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The rumor mill had been churning in high gear for the past several days that Penn State junior quarterback Rob Bolden would transfer.

But the Centre Daily Times reports that Bolden is staying with the Nittany Lions, quoting his high school position coach. Penn State officials also confirmed that Bolden was back on campus.

This, of course, is not the first time transfer rumors have swirled around Bolden. He seriously considered leaving after his freshman season, when he lost the starting job to Matt McGloin. Bolden started most of last season but rarely finished games and played less than McGloin, who took over the full-time starting job when Tom Bradley became interim head coach. Bolden did start the TicketCity Bowl for an injured McGloin but had a miserable day, completing just 7 of 26 passes and throwing three interceptions. For the season, he completed only 39.3 percent of his passes, tossing just two touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Bolden competed with McGloin and Paul Jones for the No. 1 job this spring with new coach Bill O'Brien giving everyone a clean slate. But by most accounts, Bolden appeared to have finished behind the other two guys. He did himself no favors by throwing three interceptions in the Penn State spring game.

It looks like Bolden is willing to tough it out and try to fight for playing time. While admiring his perseverance, you have to wonder if that's the best move for his career. Bolden simply hasn't shown the ability to be a top-flight quarterback the past two years, and he may find himself buried on the depth chart when freshman Steven Bench arrives. Penn State also has a commitment from Class of 2013 star quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Bolden may well be better off transferring to an FCS school where he could play right away, or even considering changing positions.

But maybe, just maybe, the light will go on for Bolden and he'll turn things around. Having him around certainly helps Penn State's depth at the position. And by staying put, Bolden is betting on himself.

May is a time when many coaches take a little breather, decompressing after spring practice and maybe enjoy some time off.

Not so for new Penn State coach Bill O'Brien. When ESPN.com caught up to O'Brien on Wednesday for a phone interview, he was on a bus en route to Buffalo, N.Y., for the 18th and final stop on the Nittany Lions' coaches caravan. O'Brien went to every event, a three-week whirlwind that saw him visit seven different states, including stops in Cleveland, Washington, D.C., New York City, Richmond, Va., and Hartford, Conn.

O'Brien really hasn't had much down time in a while, as he headed straight to State College after coaching the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl in February. But he didn't sound much worse for the wear.

"I've got a lot of energy," he said. "I've been traveling with a great group of people, and the turnouts energize us."

O'Brien and other Penn State coaches were greeted by some large crowds, including more than 900 who came out to the event in Scranton, Pa. There has been a lot of curiosity about the man who's taking over for Joe Paterno, and that's a major reason why O'Brien decided to embark on the journey.

"Since I was hired, I felt like something I had to do after spring practice was get out there, meet people and talk about our vision for the program," he said. "Every stop, there have been 400-to-500 people, at least. So there's no question that it's a far-reaching program, and that's good because we're going to recruit in the six-to-seven hour driving distance area. So it's good to be able to get out into our recruiting areas, too."

The caravan, of course, had another purpose. After the ugly Jerry Sandusky scandal and controversy over Paterno's ouster, Penn State needed a goodwill tour to help the healing process along.

"I think it definitely helps," O'Brien said. "Like I've said, I wasn't here in November. My staff wasn't here. But we're well aware of what happened in November. So I definitely think it helps to get out and meet people and make sure people understand where we're headed."

Even with the controversy as a backdrop, most Penn State fans just wanted to talk about football. O'Brien was peppered with questions about the Nittany Lions' quarterback competition, whether he'll maintain the program's traditions and uniforms and scheduling.

"People can't wait to get going and for the season to start," O'Brien said. "I definitely sense of a lot of excitement."

But O'Brien and his staff have a lot of work to do before Sept. 1. One of the first orders of business is selecting a starting quarterback from the trio of Matt McGloin, Rob Bolden and Paul Jones. O'Brien said he plans to name a starter in early June.

"One of the things I try to make clear to people is that the day after the Blue-White Game, the coaches left for recruiting," he said. "We haven't even had a chance as a staff to sit down and talk about spring practice, about depth charts at any position. So I want to have a chance to sit down with the staff when they get back at the end of May, and then we'll have something soon after that."

A report from the Cleveland caravan quoted quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher as saying McGloin was the leader in the race. Asked about that, O'Brien joked, "I'll have to talk to Charlie about that one," before emphasizing again that the staff has to meet to discuss the quarterback situation.

O'Brien and his coaches have begun their preparations for their first few opponents of 2012. He said the team "got a lot done" in the spring but still needs to have a big summer and training camp.

"I think our kids know the tempo we want to practice with," he said. "We have a better feel for the football team, that's for sure. Our kids have started to grasp the terminology and other things."

O'Brien got a grasp on the Penn State fan base during the caravan tour, and vice versa. It might not have been as relaxing as some time off, but he saw it as a very valuable experience worth repeating in the future.

"We'll do something like this again," he said. "But I don't know if it will be 18 stops."

Earlier today, I had a Q&A with new Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien where he talked about spring practice. O'Brien met with the media this afternoon and gave out some new information on the Nittany Lions spring, including the news that wide receiver Curtis Drake is moving to cornerback.

Drake played a big role in the win over Ohio State late in the season as a Wildcat quarterback, but he did not make the trip to the team's bowl after getting into a locker-room altercation with quarterback Matt McGloin. O'Brien said Drake had a "clean slate" as far as discipline and that he was needed to bolster the numbers in a secondary where all four starters graduated.

"What I saw with Curtis on the football field was good size, good feet, good hips, instinctiveness, and I think that he's a guy that can contribute over there," O'Brien said. "He's got to keep up his end of the bargain by doing well in school and keeping his nose clean, and then we'll give him a shot to play over there this spring."

