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Most Big Ten coaches label their jobs with a capital D for destination. When a head coach arrives on a Big Ten campus, he usually isn't looking for his next stop. Big Ten fans take pride in this.

The league has been largely immune from the wandering-eye coaches who leave programs at inopportune times for the next big thing. Even the Big Ten programs that could be classified as stepping stones haven't been left in the lurch very often in recent years. While it's not shocking that a Big Ten coach hasn't jumped to a different college job, it's a bit of a surprise that the NFL hasn't plucked one away.

The last Big Ten coach to voluntarily leave his team at a less-than ideal time was Nick Saban, who ditched Michigan State for LSU on Nov. 30, 1999. Saban had led the Spartans to a 9-2 record, a No. 10 national ranking and berth in the Florida Citrus Bowl. Although then-Michigan State athletic director Clarence Underwood praised Saban for putting the program "back on solid ground," Saban's departure put the school in a tough situation. Less than a week after Saban's departure, Michigan State promoted longtime assistant Bobby Williams to head coach, a decision that didn't turn out well.

After flirting with several bigger-name programs during his time at Northwestern, Gary Barnett finally left to take the Colorado job on Jan. 20, 1999, just weeks before national signing day. Although Northwestern immediately named Barnett's replacement, Randy Walker, the drawn-out saga wasn't much fun, given what Barnett had meant to the school.

But since Saban and Barnett, the Big Ten hasn't had any coaches voluntarily leave at bad times. There have been some midseason firings (Tim Brewster at Minnesota, Williams at Michigan State) and some late firings (Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, Glen Mason at Minnesota), but in those cases the schools, not the coaches, made decisions that put themselves in tough situations.

The most recent instances of coaches leaving Big Ten programs in tough spots involved two men who certainly didn't walk away on their own terms.

After months of scrutiny stemming from the tattoo/memorabilia scandal and his attempted cover-up, Jim Tressel resigned his post as Ohio State's coach on Memorial Day of 2011. Tressel stepped down just three months before the season and with spring practice all wrapped up. Ohio State knew it would be without Tressel for the first five games of the 2011 season, but his resignation under pressure left the program scrambling.

The school named 37-year-old assistant Luke Fickell, who had never been a head coach before, to the top job. After six consecutive seasons of Big Ten titles (won or shared), Ohio State went 6-7 under Fickell last fall, its first losing season since 1988 and its first seven-loss season since 1897. Ouch.

But the ugliest and most untimely departure was yet to come. Five days after former Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky was arrested on child sex abuse charges, Penn State's board of trustees voted to fire longtime coach Joe Paterno. The date: Nov. 9. Penn State was 8-1 at the time, and 11 days earlier Paterno had recorded his 409th coaching victory, moving him past Eddie Robinson for the most wins in college football history. Hours before the board's decision, Paterno had announced he would retire following the season, his 46th as head coach. Instead, he was informed via telephone that his tenure was over, which triggered a backlash from Penn State students and fans.

The school promoted longtime assistant Tom Bradley to interim head coach. Bradley led the team during a hellish eight weeks that featured, among other things: a 1-3 record that knocked Penn State out of the Big Ten race; snubs by several bowl games who didn't want to deal with a p.r. nightmare; the announcement that Paterno had been diagnosed with lung cancer; a locker-room fight that left starting quarterback Matthew McGloin concussed and unable to play in the bowl; and a seemingly rudderless coaching search that took too long and put Bradley in an awkward situation.

In six months, two iconic Big Ten programs lost incredibly successful coaches under extremely messy circumstances.

A Big Ten coach bolting for an NFL job suddenly doesn't sound so bad.

There will be new leadership in Minnesota's athletic department at the start of the 2012-13 sports season as Joel Maturi announced Thursday he will retire June 30.

Maturi's retirement isn't a major surprise, as many projected the 67-year-old to step down in the next year or so. Minnesota president Eric Kaler said Thursday that Maturi will work with him on fundraising and special projects following his retirement. Kaler said he and Maturi reached a mutual decision that Maturi would step down at the end of June.

Kaler said Minnesota will look both nationally an internally for Maturi's replacement, which Kaler expects to have in place by July 1.

How should Maturi's tenure as Minnesota's AD be viewed? The athletic program had no major scandals under his watch, which hadn't been the case in previous decades. He also helped bring football back to campus with the construction of TCF Bank Stadium, one of the best new facilities in college football. Maturi also made a splash with the hiring of men's basketball coach Tubby Smith in 2007.

But if ADs are ultimately judged by the success of their high-profile programs, Maturi fell short. His hiring of football coach Tim Brewster turned out very badly, and the prolonged search for Brewster's successor last year didn't look good, either. Maturi made some candid, eyebrow-raising comments after firing Brewster and during the process of hiring Jerry Kill.

From the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press:

Last season, his football team, his men's and women's basketball teams, and his men's hockey team all failed to make a national postseason appearance. The last time all four teams did not make a bowl or NCAA tournament was the 1997-98 season. The last time there was no bowl, NCAA tournament or NIT or WNIT appearance was the 1983-84 season.

Maturi also was criticized for buyouts paid to fired coaches like Brewster, former football coach Glen Mason and former basketball coach Dan Monson.

