.

In the meantime, just make sure the Trojans get there. They've been known to stumble along the way, and what we're left with is a bunch of hollow chatter about what they would have done (or could have done) had they made it to the party.

We'll check the guest list in December and chat again then.

Recruiting season ain't over until the last hat has been pulled from a grubby high school backpack. And there is hope in Tucson that the final name hasn't been inked on Rich Rodriguez's first recruiting class with Arizona. Specifically, hope that the Wildcats' new coach still has a shot at landing five-star athlete Davonte Neal.

Neal, from Chaparral High in Scottsdale, is the last player remaining on the 2012 ESPNU 150 list not to have committed to a team. He's reportedly going to make a decision next week. Among the schools still in the hunt for his services are Notre Dame, Arkansas, North Carolina and Arizona.

This could be a huge get for Rodriguez. Aside from the obvious on-field contributions that a wide receiver with 4.4 speed brings to a pass-happy offense, or a potential lock-down corner, it would go a long way in Rodriguez setting up stakes in his new home state.

New coaches love to come in and make promises -- that they are going to put up fences to keep top-flight athletes in and out-of-town poachers away. It's a cliche I hear all too often in Southern California, where it seems like you can pick up a four-star player next to the cereal aisle at Vons.

But nabbing a top-10 prospect like Neal would go a long way in winning the hearts and minds of a fanbase still sour after a 4-8 season.

Consider the signing of D.J. Foster at Arizona State. No new coach in the country entered his new digs with as much animosity in his wake as Todd Graham. But just a few weeks later, when one of the top prospects in the state spurns 15 other schools -- nine of them from within the conference -- and opts to stay at home, it's a big deal. Suddenly people start singing a different Graham tune. Graham promised to hit Phoenix and the surrounding areas hard. And he did. He goes from oath-breaker to promise-keeper. Now Graham looks like a guy that can get the job done.

The same can happen for Rodriguez. He's hired former Chaparral coach Charlie Ragle to be his in-state recruiting liaison and he's locked up a pair of Chaparral recruits already. If the Wildcats don't land Neal -- who some think is headed to Arkansas or Notre Dame -- it won't be the end of the world. The fact that Rodriguez is still in the hunt for the last remaining five-star is promising.

And he's already signed a pretty respectable class -- given the time crunch-- headlined by quarterback Javelle Allen. But if Rodriguez can reel in the 5-foot-10, broad-shouldered fish, it will alleviate concerns that his Big East/Big Ten ties are tough to overcome and that despite a shortened recruiting season, he can be a major player in Arizona recruiting.

Our Will Harris took a look at the odds for next season's BCS title contenders. He divided 17 teams into three categories: favorites, contenders and longshots.

With 20-to-1 odds, Notre Dame falls into the contender category, joining Arkansas, Clemson, Michigan, Texas and Virginia Tech. Among teams from that group, Harris likes the Hokies' chances to emerge from the pack as a darkhorse title contender in 2012:

The Clemson defense that was vaporized by West Virginia in the Orange Bowl is an unlikely candidate for a quick fix, and as mentioned earlier, we want proven coaching for title futures. We're optimistic about Mack Brown's total overhaul at Texas, but Year 2 is too soon and there's still a black hole at quarterback.

At a little better price the Razorbacks would have our attention. Arkansas is a strong program with a top-10 coach. Bobby Petrino's regime will overtake LSU this year, and the man who went 41-9 at Louisville will eventually bring at least one SEC title to Fayetteville. This could certainly be the year, as the schedule is favorable, but a trio of new coordinators and a rebuilt receiving corps are reasons for caution.

Like Arkansas, Michigan and Notre Dame are on the rise behind excellent coaching, but the best of this group for 2012 looks like Virginia Tech. With Bobby Bowden gone, this is Frank Beamer's ACC. A national title is the only hole in Beamer's résumé, and he is setting up for one more run behind quarterback Logan Thomas. This will not be an experienced offense, particularly along the line, but the skill position talent is outstanding and the bulk of the defense returns. Virginia Tech is a physical, disciplined team that knows its identity. This program is a constant threat to post an unbeaten season, and at 25 to 1, the Hokies are the most appealing play on the board.

Irish opponents USC and Oklahoma fall into the favorite category, with odds of 8-to-1 and 12-to-1, respectively.

Surprisingly enough, Michigan has worse odds than Notre Dame, at 25-to-1. The Wolverines have had a higher preseason ranking than the Irish in virtually every way-too-early 2012 poll.

ESPN.com Big 12 blogger David Ubben talks with Kansas State defensive lineman Ralph Guidry following the Wildcats' loss to Arkansas.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Kansas State defensive end Meshak Williams was injured late in the first half of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic after helmet-to-helmet contact with a teammate while trying to make a tackle.

Williams remained on his back after the play in the closing seconds of the second quarter.