Some other notes from O'Brien:

• He reiterated again that there is no starter at the quarterback spot right now and that he might not name a starter until the night before the season opener against Ohio.
• Linebacker Michael Mauti (ACL) won't participate in contact drills this spring, but O'Brien said Mauti "has had a heck of a winter just in the things that he has been able to do. He's definitely obviously one of the core players on this football team, just both from his leadership and from his work ethic, his family."
• Running back Curtis Dukes will sit out the spring to concentrate on academics. That will leave Derek Day as the backup to Silas Redd. Incoming freshman Akeel Lynch will be given a long look this summer at tailback as well.
• O'Brien said he didn't watch much film of Penn State last season and when he did, he mostly watched the defense. He said he wanted all the players to have a clean slate and preferred to focus his time on academics, recruiting and conditioning aspects of the program. He'll get his hands-on work done this spring. "The spring is about, in many ways, just like mini-camps in the National Football League," he said. "The spring is about experimentation, maybe practicing a guy at one spot for about five practices and then moving him to another spot and seeing how he does in different areas and trying to get your best players on the field."

Before the season began, we ranked every Big Ten position group from No. 1 through 12. That was based on projections and assumptions, but now we have a full season's worth of data.

So it's time to go back and assign a final 2011 ranking to each position in the league. We'll start, as usual, with the quarterbacks. You can take a look back and see how we ranked this group in the preseason here. Depth will matter more at other positions, but for this one, we're mostly concerned how the main guy fared this past season.

Let's kick it:

1. Wisconsin: When we did this list in June, we didn't know yet if Russell Wilson would transfer to the Badgers. That's why we ranked Wisconsin No. 11 at the time. That seems ludicrous now. Wilson broke the NCAA single-season record for pass efficiency (191.8), finishing ahead of Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. He completed 72.8 percent of his passes for 3,175 yards and had 33 touchdowns and only four interceptions. If that's not enough to qualify for the top spot, I don't know what is.

2. Michigan State: I'm not sure if Kirk Cousins' 2011 season was properly appreciated nationally. Cousins led the Big Ten in passing yards with 3,316 while completing 63.7 percent of his passes and throwing 25 touchdowns. He was especially good down the stretch as the Spartans' offense took off and remained one of the best leaders in college football. And Cousins didn't get nearly the same amount of support from the running game that Wilson did.

3. Michigan: Denard Robinson's numbers declined in several key areas from 2010, including his rushing yardage, passing yardage and completion percentage. Meanwhile, his interceptions went up and there was little doubt he struggled at times. Yet Robinson also had two of the most spectacular individual efforts of the season in wins against Notre Dame and Ohio State, and he still led the Big Ten in total offense per game. And in the end, it's pretty hard to argue against an 11-2 record and Sugar Bowl title.

4. Northwestern: A lingering Achilles' tendon injury and an awful defense helped obscure the fact that Dan Persa had another outstanding year when healthy. He completed 73.4 percent of his throws and actually averaged more passing yards per game (237.6) than any other Big Ten quarterback. Persa's mobility, however, was limited and that made him much less of a running threat. Kain Colter fulfilled that role and did a nice job stepping in for Persa, including his heroics in an upset win at Nebraska.

5. Nebraska: Taylor Martinez's improvement wasn't easy to measure in statistics. His completion percentage dipped to 56.3 in 2011, and he had far less of an impact running the ball over the last half of the season — he failed to run for more than 56 yards and did not have a rushing touchdown in the final seven games. But Martinez got better as a game manager and leader and remained a dual threat defenses had to account for. And he learned to protect the ball better, throwing just three interceptions in his final eight games.

6. Iowa: James Vandenberg put up some good numbers in his first year as a full-time starter, throwing for 3,022 yards and 25 touchdowns. But he compiled a lot of his stats against bad defenses like Pitt, Louisiana-Monroe, Indiana and Northwestern. He wasn't nearly as good in losses to Nebraska, Michigan State and Penn State. Vandenberg has the potential to be the best pure passer in the Big Ten, but he needs to become more consistent.

7. Ohio State: The Buckeyes would have ranked at or near the bottom of this list after the first half of the season, after initial starter Joe Bauserman was benched and freshman Braxton Miller went through some early growing pains. While Miller's passing was often reigned in, he was extremely effective as a runner, rushing for for at least 90 yards five times. Miller showed the whole package in an impressive performance against Michigan to end the regular season. With Urban Meyer's tutelage, Miller could put the Buckeyes at the top of this list in the near future.

8. Purdue: The Boilermakers' quarterback situation looked bleak to start the year, as projected starter Rob Henry went down with an ACL injury and backup Robert Marve was slow to recover from his own knee problems. But while Purdue wasn't flashy at the position, it got decent production from Caleb TerBush and from Marve later in the year. Combined, they passed for over 2,500 yards and 17 touchdowns, and TerBush was the team's fourth leading rusher.

9. Illinois: Nathan Scheelhaase looked like he'd claim a spot as one of the Big Ten's best quarterbacks with a solid start to the season, including a 426-yard, four-touchdown showing in a win over Northwestern. But like the rest of the Illini offense, his production fell off a cliff in the second half of the season, and the sophomore appeared to lose his confidence along the way. Freshman Reilly O'Toole came in for certain situations and looked close to usurping the starting job. Scheelhaase bounced back with a nice second half in the bowl win against UCLA. Now he'll have to adjust to new coach Tim Beckman's spread offense.

10. Minnesota: Early in the season, it was hard to tell if MarQueis Gray or freshman Max Shortell would win coach Jerry Kill's favor and seize control of the offense. Neither was particularly effective. But Gray, who made the transition from wide receiver, started to find a groove late in the year. He led the upset against Iowa and ran for 327 yards in the final two games. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder is hard to stop when he takes off running, but he must improve on his 50-percent completion rate.