He seemed to have respect throughout Big Ten circles, and he was always forthright in our interactions.

"I know the job," Maturi said Thursday. "Many base my success on wins and losses. I'm not worried about Joel Maturi's legacy. I leave ... feeling good."

Maturi's departure doesn't significantly impact Kill, because it always seemed likely Maturi would step down before any decision on Kill's future would be made. Kill took the job knowing he'd likely have a new boss in the near future.

Then again, new athletic directors usually like to have their guys in place, and Kill will have to prove himself to Maturi's successor. It'll be interesting to see where Minnesota goes with the hire.

LOS ANGELES -- When the time came for J.J. Watt to provide a senior quote for his high school yearbook, he started to search for the perfect words.

Watt studied several possibilities, including famous quotes from legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. But the most meaningful words had to come from within.

"I came up with dream big, work hard," Watt said.

Anyone who has followed Watt's career at Wisconsin knows the phrase well. The Badgers' All-American junior defensive end ends many posts on his popular Twitter page with those four words or the acronym DBWH.

The motto carries Watt through everything he does.

"It really exemplifies what I am as a person," he said. "I want to get the message out that if you dream big, you can do anything you want in the world. But that's only half of it. If you're not willing to work hard, put in the time and the effort that it takes, you're just going to be dreaming."

Watt is living the dream this week in California as he and his Wisconsin teammates prepare to face TCU in the Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO.

Watt blossomed for the Badgers this season, earning consensus first-team All-Big Ten honors and appearing on several All-America squads. He ranks third nationally in tackles for loss with 21 and is arguably the Big Ten's most versatile defender, recording every defensive statistic except safety this fall, and blocking three kicks on special teams.

College football fans know J.J. Watt, the finished product. He's a 6-6, 292-pound force projected to be an early-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft if he chooses to forgo his senior season.

It's hard to believe the same guy was a tight end in the MAC in 2007.

"I've never heard of it before," Badgers defensive coordinator Dave Doeren said. "His journey, it's unreal. To think that he was 6-4, 210 in high school and nobody recruited him, and now he's 6-6, 290, and everyone is telling him he should leave college early.

"What he's done is tremendous."

Badgers linebacker Blake Sorensen remembers the first time he saw Watt.

Both attended a football camp at the University of Minnesota as high school players. Sorensen was "Mr. Football" in Minnesota; a two-time all-state selection who led his team to back-to-back state championships.

And Watt?

"He's was this lanky, awkward-looking, random kid," Sorensen said.

Doeren, who served as Wisconsin's recruiting coordinator at the time, remembers discussing Watt. But Wisconsin didn't offer a scholarship.

Watt initially committed to Central Michigan, switched to Minnesota when Brian Kelly left CMU and then switched back to the Chippewas after Minnesota fired Glen Mason.

Although Watt appeared in every game for Central Michigan in 2007, he didn't feel right there. He returned home for six months, delivered pizzas and took classes at a local community college before transferring to Wisconsin and walking onto the team.

"Obviously, we didn't look very good when he transferred back and became our best player," Doeren said. "But it all worked out in the end."

The coaches didn't have high expectations for their new walk-on transfer, and Watt had to ask head coach Bret Bielema if he could try out at defensive end.

"I don't know if they really thought I was going to be much of a football player when I came here," he said. "I tried to make the most of it."

He began by transforming his body.

"It took a lot of hard work in the weight room, a lot of hard work in the kitchen, eating," Watt said. "It was tough to put on as much weight as I put on."

Watt left high school at 228 pounds. When he started his first game at Wisconsin in 2009, he weighed 286 pounds.

"It'd be like telling you," Sorensen said, looking at me, "that you'll look like Arnold Schwarzenegger."

In addition to super-sizing himself, Watt also faced the mental challenge of mastering a new position at the college level. After earning Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year honors in 2008, Watt started all 13 games last season and finished second on team in tackles for loss (15.5), pass breakups (5) and fumble recoveries (2) and third in sacks (4.5).

He ended the season strong, recording five tackles for loss, three sacks and two quarterback hurries in the final two games.

"If you look up a quote from last season, someone asked me who is going to be the unnamed guy who is going to be a good player, and I said J.J.," Badgers star left tackle Gabe Carimi said. "He's the one that I said. So it's not surprising. He's big, strong, powerful.

"There was no question that he was going to be a good player here."

Watt took his game to another level this fall, especially in Big Ten play. He recorded multiple tackles for loss in six of eight conference games and made more game-changing plays than any defender in the league.

Despite his size and ability to play both line positions -- there was some talk Watt would play defensive tackle this season-- he grew his pass-rushing repertoire.

"I've seen more finesse out of him than anything," said TCU tackle Marcus Cannon, who will oppose Watt in the Rose Bowl. "He has some really nice moves. I think power would be probably second to his speed."

The combination could prompt Watt to enter the NFL draft in April. He boasts an impressive college résumé, both on and off the field.

Watt this year established the Justin J. Watt Foundation, which raises money for local elementary and middle schools that lack funding for athletics. Like several of his teammates, he's a regular visitor at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison.

Few were surprised when Watt won the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which recognizes both on-field performance and personal character.