Medical personnel tended to Williams on the field for several minutes before putting him on a stretcher, then on a cart. Williams gave a thumbs-up signal while being placed on the cart, then extended his right arm high and flashed a Wildcats sign.

Williams was pursuing Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson, who ducked to avoid being hit. Williams then made contact with linebacker Emmanuel Lamur, who was coming from the other side.

There was no immediate word of Williams' specific injury or condition.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- We may have a developing situation in pregame.

Arkansas running back Knile Davis and Kansas State receiver/kick returner Tyler Lockett were both dressed for the game and went through warmups.

Davis mostly worked with the second team.

Davis suffered a broken ankle in preseason, and coach Bobby Petrino ruled him out, noting that he still had a screw in his ankle from the original surgery. That's now gone, but Davis hasn't been fully removed from the lineup.

Keep an eye on that.

Lockett, meanwhile, suffered a lacerated kidney earlier this season and was considered out for the season, but he's wearing his No. 16 uniform and joined the team for warm-ups.

Lockett emerged this season as Kansas State's biggest home-run hitter on offense and special teams, where he took two kicks back for scores and became the Big 12's best return man.

Davis led Arkansas in rushing last year with 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he hasn't played this season.

David Ubben previews the Cotton Bowl, which pits Kansas State against Arkansas.

Kansas State Wildcats (10-2) vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2)

Jan. 6, 8 p.m. (FOX)

Kansas State take from Big 12 blogger David Ubben: Kansas State does it ugly. All the time, every time. But it does it. The Cats are college football's biggest overachievers, and they do it on the back of Collin Klein, who has dragged defenders on his 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame for 1,099 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. By the way, he's the quarterback. Never mind his wonky delivery. He's gotten better and more accurate as the season has gone on, and somehow has stayed healthy. He just might be the toughest player in college football, and if you're watching K-State's offense, he's probably the guy with the ball in his hand.

Bill Snyder deserves the national coach of the year nod, and the Wildcats have had a defensive renaissance under coordinator Chris Cosh in 2011. This is the same team that gave up more than 3,000 rushing yards last year. Well, sort of. It's not quite the same team. Linebacker Arthur Brown doesn't miss very many tackles and he's one of the Big 12's speediest linebackers. Cornerback Nigel Malone picked off seven passes this year for an All-Big 12 caliber season.

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Arkansas take from SEC blogger Edward Aschoff: Before the season, it looked as if coach Bobby Petrino was equipped with his best, most complete team since his arrival in Fayetteville. The defense was easily the best he had, and while quarterback Ryan Mallett was gone, Tyler Wilson appeared to be just as talented, and with their wealth at wide receiver, it didn’t look like the Razorbacks would miss a beat in the passing game. Not to mention Arkansas had one of the SEC’s best in running back Knile Davis.

But days before the season began, the Hogs were dealt a crushing blow when Davis went down with a season-ending ankle injury. With Davis sidelined, the Arkansas offense became more one-dimensional as it searched for a consistent running back. Injuries then took hold of the defense and the Hogs found themselves outmanned in a huge game with Alabama, losing 38-14. The Razorbacks then struggled to get going in the first half of games after that. The slow starts nearly cost them at Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, but things changed during their homecoming game with South Carolina.

The Hogs jumped out quickly against the Gamecocks and never looked back. Starting with that 44-28 win, the Razorbacks won their first three games in November by a combined score of 137-52. Arkansas had an opportunity to shake up the BCS and sneak into the national championship, but fell 41-17 to No. 1 LSU in its season finale. Still, Arkansas had another fine year under Petrino, getting to 10 wins and finishing first in the SEC in total offense (445.8 yards per game).

1. Since neither Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck nor Alabama tailback Trent Richardson is playing this week, their head coaches turned into Heisman flacks. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban called Richardson on Monday “as good of a player as I have had the opportunity to coach in terms of the whole package. I think ‘bruising back’ would be an insult to all that he is.” Your serve, David Shaw:

2. The Cardinal head coach said Tuesday that Luck “is the most scrutinized player in college football this year, and here’s a guy who still comes through. He throws for 3,000 yards, throws a bunch of touchdowns and leads us to an 11-1 record.” Shaw rattled off an example of three plays that Luck calls in the huddle before going to the line, surveying the defense, where he selects one of the three or audibles to a fourth. “He’s done more this year than I have ever seen a college quarterback do,” Shaw said. Stay tuned.

3. The five coaches nominated as finalists for the Broyles Award, given annually to the top FBS assistant, all are very good coaches: offensive coordinators Paul Chryst of Wisconsin and Garrick McGee of Arkansas, defensive coordinators John Chavis of LSU and Greg Mattison of Michigan and Alabama linebackers coach Sal Sunseri. That said, not only should Chavis be a shoo-in but it would be a great opportunity to explain why one of the best coordinators in the game since 1995 hasn’t won this award already.