11. Indiana: The Hoosiers played quarterback roulette for the first half of the season, rotating between Ed Wright-Baker and Dusty Kiel. But when they finally settled on freshman Tre Roberson, they found their signal-caller of the present and future. Roberson is still a bit raw but has tremendous athleticism and instincts. He ran for 121 yards and threw for 169 against Northwestern, showing that he could be yet another dangerous dual threat quarterback in this league going forward.

12. Penn State: The Nittany Lions' handling of the quarterback situation was baffling and counterproductive in 2011. Penn State continued to trot out Rob Bolden as the starter for much of the year even though Matt McGloin was clearly the better option. McGloin did the heavy lifting off the bench, but he was not exactly a world-beater either, completing just 54 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. The Nittany Lions beat Ohio State mostly because they put a couple of receivers in the Wildcat formation, and when McGloin couldn't play in the TicketCity Bowl, Bolden struggled. New coach Bill O'Brien will quickly learn that Tom Brady isn't walking through that door in 2012.

1. Of course Tampa Bay had an interest in Oregon coach Chip Kelly, who has gone 34-6 in three seasons. If you think about it, it makes sense that Kelly reciprocated the interest. He’s an intensely competitive guy. As a New Englander who arrived in Eugene five years ago, he has no emotional ties to Eugene. Unlike Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who has rebuffed the NFL in part because he likes raising his family in Norman, Kelly is unmarried. In other words, this won’t be the last flirting between Kelly and the NFL.

2. If New England had lost the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien would have been the full-time Penn State head coach on Monday. So, Matt McGloin, were you a Baltimore fan on Sunday? “Kind of,” the Nittany Lions quarterback said, laughing. “No, that would obviously be selfish of you. You want the best for your head coach. Now that’s he in the Super Bowl, if they win it, it’s great for the university. It’s great for him. A Super Bowl offensive coordinator to be your head coach; that’s pretty exciting, especially as a quarterback.”

3. Auburn coach Gene Chizik hired offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler away from Temple. That’s the same Loeffler who ran the Florida offense in 2009-10. But don’t think the Tigers are going to install the spread offense that Loeffler used with Tim Tebow. Chizik also leapt at the chance to accept as a transfer Illinois fullback Jay Prosch, a Mobile native who didn’t think he would fit in new Illini coach Tim Beckman’s offense. The Tigers’ spring practice just got a lot more interesting.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- When the body of Joe Paterno lies for public viewing Tuesday and Wednesday at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the Penn State campus, one current and one former player will be there during every minute of the 14 hours to serve as honorary guards.

Quarterback Matt McGloin drew a 45-minute-shift beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

"I thought playing under him would be enough to be a lifetime memory," McGloin said Monday. "Now, to be there at his funeral and to be standing outside along with a former letterman is truly an honor I'll never forget. It's definitely going to be an emotional night."

In the 12 weeks since Penn State fired Paterno, his players have unbuttoned their thoughts. McGloin understands why the board of trustees fired Paterno in his 46th season as head coach. But he said neither he nor many of his teammates liked it.

"What happened with Jerry Sandusky, the way I see it, they had to have somebody take the fall for it," McGloin said. "It's got to be the head coach in that situation. But ... I think it was wrong to do it the way they did it, sending over a piece of paper and have him call a number, having him get fired, not bringing him in, sitting him down and giving him the reasons why he was let go, I think was, unfair for a man who has given more than one-half his life to a university and given millions of dollars and has made State College, Pa., such a special place.

"To do that in that way was wrong," McGloin said. "... I think it was unforgivable to most people. A lot of players feel that way."

The period since McGloin started at quarterback for Paterno's 409th and final victory has been tumultuous for the redshirt junior from Scranton, Pa., as well. He suffered a concussion in a fight in December with teammate Curtis Drake that rendered McGloin unable to play in the TicketCity Bowl on Jan. 2. After that, he contracted a sinus infection. Between the two -- "the sickest I've ever been" -- the 6-foot-1 McGloin lost 17 pounds. He said he hasn't weighed 193 pounds since he arrived on campus in August 2008.

There's one other thing about McGloin that looks different -- he has a beard, a neatly trimmed red one. That breaks one of Paterno's cardinal rules, which may explain why nearly every player in the locker room has one now, too.

Because they can.

"Guys are just excited that they don't have to be clean-cut, clean-shaved every day, so they're just letting things go," McGloin said. "Coach Paterno's rule was make sure you have a nice shave, hair not too long. Obviously I respect that and I liked that when I first got here. But ... college kids tend to let themselves go."

No word yet on whether new head coach Bill O'Brien has a rule regarding facial hair.

The offseason is here, and while teams are focused on recruiting right now, they will soon turn their attention to fixing problem areas and gearing up for 2012.

With that in mind, we present the offseason to-do lists for every Big Ten club, beginning with the Leaders Division. We're not going to talk about recruiting needs here, as we'll focus on that in the very near future. Instead, we're taking a look at a couple of areas each team needs to repair or restock in the coming months.

Illinois

• Spread it on: An Illini offense that needed a GPS to find the end zone the last half of the season is in for a jarring change. New head coach Tim Beckman will implement the spread offense and demand a higher tempo. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase must regain his freshman-year form if he is to hold off Reilly O'Toole for the starting job, and Illinois must replace its best receiver in A.J. Jenkins. Finding a reliable running back is high on the priority list as well. This offense will get a total makeover and needs to make the most of the spring and summer to get ready.

• Locate defensive leaders: We wondered this time last year how Illinois would replace Corey Liuget. Then Whitney Mercilus jumped up with an All-American season. Who will be the next big playmaker now that Mercilus is off to the NFL? Can Michael Buchanan replicate Mercilus's production off the edge? Will Jonathan Brown capitalize on his potential? New defensive coordinator Tim Banks needs to keep up the level of performance this defense had in '11.