It has been a long and unusual journey to Pasadena, but Watt wouldn't change a thing.

"I wouldn't have the work ethic I have," he said. "I wouldn't have the outlook on life that I have right now if it wasn't for everything that I had to go through to get here. So being in the Rose Bowl right now means that much more to me. ...

"I've seen everything," Watt continued. "I've seen the bottom, I've seen being out of college football, and now I'm seeing the top of college football. I was talking to my high school coach the other day. He told me, 'You've reached the Mecca of college football.' That's essentially what it is. The Rose Bowl is the biggest thing you can really do in the Big Ten.

"I'm just taking it all in and having a blast."

Indiana has been down this road before.

The school is no stranger to hiring offensive-minded coaches.

Cam Cameron came to Indiana in 1997 after coaching quarterbacks at Michigan and then with the Washington Redskins. He was succeeded in 2002 by Gerry DiNardo, who won a national title as Colorado's offensive coordinator before becoming a head coach at Vanderbilt and LSU. Indiana broke the mold in 2005 with Terry Hoeppner, a longtime defensive assistant at Miami (Ohio) before taking the top job in Oxford. But when Hoeppner died tragically in 2007, Indiana handed the head-coaching duties to Bill Lynch, the team's offensive coordinator.

After firing Lynch on Sunday, Indiana once again is looking for a coach to lead its football program.

It might be time for the Hoosiers to look to the other side of the ball.

Indiana's defense has dragged down the program for more than a decade. The Hoosiers have scored points and produced offensive standouts like Antwaan Randle El, Kellen Lewis, James Hardy and Ben Chappell, but their repeated inability to field adequate defenses has kept them out of bowl games. It still baffles me how IU couldn't make a single bowl game during Randle El's four years as the starting quarterback.

Defense was a large part of Lynch's downfall. His offenses fared well, but Indiana couldn't stop the opposition on a consistent basis.

Here's where Indiana's defense has ranked nationally in the 11 years:

2010: 89th (410.2 ypg)
2009: 88th (401 ypg)
2008: 107th (432.2 ypg)
2007: 71st (403.4 ypg)
2006: 109th (402.3 ypg)
2005: 93rd (417.7 ypg)
2004: 110th (453.2 ypg)
2003: 94th (429.7 ypg)
2002: 101st (428.4 ypg)
2001: 72nd (393.8 ypg)
2000: 112th (457.3 ypg)

Just dreadful.

I've been told most of the candidates for the Indiana job come from the offensive side, guys like Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, Michigan State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell, Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill and former Minnesota coach Glen Mason.

Not saying these guys wouldn't work well at IU, but given the deficiencies on defense in Bloomington, the Hoosiers might be better off with a defense-oriented head coach.

Here are a few suggestions:

Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Doeren: Doeren has the charisma, the recruiting skills and the track record to succeed as a head coach. His defense ranks in the top four of the Big Ten in all the key categories, including second in takeaways and third in yards allowed, despite losing star linebacker Chris Borland in September. Doeren has helped mold standout players like Borland, defensive end J.J. Watt and defensive end O'Brien Schofield.

San Diego State coach Brady Hoke: I doubt Indiana could lure Hoke away from the West Coast, but he would qualify as a very good hire for the Hoosiers. He knows the area as the former Ball State coach, and he has a background in defense as the former defensive line coach at Michigan, among other spots. Hoke coached three All-American defensive linemen at Michigan.

Toledo coach Tim Beckman: Beckman led Toledo to an 8-4 mark in his second season at the school. He previously served as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, cornerbacks coach at Ohio State and defensive coordinator at Bowling Green. Beckman coached six All-Big Ten defensive backs in Columbus, including Donte Whitner.

Offense sells these days. I get that. But Indiana might be wise to hire a guy who knows a thing or two about defense.

In a perfect world, college football's classiest coaches could also be the best ones.

If so, Bill Lynch might be hoisting a crystal football in early January.

Instead, Lynch's Indiana Hoosiers players hoisted the Old Oaken Bucket on Saturday at Purdue. Indiana had ended a 12-game Big Ten losing streak and beaten its archrival on the road for the first time since 1996.

It was a great moment for Lynch and the Hoosiers, but that's all it was. A moment. Reality set in Sunday, as Indiana athletic director Fred Glass looked at the football program under Lynch's leadership through a wide-angle lens.

For all the good things that Glass saw -- and that so many of us see in Lynch -- the AD couldn't turn a blind eye to the number three.

As in, three Big Ten wins in the past three seasons.

Glass proceeded to make a bottom-line decision in a bottom-line business and fired Lynch on Sunday after the Hoosiers finished 5-7. It was the first major personnel move for Glass, and it likely will be one of the toughest choices of his career.

"I take no joy in this at all," Glass said at a news conference Sunday afternoon, "but I'm confident that it's the right thing to do."

Glass had three options with Lynch following Indiana's third consecutive bowl-less season:

• Extend Lynch's contract
• Allow Lynch to coach in the final year of his deal
• Make a change

"Three Big Ten wins in three years isn't the basis for an extension," Glass said.

You might remember Glass, after being hired, talked a lot about how contracts needed to be honored and needed to mean something again at Indiana. Some might view Sunday's decision as hypocritical because Lynch still had a year left on the extension he received in November 2007 after leading Indiana to its first bowl appearance in 14 seasons.

But in today's college football, a coach with one year left on his deal might as well have no years left. A coach can't recruit without some semblance of security, and going through a season as a potential lame duck would be tortuous.

"That wouldn't serve Bill or Indiana University very well," Glass said.

Glass made the right call Sunday, even though it was a tough one.

Lynch is the consummate gentleman, a total class act and an excellent representative for Indiana and its football program. His players stayed out of trouble for the most part, and he and his staff upgraded recruiting in recent years.

Lynch viewed Indiana like few coaches do -- as a destination job. He grew up in the state, starred as a player at Butler and coached at three in-state schools (Butler, Ball State and Depauw) before taking over at Indiana in 2007 following Terry Hoeppner's death.

But he didn't win enough, plain and simple. Especially in the Big Ten, where he went 6-26 with two last-place finishes in his four seasons. Indiana came so close so many times in league play, especially last season and also this year, but the Hoosiers couldn't get over the hump.

The Big Ten is a tough league that is about to get tougher in 2011 with the addition of Nebraska. Indiana needs a coach who can help the program take the next step. It will take time.

"Any change often results in one or two steps back," Glass said.

Glass called Lynch "a fabulous guy" and "a great teacher" and said several times how hard the decision was to make.

"It’s been really hard on me," he said. "But boo hoo for me. It’s part of being an athletic director. It’s my decision."

The next coach also will be Glass' decision, and he's willing to take his time to find the right man. Indiana won't use a search committee, although Glass will consult many people, including Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian, former Colts coach Tony Dungy and Chuck Neinas, who runs the Neinas Sports Services consulting firm.

Dungy, for the record, now is being used as a consultant for both Big Ten vacancies (Indiana and Minnesota).

Glass declined to outline the specifics he's looking for in Indiana's next coach but mentioned several times that he'll reach out to the Black Coaches Association. I'd be surprised if Indiana doesn't strongly consider some minority candidates in its search.

Some early possibilities for IU: San Diego State coach Brady Hoke, former Minnesota coach Glen Mason, Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst and Michigan State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell.

Glass might not find many coaches who view Indiana as a dream job, as both Lynch and Hoeppner did. But Indiana certainly is a better job than it was several years ago, as the school has upgraded its stadium, its football training facilities and, perhaps most important, its home attendance.

“I think it's a fantastic job," Glass said. "Properly understood, it will be highly sought after. Indiana University is clearly committed to the football program."

Indiana can show its commitment by paying its next coach appropriately. Lynch made $650,000 this season, well below the bar for a coach from a major conference.

"We’re prepared to make the resources available to get the group that we want," Glass said, "and understand that it's probably going to be significantly more expensive than what we're spending now."

It takes tough decisions to become a better program. Indiana made one today.

1. Half the teams in the Southeastern Conference are averaging more than 30 points per game, which just may be against league bylaws. Alabama coach Nick Saban said that offensive schemes are so varied now that nobody gets to play base defense anymore. “Lots of people do lots of different things,” Saban said. “Every week we think we’re going to get to play regular defense and every week we seem to play six or eight snaps of what amounts to regular defense and the rest of it is some sort of spread."

2. Former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer told me Monday he is concerned about competitive balance in the Big 12 Conference once Nebraska leaves. “Bo (Pelini) and his brother (Carl) are doing a good job,” Switzer said. “They don’t have the players Tom (Osborne) had. They’re not back to that level.” Beyond the Huskers, Switzer added, “Texas and Oklahoma are three touchdowns better” than the rest of the league.

3. Glen Mason won 64 games in 10 years at Minnesota, took the Gophers to seven bowl games in his last eight seasons and got fired after the 2006 season. Athletic director Joel Maturi bowed to pressure from boosters who didn’t think Mason could take Minnesota to the next level. On Sunday, Maturi fired Tim Brewster, who had a 15-30 record, 6-21 in the Big Ten. Unlike Maturi, who bailed on Mason, the university administration believes in its people. Minnesota is letting Maturi hire another head coach.

Tim Brewster came to Minnesota talking big and dreaming bigger.

I can't remember how many times I heard Brewster mention Minnesota's 18 Big Ten championships and six national championships, never mind the fact that neither event had happened since 1967.

Brewster knew the bar needed to be raised in Minneapolis. You couldn't blame him for aiming high. Why else would the school fire a coach (Glen Mason) who consistently made bowl games?

But Brewster couldn't make Minnesota into a championship program. In fact, he couldn't get the Gophers to the level Mason had them at the time of his termination following the 2006 Insight Bowl. Brewster never won a trophy game and went 1-9 in November games, with his lone win coming against FCS South Dakota State. His teams have been outscored 67-0 in their past two meetings with rival Iowa.

When he stopped winning in September and October this season, his days became numbered. And after Minnesota lost its sixth consecutive game Saturday at Purdue, dropping to 1-6 on the season, the school pulled the plug on the Brewster era.

Brewster went 15-30 at Minnesota and 7-18 since November 2008.