Indiana

• Build toughness on defense: This one is obvious, as the Hoosiers ranked 114th in points allowed (37.3) and 109th in total defense in Kevin Wilson's first season and gave up at least 40 points in five of their eight Big Ten games. Wilson played a ton of youngsters in 2011 and has a promising future leader in rising sophomore Mark Murphy. But Indiana simply must get more physical up front and tackle better to have any hope of making significant strides.

• Develop Tre Roberson: One of the bright spots in IU's 1-11 season was the emergence of freshman Roberson at quarterback. His athleticism allowed him to make plays in and out of the pocket. With Dusty Kiel and Ed Wright-Baker leaving the program, the offense now solely belongs to Roberson, with juco transfer Cameron Coffman his likely backup. Roberson must continue to make progress as a sophomore, or else it could be another long year in Bloomington.

Ohio State

• Urban renewal: Jim Tressel may have been gone last season, but his influence was still heavily felt as former Tressel assistant Luke Fickell and most of Tressel's staff remained in place. So the Buckeyes players are about to experience a whole new way of doing things under Urban Meyer. Most of the change will come on offense, where there will be a new system and new terminology, and spring practice will prove critical for getting everything installed. Meyer's biggest challenge may be reshaping an offensive line that lost three longtime starters in center Mike Brewster and tackles Mike Adams and J.B. Shugarts.
• Upgrade the passing game: Braxton Miller improved as a passer as the season went on, but the Buckeyes' passing game still left a lot to be desired most of the time. Miller will need to spend as much time as possible with new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tom Herman to improve his throwing, and a group of young Buckeyes receivers like Devin Smith, Corey "Philly" Brown and Chris Fields needs to come of age and turn into reliable playmakers.

Penn State

• Come together: New coach Bill O'Brien's most daunting task likely will come off the field, where he'll be responsible for repairing a fractured community. He can begin to do so by embracing former players, building bridges to the alumni on the speaking circuit and being more open than his famous predecessor. O'Brien must show recruits that it's OK to come to State College again. Fans will be hungry for football by the spring, and O'Brien should use that optimism to his advantage.
• Fix the offense: There's little question that a Stone Age offense was holding Penn State back, and O'Brien seems intent on being his own offensive coordinator. He'll need to settle on a quarterback, whether that's Matt McGloin or Rob Bolden or someone else, and ingrain his NFL concepts to a bunch used to a vanilla scheme. O'Brien has a solid building block in star tailback Silas Redd but must replace top receiver Derek Moye and an offensive line gutted by graduation.

Purdue

• Establish an identity: The Boilermakers were the epitome of a mediocre team in 2011, going 6-6 and never winning back-to-back games in the regular season before edging out a MAC team in a lower-level bowl. What exactly is the defining trait of Danny Hope's team? It's time to create an identity, especially on defense where Purdue was inconsistent last season. Old defensive coordinator Gary Emanuel is out and Tim Tibesar is in from the CFL to take over. Tibesar needs to maximize the talent of budding stars like Kawann Short and Ricardo Allen and put his stamp on that side of the ball.
• Create a quarterback pecking order: After dealing with crippling quarterback injuries the past two seasons, Hope must be thrilled by the new-found depth at the position. Robert Marve received a sixth year of eligibility and will be back alongside 2011 starter Caleb TerBush. Meanwhile, projected '11 starter Rob Henry makes his way back from a knee injury. Competition should make the position better, but Purdue must figure out who and how it wants to play at quarterback.

Wisconsin

• Find a quarterback: Russell Wilson leaves large cleats to fill after just one season in Madison, and there is no obvious heir apparent. Will Jon Budmayr's elbow allow him to compete for the job? Will Joe Brennan take the next step in his development? Will hyped incoming freshman Bart Houston be ready? The Badgers went to the Rose Bowl the past two seasons with seasoned, senior quarterbacks. New offensive coordinator Matt Canada won't have that luxury this year and has some work to do in the offseason. At least he can lean on a stout running game led by Montee Ball while the quarterback situation crystallizes.
• Build staff chemistry: Canada will be one of six new coaches on Bret Bielema's staff in 2012 and will be part of an almost entirely new offensive brain trust. The Badgers have their style of play on that side of the ball down to a science at this point, but it's not easy to blend that many new coaches and personalities into a program all at once. Bielema has to get them all up to speed and on the same page in a hurry, and the new coaches have to establish rapport with the players right away. That might be one of the Badgers' biggest obstacles on the way to a second straight division title.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl officially wrapped up the Big Ten season and also settled the season-long picks battle between the two bloggers.

New guy for the win.

I took a slim one-game lead into bowl season but widened the gap with a stellar 9-1 showing in the bowls. Adam went a respectable 7-3, which is still a record the Big Ten wishes it had during the postseason. I'll put my picks trophy next to the one I won in our fantasy challenge earlier this season. My mantel is getting crowded.

Let's review our picks ...

Little Caesars Bowl

• Bennett's pick: Purdue 34, Western Michigan 33
• Rittenberg's pick: Western Michigan 31, Purdue 27
• Actual score: Purdue 37, Western Michigan 32
• 20-20 hindsight: We both predicted a close game with a lot of points, even though we didn't see it being as wild as it turned out. Rittenberg has less confidence in the Purdue defense, which gave up plenty of points and yards but also created seven turnovers. I correctly predicted a big night for the Boilers' running game -- they ran for 265 yards -- though my somewhat tongue-in-cheek pick of a blocked kick at the end didn't happen.

Insight Bowl

• Bennett's pick: Oklahoma 27, Iowa 20
• Rittenberg's pick: Oklahoma 31, Iowa 24
• Actual score: Oklahoma 31, Iowa 14
• 20-20 hindsight: Neither of us thought Iowa had enough firepower without Marcus Coker to hang with the Sooners, and the Hawkeyes didn't even score until the fourth quarter. Adam nailed the Sooners' point total, while my prediction of two James Vandenberg interceptions was one too many.
  