"While I appreciate the passion and commitment that Coach Brewster has shown, it is clear that a change in the leadership of Gopher football is necessary," athletic director Joel Maturi said in a prepared statement. "We have high aspirations for our football program and we are not satisfied with its current direction. The results so far this season have been unacceptable and the program has simply not shown enough improvement over the past three and a half years to continue with the status quo."

Co-offensive coordinator Jeff Horton will take over for Brewster on an interim basis. I hate to see lame-duck coaches in college sports, so this seems like the right move.

Firing Brewster only cost Minnesota $600,000, a buyout lowered in his recent contract extension.

Brewster never lacked passion, and his recruiting abilities as a former Mack Brown assistant showed at Minnesota. I loved the way he upgraded Minnesota's schedule, which had been a joke during the Mason era, and added showcase nonconference games against teams like USC.

But he also showed too many signs of a first-time college head coach.

His decision to replace veteran offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar and switch from the spread to a pro-style offense didn't pay off. He replaced Dunbar with an NFL assistant in Jedd Fisch whose complex concepts flew over the players' heads. Brewster kept shuffling his staff, a formula that rarely works in a sport where sticking to your guns usually is the way to go.

Minnesota is the first FBS program to make a coaching change in 2010, and the school now begins what could be an extensive coaching search. There are some dream candidates Minnesota can pursue (alum Tony Dungy, former assistant Kevin Sumlin, Mike Leach) and some more realistic ones (Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman, former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney).

It will be interesting to see how much control Maturi has in the search since he was the one who hired Brewster.

Minnesota is a challenging job, but it's a better job now with a beautiful on-campus stadium to sell.

There are no excuses why Minnesota shouldn't be a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team, building toward the high bar Brewster set but never could reach.

This is all you need to know about where the Minnesota football program stands right now.

Twice the Golden Gophers faced fourth-and-1 in the second half against a MAC defense on Saturday night, and twice they came up short. That's simply unacceptable for a program priding itself on a "Pound the Rock" mantra and a pro-style offense that still leaves many scratching their heads. If you want to be a tough football team, you convert those plays. End of story.

Not only did Minnesota struggle to run the ball, but the Gophers couldn't stop Chad Spann and the Northern Illinois rushing attack in a 34-23 Huskies victory. Spann racked up 223 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, including a 61-yard scoring burst to put away the game midway through the fourth quarter. I know Minnesota is young on defense, but the breakdowns just can't happen.

You have to feel for Gophers quarterback Adam Weber, who had another big passing performance (373 yards, 2 TDs). Weber deserves a better situation than he's got right now in Minneapolis. A lack of discipline hurt the Gophers, who were flagged nine times for 59 yards.

Under Glen Mason, Minnesota was the program that beefed up on nonconference wins and eeked its way into bowl games. Things are worse now, as the Gophers have dropped three consecutive nonconference home games for the first time since 1898. The calls for Tim Brewster's head are increasing, and the fourth-year coach needs a major turnaround to make them go away.

Big Ten play beckons, and it doesn't get any easier for Minnesota, which has the league's toughest home slate (Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa and Northwestern).

The jury is still out on Tim Brewster at Minnesota, but the fourth-year coach already has made an extremely positive impact in one area: scheduling.

Minnesota has significantly upgraded its nonconference schedule during Brewster's tenure, adding the likes of California, USC, North Carolina and Oregon State. The Gophers no longer live in Cupcake City in September like they did under Glen Mason.

That's why it was disappointing to see Minnesota's two-game series against Texas canceled Wednesday. The Gophers had been scheduled to host Texas on Sept. 19, 2015, and visit Austin on Sept. 17, 2016. Minnesota attributed the cancellation to "a contract impasse concerning video rights," which relates in part to Minnesota's commitment to the Big Ten Network.

School officials didn't hide where they think the blame lies.

Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi told the Associated Press, "It’s extremely disappointing. The kind of agreement we could not come to is the same agreement every other school on our schedule agreed to. Every other school in the Big 12 agreed to this."

Maturi added: "We have a signed agreement. If we wanted to go to court, we’d win. But that’s not our style."

"I'm extremely disappointed that Texas has chosen not to play us," Brewster, a former Texas assistant who cut his teeth under Longhorns head coach Mack Brown, said in a prepared statement. "This was very unexpected, considering we had an agreement in principal. Our fans and our team were excited to play Texas. Obviously, they weren't as excited about playing us. We plan to fill that slot in our upcoming schedule with a quality BCS opponent."

Minnesota has a bit of a cushion to fill the vacancies, and here's hoping Maturi and Brewster add a solid team from a major conference. I doubt the replacement will carry the prestige of Texas, but Minnesota should continue its aggressive approach to scheduling as it tries to enhance its national profile.

It's time to look back at the best Big Ten coaches of the decade. The top choice was a no brainer. After that, it gets interesting.

Here's a looksie:

1. Jim Tressel, Ohio State: Other than USC's Pete Carroll, no coach dominated a major conference this decade like Tressel dominated the Big Ten. Since 2001, Tressel has won a national title, six Big Ten titles (outright or shared), five bowls and four BCS bowls. He owns a 94-21 record at Ohio State, and, perhaps more impressive, a 59-13 mark in Big Ten play. This was unquestionably the decade of The Vest.

2. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: Ferentz revived a struggling Iowa program this decade and restored the Hawkeyes among the Big Ten's elite. Since 2002, he has guided Iowa to two Big Ten championships, four seasons of 10 or more victories and eight bowl games, winning five of them. Iowa owns four top-10 finishes this decade under Ferentz, who gets a slight edge over Lloyd Carr.

3. Lloyd Carr, Michigan: It seems like a while since Michigan last won a Big Ten title, but Carr's teams claimed three of them (two shared, one outright) in the first half of the decade. Michigan finished first or second in the league in seven of the eight years Carr coached this decade. He struggled against Tressel and in the Rose Bowl, but Carr's accomplishments shouldn't be overlooked.

4. Joe Paterno, Penn State: Paterno is right up there with Tressel in the second half of the decade, winning two Big Ten championships and averaging 10.2 wins per season between 2005-09. Four losing seasons in the first half of the decade sting a bit, but JoePa is getting better with age!

5. Joe Tiller, Purdue: Tiller won his only Big Ten title in 2000, and Purdue reached bowl games in the first seven years of the decade. Purdue's all-time coaching victories leader made the Boilers into a consistent upper-half Big Ten team in the aughts.

6. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin: Bielema probably hates being listed ahead of his boss and predecessor, but his record in the past four years speaks for itself. He owns a 38-14 record at Wisconsin (20-12 Big Ten) and has taken the Badgers to bowl games each year. Bielema coached Wisconsin's best team of the decade in 2006, a squad that went 12-1 and finished seventh in the final AP Poll.

7. Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin: Alvarez was arguably the Big Ten's Coach of the 1990s, and he kept the program among the league's elite until he stepped down following the 2005 season. He had three seasons of eight or more victories and won three bowls during the decade. Alvarez's best season this decade came in his last, as Wisconsin went 10-3 and beat Auburn in the Capital One Bowl.

8. Glen Mason, Minnesota: Mason coached Minnesota to six bowls in seven years until his dismissal after the 2006 Insight Bowl. He oversaw one of the nation's top rushing attacks this decade as backs Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III piled up yardage. Mason had a 10-win season in 2003, but his inability to get Minnesota to the next level led to his firing. He went just 24-32 in Big Ten play this decade.

9. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State: Dantonio has stabilized a Michigan State program that really underachieved for most of the decade. The Spartans have reached bowls in each of Dantonio's three seasons as head coach. Dantonio owns a 13-11 mark in Big Ten play, which is much better than his predecessors.

10. Pat Fitzgerald and Randy Walker, Northwestern: The two Wildcats coaches share this spot after bringing consistency to a program that reached historic lows before 1995. Walker won a Big Ten championship in 2000 and took NU to three bowls in six years this decade. Fitzgerald, who took over after Walker's sudden death in 2006, owns 17-9 record (10-6 Big Ten) in the last two seasons. Expect him to be much higher on this list in the next decade recap.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Three months after finalizing a home-and-home series with USC, Minnesota could be adding another national powerhouse to its upcoming schedule. 

Minnesota is in talks with Texas about scheduling a series. The Star Tribune reported Friday that Minnesota and Texas have agreed to a home-and-home series with the dates still to be determined, and a Gophers team source told me this morning that the Texas series will happen.

But Minnesota spokesman Garry Bowman said that no contract has been signed. The schools have been talking but "nothing is imminent," Bowman said.

Golden Gophers head coach Tim Brewster spent 13 years as an assistant for Texas head coach Mack Brown, the final three seasons in Austin. Brewster takes a bold approach toward nonconference scheduling -- a departure from his predecessor Glen Mason -- and has wanted to add the Longhorns to the Gophers' slate. 

Minnesota will face USC in 2010 and 2011, and it's highly unlikely the Gophers would add a second elite opponent to the slate. The Gophers also are scheduled to face Colorado in 2012 and 2013, so the Texas series might have to wait until 2014 at the earliest. Texas' future schedules include UCLA and Mississippi in the next few years but feature no nonconference games for 2014 at this point.

Whether or not the Texas series works out, you have to love Minnesota's approach. Certainly there's risk to playing powerhouse teams like USC and Texas, but these games provide great opportunity and attention for a program that needs it. 

With Michigan State beefing up its nonconference slate earlier this week, perhaps the Big Ten is turning a corner on the scheduling issue and giving its fans the games they want to see. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Like many defensive coordinators, Michigan State's Pat Narduzzi is spending spring ball shuffling the deck. 

Fortunately for Narduzzi, he has college football's version of a wild card. 

	Joe Robbins/Getty Images
	Greg Jones led the Spartans in tackles as both a freshman and a sophomore.

Spartans junior Greg Jones is the type of player who excels just about anywhere he lines up on defense. This spring he's taking reps at middle linebacker, outside linebacker and even rush end. 

"Depending on the down and distance and the package, he'll be all over the place," Narduzzi said. "We really don't want people to know where that guy is, and he's smart enough that we can almost put him anywhere."

And to think, the prospect of switching positions was a main reason why top-level programs stayed away from Jones during recruiting.