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

• Bennett's pick: Texas A&M 35, Northwestern 31
• Rittenberg's pick: Texas A&M 42, Northwestern 31
• Actual score: Texas A&M 33, Northwestern 22
• 20-20 hindsight: Adam can take a bow for correctly pegging the margin of victory. He must have talked the Aggies into kicking that field goal with 30 seconds left. Neither of us liked the chances of Northwestern's defense slowing down A&M, and the Wildcats surrendered 409 yards while falling behind 30-7 before a late rally.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

• Bennett's pick: Illinois 17, UCLA 9
• Rittenberg's pick: Illinois 14, UCLA 10
• Actual score: Illinois 20, UCLA 14
• 20-20 hindsight: We both foresaw a low-scoring game, and if not for UCLA's late cosmetic touchdown, I would have almost nailed the total combined points. I predicted that the Illinois defense would dominate and that Whitney Mercilus would record two sacks; he was credited with 1.5. Adam said Nathan Scheelhaase would score a late touchdown. Well, he did throw a 60-yard score to A.J. Jenkins with less than six minutes left.

TicketCity Bowl

• Bennett's pick: Houston 31, Penn State 24
• Rittenberg's pick: Penn State 28, Houston 24
• Actual score: Houston 30, Penn State 14
• 20-20 hindsight: I predicted that Case Keenum would throw a couple of early touchdown passes and that Penn State would have trouble responding. That looked pretty smart as Keenum threw for two first-quarter scores and the Nittany Lions laid a defensive egg. I almost had Houston's score on the nose and probably wouldn't have given Penn State's offense that much credit had I known for sure that Matt McGloin wouldn't play. Adam's pick of a 200-yard plus day for Silas Redd was a little bit off, as Redd mustered only 53 yards on 14 carries.

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl

• Bennett's pick: Ohio State 24, Florida 23
• Rittenberg's pick: Ohio State 21, Florida 17
• Actual score: Florida 24, Ohio State 17
• 20-20 hindsight: Ah, my only setback. We both gave the Buckeyes a little too much credit and didn't see the big Florida special-teams plays that would swing this outcome. I predicted impressive days for Dan Herron and DeVier Posey; Herron ran for 82 yards and Posey had only 38 yards receiving. We both thought Braxton Miller would star for Ohio State. He threw for two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough.

Outback Bowl

• Bennett's pick: Michigan State 17, Georgia 14
• Rittenberg's pick: Michigan State 21, Georgia 20
• Actual score: Michigan State 33, Georgia 30 (3 OT)
• 20-20 hindsight: We both saw a low-scoring game and a close Spartans victory, and I nailed the margin of victory. Neither of us predicted a triple-overtime thriller, or that Michigan State would fall behind 16-0 before a huge rally.

Capital One Bowl

• Bennett's pick: South Carolina 20, Nebraska 17
• Rittenberg's pick: South Carolina 24, Nebraska 21
• Actual score: South Carolina 30, Nebraska 13
• 20-20 hindsight: We both thought the Huskers would keep it close, and they should have. But Nebraska made way too many mental errors, and the Gamecocks turned a game that was 16-13 going into the fourth quarter into a blowout win. I didn't think Nebraska could pass the ball effectively, and Taylor Martinez only threw for 116 yards. Neither of us gave South Carolina's offense enough credit.

Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO

• Bennett's pick: Oregon 35, Wisconsin 30
• Rittenberg's pick: Wisconsin 38, Oregon 35
• Actual score: Oregon 45, Wisconsin 38
• 20-20 hindsight: Kudos to Adam for correctly predicting Wisconsin's final score, and it was 38-35 going into the fourth quarter. But they play 60 minutes for a reason. We both saw a high-scoring game but not a record-breaking Rose Bowl. Adam was right to say Jared Abbrederis would have a big game, but Wisconsin's defense let him down. I said Montee Ball would have a big day (check) but that the Badgers couldn't contain the Ducks in space. Uh, yeah.

Allstate Sugar Bowl

• Bennett's pick: Michigan 24, Virginia Tech 13
• Rittenberg's pick: Michigan 27, Virginia Tech 21
• Actual score: Michigan 23, Virginia Tech 20 (OT)
• 20-20 hindsight: We both came within a point of one team's score, though neither of us predicted overtime. I liked Michigan to win big while Adam forecast a closer game. He was right on that -- but not right enough during bowl season to beat me.

SEASON RECORDS

Brian Bennett: 82-26 (.759)

Adam Rittenberg: 79-29 (.732)

Let's take a look at three keys for Penn State in the Nittany Lions' Ticket City Bowl matchup against Houston:

1. Get physical: Houston scored more points than any college football team this year and has the NCAA's all-time leading passer in Case Keenum. But the Cougars are also a spread team that played a weak schedule. They have not seen a defense anywhere near as strong or as physical as Penn State's. The best way to stop a spread offense is to push it around, especially in the trenches. All-American defensive tackle Devon Still should have a field day disrupting Houston's timing if he brings the same intensity he showed all season. The Nittany Lions' corners also need to knock receivers off their routes at the line of scrimmage. If it's a wide-open type of game, then Houston has a great chance. If it's a Big Ten-style street fight, Penn State should prevail.

2. Redd rover, Redd rover: Penn State's offensive game plan should be pretty simple: hand the ball to Silas Redd. He's one of the best tailbacks in the Big Ten and should be better after having time to heal some nagging injuries he dealt with down the stretch of the regular season. Houston allowed more than 171 yards per game on the ground during the year and got steamrolled by Southern Miss for 207 rushing yards in the C-USA championship game loss. Given that Penn State's quarterback situation is uncertain with Matt McGloin still recovering from a concussion and the shaky Rob Bolden potentially starting, the running game becomes even more important. The fact that it helps keep Keenum on the sidelines doesn't hurt, either.

3. Play with fire: Few people would be surprised if Penn State's players came out unfocused or unmotivated for this one. The Nittany Lions have weathered unimaginable adversity while trying to play through the Sandusky sex-abuse case and media circus. They still don't have a permanent head coach more than 50 days after Joe Paterno was fired. And the team made it publicly known how upset it was with its selection to the TicketCity Bowl rather than a bigger postseason game. The Lions will have to play far away from home against an opponent that has the home-state advantage. Watch how Penn State responds early if Keenum and the Cougars put up a quick score. The Nittany Lions likely have more talent across the board, but if they don't play like they want to be there, it won't matter.

Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin and receiver Curtis Drake got into a fight in the locker room following practice, according to multiple media reports.

Linebacker Michael Mauti told StateCollege.com that McGloin was hospitalized as a result of the incident.

"Yeah, but he'll be fine," Mauti told the website.

University police told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette they are investigating and expect to release a report Saturday night.

"Everything is going to be OK," Penn State offensive tackle Quinn Barham told the Post-Gazette.

According to the reports, the team had scheduled a late afternoon meeting.

The stock report got shelved last week because of the Penn State story. So I guess you could say this post's stock is down. But it's a definite riser this week.

Stock up

Road warriors: In a season where hardly any of the league contenders could win a game on the road, Week 12 saw a reversal of fortunes. Nebraska won at Penn State, Michigan State took down Iowa in Kinnick and Wisconsin won at Minnesota (OK, Ohio State didn't contribute, but every journalist knows three equals a trend). It was especially encouraging for the Spartans, who finally got their offense going away from East Lansing. Something to keep in mind this week as teams like Penn State, Wisconsin and Nebraska go into hostile territory.

Le'Veon Bell: One week after posting a career-best 165 all-purpose yards against Minnesota, Bell rumbled for 112 yards and a touchdown at Iowa last week. His day included a highlight-worthy hurdle over a Hawkeyes defender. The sophomore leads the team in rushing and has seized the mantle as its No. 1 back.

Robert Marve: Yes, he threw a bad interception at the end of regulation. But Marve also powered Purdue to the winning score in overtime and was responsible for 16 of the team's 26 points in an upset of Ohio State. Head coach Danny Hope says Caleb TerBush remains his starter, but Marve finally had a nice moment in the sun after a long and winding road.

Bo Pelini's words: The Nebraska coach isn't always the most talkative or outgoing guy when it comes to his media obligations. But Pelini was thoughtful and on point after the Penn State game, when he said he didn't think the game should be played because the situation in State College was bigger than football. That's a side of Pelini we'd like to see more often.

B1G bowling: The Big Ten is aptly named this year, as 10 teams have five wins with two weeks in the season. It's very likely that all 10 will reach bowl eligibility, which could give the league more bowl teams than any other 12-team major conference. The ACC and SEC each have nine teams that currently have five or more wins, while the Pac-12 has eight. (The Big 12, with only 10 teams, is impressive in its own right with nine teams that have won at least five games. All eight teams in the impossible-to-decipher Big East have at least five wins, but none have more than seven). The Big Ten may need to find one or two at-large spots for all its teams to go bowling, but the league's large fan bases and traveling reputation should help make that happen.

Stock down

Ohio State's defense: The Buckeyes haven't exactly been shredded of late, but they did give up a lot of big plays against both Indiana and Purdue the last two weeks. Both the Hoosiers and Boilermakers found success by spreading out Ohio State and using some quarterback runs and zone reads. The Buckeyes have looked slow of foot at times and have shown poor tackling in other occasions. Think Michigan may have noticed that?

Denard Robinson's running: Where has the dynamic running of "Shoelace" gone? Robinson hasn't run for more than 63 yards in his past four games and is averaging just 47.5 rushing yards and only 3.3 yards per carry in that span. He's on pace to finish with a little more than 1,180 yard rushing after leading the Big Ten with 1,702 last season. The good news for Michigan is that running back Fitz Toussaint has emerged and the team is winning without Robinson carrying the load. "I think it's kept him healthy for a lot of the year -- healthier than he's been," coach Brady Hoke said. "It's different every week, how people want to defend because of Denard, so he's part of the formula for Fitz."

Rob Bolden's playing time: Penn State insisted on juggling quarterbacks for most of the season, but interim coach Tom Bradley looks to have put an end to that practice. For the first time this week, Matt McGloin is listed as the starter on the official depth chart instead of sharing an "Or" with Bolden. And McGloin played the entire game against Nebraska. The Nittany Lions appeared to be appeasing Bolden with playing time in hopes he wouldn't transfer. But the program has much bigger problems to worry about now.

Ron Zook's lack of words: Here's my take on Zook walking out of his news conference Tuesday when asked about his job status: The Illinois coach doesn't have to answer the question, and there's very little he can say about it anyway. But if he just gave a generic answer like, "That's not up to me; it's up to the administration and I'm going to continue to coach my team the best I can," then it becomes a non-story. By making a diva-like walk-out, Zook turned it into a media event, complete with compelling video. Of course, none of it matters unless he can get the Illini turned around from their four-game losing streak.

B1G in the big time: Having a potential 10 bowl teams is great and all, and the league also has five teams in the BCS standings -- only the SEC has more. But if the season ended today, no one from the conference would even be eligible for an at-large BCS bid because none are ranked in the top 14 (Michigan State is the highest at No. 15, followed immediately by Nebraska, Wisconsin and Michigan in an odd conga line). In fact, two non-AQ teams -- Boise State and Houston -- are way ahead of every Big Ten team in the standings. The computer rankings simply hate the Big Ten teams. The conference will have to prove itself against top competition in the bowls, because right now, it looks like it has no elite teams.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- You had to wonder, after Penn State fell behind 17-0 early in the third quarter, if the weight of this awful week would finally cause the Nittany Lions to break.