He played defensive end for most of his high school career at Cincinnati powerhouse Archbishop Moeller, switching to linebacker for his senior season. Jones can be found in recruiting databases as both a linebacker and a defensive end.

"Converting to linebacker, a lot of guys don't make a clean transition," Jones said. "That was the big thing. Ohio State or whoever just didn't want to take that chance, and I was perfectly fine with that."

Not only did Jones make a spotless transition at Michigan State, but he has become one of the Big Ten's top linebackers. He led the Spartans in tackles as both a freshman (78) and a sophomore (127), and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches last year after finishing third in the league in tackles and ninth in tackles for loss (14.5).

Michigan State returns eight starters from a defense after a 9-4 season, and Jones is the linchpin. 

"He's a smart football player," Narduzzi said. "His freshman year, he didn't do a lot of things right. Last year, he did a lot of things right. And right now, he's doing almost everything right."

(Read full post)

Dec. 31, 5:30 p.m., (NFL Network)

Minnesota take by Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg: The two teams couldn't have been farther apart a year ago, as Kansas was headed to the Orange Bowl while Minnesota completed arguably the worst season in team history at 1-11. Now they meet at Sun Devil Stadium with a chance to finish strong.

Minnesota improved its record by six wins from 2007, but four consecutive losses to close the season tapered optimism in the Twin Cities. Head coach Tim Brewster trumpets his team's one-year improvement but acknowledges some obvious deficiencies along the offensive line.

Quarterback Adam Weber and the Gophers' offense will need to show up against a Kansas team that averages 32.7 points per game. The passing connection between Weber and star wideout Eric Decker fueled Minnesota's early season success, and Kansas, like most Big 12 teams, is susceptible to the pass.

Kansas' passing attack provides arguably the biggest challenge Minnesota has faced all season with quarterback Todd Reesing and wide receivers Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe. Led by All-Big Ten cornerback Traye Simmons, Minnesota's defense racked up a Big Ten-leading 30 turnovers this season and will need to force Jayhawks mistakes to hang around in this one.

Minnesota makes its second trip to the Insight in three seasons. In 2006, the Gophers blew a 28-point halftime lead in what turned out to be Glen Mason's final game as head coach.

---

Kansas take by Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin: The Insight Bowl doesn't have many good memories for Minnesota fans and players. And Kansas would like to add some more misery to cap a disappointing finish.

The Gophers limped into a bowl with a four-game losing streak, capped by a humiliating 55-0 home loss to Iowa to cap the season. But a bowl trip is still something to be cherished, considering the Gophers are coming off a 1-11 record last season.

Kansas didn't finish much better, dropping four losses in their final six games. But gritty quarterback Todd Reesing directed a dramatic comeback victory over Missouri in Kansas' regular-season finale that help end the season on a positive note. And their post-season action this season marks the first time in Kansas' 119-season football history where the school has had back-to-back bowl trips.

Reesing keys a potent passing attack that ranks eighth nationally in passing and has a pair of top-20 receivers in Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe. The defense has struggled against the better Big 12 offenses, having difficulties getting off the field because of a lack of a consistent pass rush.

After starting the season 7-1, Minnesota has struggled down the stretch offensively, scoring 17 points or less in five of their final seven games. And the blame can be tossed everywher as the Gophers rank 104th in rushing, 91st in total offense and 81st in scoring offense.

Wide receiver Eric Decker has emerged as the Gophers' major offensive threat, ranking 13th nationally in receptions.

It will also bear watching to see if Kansas can protect Reesing after ranking 92nd in sacks allowed. Minnesota has one of the Big Ten's premier pass rushers in fifth-year senior defensive end Willie VanDeSteeg, who ranks among the top 20 nationally in both sacks and tackles for losses.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Three more Big Ten teams have quarterbacks as we wind toward the openers, which are only four days away. Here's what's happening around the league.

• The quarterback picture is clearing up around the league, Teddy Greenstein writes in the Chicago Tribune.
  
• Illinois running back Daniel Dufrene no longer needs to be patient after winning the starting job, Terry Bannon writes in the Chicago Tribune. Limiting turnovers will be critical for the Illini after they were way too generous against Mizzou last year, Lindsey Willhite writes in the Daily Herald. The Tigers will be playing without senior linebacker Van Alexander.
• In case you missed it, Indiana's Kellen Lewis is back at starting quarterback, LaMond Pope writes in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Indiana looks for more from its running backs this fall, Doug Wilson writes in the Bloomington Herald Times (subscription required). The Indianapolis Star's Terry Hutchens weighs in on a busy day in Bloomington. 
• Two quarterbacks will play for Iowa on Saturday, but the dispersal of snaps is not yet known, Marc Morehouse writes in The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette. The prospect of limited playing time likely led running back Nate Guillory to transfer from Iowa. Linebacker Brian Smith nearly ended up as a Hawkeye before switching to Notre Dame, Michael Rothstein writes in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. 
  
• Rich Rodriguez has ushered in change at Michigan, though he remains somewhat of a mystery man, Bob Wojnowski writes in The Detroit News. Wolverines starting middle linebacker Obi Ezeh is speaking from experience, John Heuser writes in The Ann Arbor News.
  