Nope. Call it inspiration. Call it determination. Or just call it a great play by Derek Moye. The senior receiver made a terrific adjustment on a ball thrown by Matt McGloin for a 40-yard bomb, by far the biggest play of the day for Penn State. Stephfon Green scored two plays later, and Beaver Stadium finally came back alive after the energy had been sucked out of the building.

Still, Nebraska leads by 10 and the Nittany Lions are not known for scoring easily. The Huskers' option game has been outstanding, and Taylor Martinez has really improved his decision-making in that area throughout the season. His perfectly timed pitch to Rex Burkhead gave Nebraska that 17-0 lead. Also give credit to the Huskers' offensive line, particularly the guards, for creating gaps against a really good Penn State defense.

That score was set up by a McGloin fumble in Nebraska territory. The Nittany Lions have been moving the ball well in the second half but can't afford any more mistakes. And their defense has to figure out how to stop that option. Penn State may need a big play on special teams or defense to win this game.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- After one quarter at Beaver Stadium, we're still waiting for our first points.

Is the lackluster offensive play a result of the distractions for both teams? I don't think so. This is just how Penn State plays.

It's also a function of the defenses and some very sloppy quarterback play. Neither team has been able to run the ball all that effectively yet, and Nebraska has curiously chosen to throw the ball a lot early on. Taylor Martinez has had some receivers open but has missed them while completing just 2 of 8 passes. Rex Burkhead has had only three carries. It's hard to run on Penn State, especially with the way Devon Still is playing this season and today in particular, but the Huskers need to stick to their strengths. They have only 29 total yards after 15 minutes.

The Lions have moved the ball better and got in field goal range early on, but Anthony Fera missed a 47-yard field goal. Matt McGloin has missed some open receivers, too, and his best completion was a 31-yard gain that Curtis Drake caught off a deflection. The good news for the home team: Silas Redd finally started to put together some nice runs at the end of the quarter. Penn State needs its best offensive player to have a big day.

What a crazy weekend in the Big Ten. It's worth a second look.

Team of the week: Nebraska. The Cornhuskers made an emphatic statement with their 24-3 pasting of Michigan State in Lincoln. They now control their own destiny in the Legends Division race and are the league's highest-ranked team. If they can keep playing defense like they did Saturday, look out. Honorable mention to Ohio State and Minnesota.

Game of the week: Ohio State 33, Wisconsin 29. For the second straight week, Wisconsin was involved in a thriller. For the second straight week, the Badgers didn't like the outcome. The Buckeyes, who had only three points at halftime, rallied for 30 points in the final two quarters, including the game-winning pass with 20 seconds to go. That overshadowed, for the second straight week, what had been an excellent fourth-quarter comeback by Wisconsin, which trailed 26-14 with 4:39 left but took a 29-26 lead a little more than three minutes later.

For the second straight week, Bret Bielema committed the sin that gets you beat in video-game football: scoring with too much time left. On Saturday, the Badgers left 1:18 on the clock for Ohio State, a week after giving Michigan State 1:26 to get in position for the Hail Mary. Wisconsin needs to work on taking a knee in the red zone late in games. Kidding, of course, but if Badgers fans can't laugh, they'll probably cry.

Biggest play: Braxton Miller's 40-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith for the win against Wisconsin, obviously. The true freshman somehow had the presence of mind in that situation to keep his eyes downfield while scrambling and to let the heave go just before he crossed the line of scrimmage. The Badgers' coverage broke down to leave Smith ridiculously open in the end zone, but the defense had to react to Miller's running ability. Amazingly, in the previous win against Illinois, Miller had completed only one pass for 17 yards.

Best call: Jerry Kill's decision to go for an onside kick with 8:22 left in the game against Iowa. Minnesota had just scored to cut the lead to 21-16, and Kill thought his defense needed a break. What made the call even gutsier was that walk-on kicker Jordan Wettstein was in the game in place of injured regular kicker Chris Hawthorne. But the Gophers are well-schooled on this particular play."I actually wrote a paper about how we teach it," Kill said after the game. "We've been doing that particular onside kick for 13 years. We've practiced it every day since I got here."

The Gophers gave no indication before the kick that they were going for the onside try, and Wettstein executed it perfectly. Kim Royston recovered and Minnesota went in for the winning score to notch its first Big Ten victory. Iowa was not prepared for the trickery, even though the Gophers had nothing to lose. Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz called Kill's gamble "not totally surprising," yet he didn't think it was worth putting his hands team in the game at that time. In large part because of that play, the Gophers had their hands on Floyd of Rosedale after the game.

Big Man on Campus (Offense): Northwestern tight end Drake Dunsmore. He set a school record with four touchdown catches against Indiana, finishing with a total of seven catches and 112 yards. Plus, Drake Dunsmore is a fun name to say. Special shoutouts to Rex Burkhead and Braxton Miller for their performances as well.

Big Man on Campus (Defense): Penn State linebacker Gerald Hodges. He earns his second straight player of the week award after recording 19 tackles, a sack, two pass breakups and a forced fumble against Illinois. Linebacker whew. It was a big week for big tackle numbers in the Big Ten. Wisconsin's Mike Taylor had 22 against Ohio State, and Michigan State's William Gholston recorded 15 stops while returning from suspension.

Big Man on Campus (Special teams): Minnesota's Jordan Wettstein. We already talked about the onside kick, and Wettstein also made a field goal in his first career attempt.

Worst hangover: Iowa fans aren't feeling that great right now, a fact made obvious as I listened to the Hawkeyes' postgame call-in show on the drive from Lincoln to Omaha on Saturday evening. (And the fact that the first caller was"Randy on a tractor" made it priceless). But Wisconsin gets the nod for the starring role in "The Hangover: Part II."

It's not just that the Badgers lost on a long pass in the final minute for the second straight week, though that certainly is a punch in the groin. And it's not just the little what-ifs that accompany each loss -- what if, for instance, Dan France doesn't recover that fumble for Michigan State, or Wisconsin doesn't let two punts get blocked or Miller takes one more step before releasing his throw ...

No the real downer in this situation is how well the season would have been set up for a Wisconsin title run. Clemson and Kansas State became the latest unbeatens to go down over the weekend, and the Alabama-LSU duel will reduce the number further. Oklahoma State still must play Oklahoma, while Stanford has to get past Oregon. It's quite possible that the Badgers would have been in prime position for spot in the BCS championship game had the past two games lasted only 59 minutes in regulation.

I know Halloween is a big event in Madison, but Badger backers must be feeling a little cursed this Oct. 31.

Strangest moment: Let's just go ahead and say the entire Illinois-Penn State game was just plain weird.

First, there was the freakish snow storm on Oct. 29 that turned Beaver Stadium into a whiteout without any help from the fans.

Then we had a game that was 0-0 until midway through the third quarter.

Penn State trailed 7-3 with three minutes left and had done nothing in the passing game. Matt McGloin was 5-for-22 for 40 yards at that point. Yet McGloin then completed four passes for 58 yards to lead the team on an 80-yard touchdown drive. Receiver Derek Moye, who wasn't supposed to play because of a broken foot, came into the game for the first time on the final drive. He made a catch and drew a pass interference penalty on fourth down.

Illinois tried to answer, but Derek Dimke's field goal attempt as time expired hit the right upright and bounced away, while students ran through the snow-packed stands and threw snowballs. Dimke hadn't missed a field goal all year.

It was all a little crazy, even to the man who earned his Division I record-breaking 409th win.

"To all the fans out there, thank you for sitting through that today,"Joe Paterno said."You've got to be nuts."

Five lessons from a full slate of Big Ten conference play in Week 9:

1. The race to Indy is wide open: Division play, parity and the lack of a truly dominant team have combined to add serious drama to the Big Ten title chase. Nebraska's 24-3 win over Michigan State helped create a three-way tie atop the Legends Division between the Huskers, Spartans and Michigan. You could make a strong case for any of the three earning the trip to the inaugural Big Ten title game. Nebraska is the only team that controls its own destiny, but the Cornhuskers still have to go to Ann Arbor and State College, while Michigan would lose a tiebreaker against Michigan State, which has the easiest schedule the rest of the way. Wisconsin's second straight heart-breaking loss leaves Penn State in control of the Leaders Division. But the Lions' remaining schedule (Nebraska, at Ohio State, at Wisconsin) means that race is far from over. Ohio State could get to Indianapolis by winning out and having Penn State lose one of its other two games. It should be a November to remember in the Big Ten.

2. Penn State is living dangerously: Who would have thought that Penn State would be the last unbeaten team in Big Ten play? Or that the Nittany Lions would be 8-1 at this point? We've seen it, but we're still not sure we believe it. Penn State has won all of its five league games by 10 points or less, and Saturday's 10-7 victory over Illinois was the latest example of the football gods smiling on Happy Valley this season. Quarterback Matthew McGloin and the offense stunk for most of the game but somehow drove 80 yards for the tying score with a little more than a minute left. The team held on when Derek Dimke -- who hadn't missed a field goal all year -- bounced one off the upright as time expired. Hey, 8-1 is 8-1, and Joe Paterno deserves some good fortune. But can the Lions keep this up when the meat of their schedule arrives after the bye week? The good news: every other team in the Leaders Division has at least two Big Ten losses.

3. Ohio State has reasons to believe: An Ohio State program that has been beaten up on and off the field in recent weeks and months finds itself with new life -- and a very real chance to make noise in the Leaders Division. The Buckeyes defense seems to be getting better by the week and stifled Wisconsin for much of Saturday night's game. Braxton Miller is the same player we saw at the start of the month and showed he not only can pass the ball but make a huge throw at the most important time. Ohio State has zero margin for error if it wants to reach Indianapolis, but Luke Fickell and his players seem to be thriving on adversity and, as Fickell often says, the need to gain momentum. Right now, the Buckeyes have momentum entering a month where they've always thrived.

4. This is a different Michigan team: Excitement over Brady Hoke's early success has been tempered because Michigan started strong and faded the past couple of years under Rich Rodriguez. But Hoke is not RichRod, and this Wolverines team looks different. They made a statement on Saturday by bouncing back nicely from the Michigan State loss and trouncing Purdue 36-14 at home. Even without an superstar performance by Denard Robinson, Michigan still ran for 339 yards as Fitz Toussaint had a career day. The defense stiffened after an early touchdown, and defensive tackle Mike Martin's safety highlighted his terrific day. Because the Wolverines now can actually stop people and run the ball with more than just Robinson, they can be good in November instead of just September.

5. It's just not Iowa's year: The Hawkeyes were holding out hope of making the Big Ten title game, with both Michigan schools having to play in Iowa City. But that balloon popped when Minnesota pulled off a shocking 22-21 upset to keep the Floyd of Rosedale trophy in the Twin Cities. Kirk Ferentz and his staff haven't been able to plug the holes on defense all season, and a normally high-scoring offense couldn't cash in opportunities against the Gophers. Simply put, this is just not a very good Hawkeyes team. Their wins have come against mediocre or bad opponents, and they've lost two rivalry games they shouldn't have (Iowa State being the other). Given the team's five-game road losing streak and the remaining schedule (Michigan, Michigan State, at Purdue, at Nebraska), it's fair to wonder whether or not the 5-3 Hawkeyes will even make a bowl this season.