• Michigan State's depth chart contained few surprises, though starting running back Javon Ringer could be used on kick returns, Joe Rexrode writes in the Lansing State Journal. Mark Dantonio talks about championships in East Lansing, making him the right fit for Michigan State, Rick Shepich writes in the Livingston Daily. 
• The eligibility status of heralded freshman quarterback MarQueis Gray dominated the discussion Tuesday at Minnesota, Marcus Fuller writes in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. No one doubts the talent of Tim Brewster's first recruiting class, but the Gophers' incoming freshmen could struggle academically, Dennis Brackin writes in the Star Tribune.
  

"Minnesota's freshman class had the lowest [entrance exam] scores among the eight Big Ten programs that complied with the request, and the scores were significantly lower than for the recruiting classes in the final years of Glen Mason, who coached the Gophers from 1997 to 2006."

• Northwestern's offense won't look too different under new coordinator Mick McCall, Jim O'Donnell writes in the Chicago Sun-Times. Also, running back Tyrell Sutton laughed off the notion that he was the first person fellow Akron native LeBron James called after winning Olympic gold. Syracuse is keeping its starting tailback a mystery for Saturday's game in Evanston, Donnie Webb writes in The Post-Standard.
  
• Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins understands the national criticism but has bad news for everyone regarding the BCS title game, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Sorry America. But we're trying to get there." With loads of returning starters and a star freshman quarterback in the mix, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel doesn't have much to worry about, Bob Hunter writes in The Columbus Dispatch. The Buckeyes enter somewhat of a no-win situation Saturday against Youngstown State, Ken Gordon writes in The Columbus Dispatch. 
• Penn State's new starting quarterback, Daryll Clark, can thank Jay Paterno for helping his cause with JoePa, Bernard Fernandez writes in the Philadelphia Daily News. Plenty more from JoePa, who says he doesn't care about the all-time coaching wins record.  Paterno might deserve the top spot in the end because Penn State doesn't count wins against opponents who forfeited. The coach also wants to see more fire from star defensive end Maurice Evans, Rich Scarcella writes in the Reading Eagle.
  
• Joe Tiller's legacy as an offensive innovator in the Big Ten is undeniable, Stacy Clardie writes in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
• Wisconsin star tight end Travis Beckum knows better than to rush a hamstring i
  njury, Jeff Potrykus writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Low-maintenance guard Andy Kemp is a favorite Wisconsin's coaches. Former Badgers star Ron Dayne is still clinging to NFL dreams, Mike Lucas writes in The Capital times.
  

	Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
	Bob Stoops was the best hire in Big 12 history, according to one writer.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star had a thought-provoking list (and Lord knows, how I love lists) that deserved more than a cursory mention in the morning links.

Kerkhoff broke down all of the hiring and firing decisions in the Big 12's history and ranked his best and worst. Here's his list:

Worst firings

1. R.C. Slocum by Texas A&M, 2002
2. Frank Solich by Nebraska, 2003
3. Chuck Reedy by Baylor, 1996
4. Dan McCarney by Iowa State, 2006

Best hires

1. Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, 1999
2. Mack Brown at Texas, 1998
3. Mark Mangino at Kansas, 2002
4. Gary Pinkel at Missouri, 2001

I agree with most of his speculation, particularly at the top. Although a case could be made that Iowa State badly botched the firing of McCarney, who had taken the school to five bowl games in six years before falling into the basement in his final year there. He was an iconic figure around the Iowa State program who twice took them to the brink of a North Division title. And I don't necessarily think Reedy's firing was that bad -- mainly because Baylor had never had success in the Big 12 and his won-loss totals were skewed because the Bears were more competitive in the Southwest Conference than where they ended up.

There haven't been many botched firings, but Gary Barnett was removed from Colorado as much for off-the-field problems as anything else. Barnett won North titles in four of his last five seasons, but was removed after the Buffaloes endured a humiliating 70-3 loss to Texas in the 2005 Big 12 title game. It's rare that a coach would be removed after winning a division championship. 

And as far as the best hires, I agree with the top three. The arrival of Stoops and Brown awakened both powers into national championship contenders and they are now the longest-tenured coaches in the league. Their coaching and leadership styles are so different that it makes for an interesting comparison between their programs. The rest of the Big 12 has been left in their wake during most of the new millennium.

But I might install Mike Leach's hiring at Tech in 2000 as my fourth choice. I think he has transformed his program and to a degree the conference because of his spread passing attack. Texas Tech faces some unique challenges that Missouri might not have. So you could argue that his being hired was more significant, although I might put Pinkel at 4A.  

It also led me to go back and look at how coaching changes have been handled in this league. There have been 21 coaching changes in Big 12 history. I consider 15 of them either firings or forced resignations. On six occasions, coaches left for another (usually better) job or retired.

Those six coaches who left before they were pushed -- Colorado's Rick Neuheisel (to Washington), Kansas State's Bill Snyder (retirement), Kansas' Glen Mason (to Minnesota), Nebraska's Tom Osborne (retirement), Oklahoma State's Les Miles (to LSU) and Texas Tech's Spike Dykes (retirement).   

It was a very interesting list that Kerkhoff came up with. I'd be interested to hear some thoughts of readers and how you might rank them.