I’ve been saying for years that while Joe Paterno is chronologically 83 years old, he only gets called old when his detractors have a criticism. JoePa hasn’t been old since the Orange Bowl win in 2006, but it seems to some he is getting old again. I’m finding it increasingly difficult to find an article on Penn State football that doesn’t reference Paterno’s age or start bringing up examples. I’ve heard these sorts of rumbles before; a cornucopia of rehashings of four years ago when JoePa sprinted off the field in the middle of the game at Ohio State because he had to go to the bathroom. Then’s there’s two years ago when his bad hip wouldn’t allow him to stand on the sidelines.

Then I saw Paterno at the Big Ten Eleven Twelve Tweleveten’s  annual media day.

When it comes to the Big Ten, everybody has knowledge of the big dogs;  Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State have all seen there share of the national television spotlight.  Regardless of  which new fan base will be entering the as yet to be enumerated conference on the shores of the Great Lakes, those fans are going to see teams on their schedules in the near future of which they likely will know absolutely nothing. So, here's an easy-to-use guide for those of you new to the original conference in college football.

Since it seems the Big 12 is to distributed around the college football world like so many spare parts, here's an easy-to-understand guide for that new team soon to be on your conference schedule. When it comes to the Big 12, everybody has knowledge of the big dogs;  Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska have all seen there share of the national television spotlight.  While the fan bases of this conference are seemingly enduring a diaspora, those fans are going to see teams on their schedules in the near future of which they likely will know absolutely nothing.

Sure, it may never happen, but with all the talk out there regarding the BCS vs. a playoff system, one of the things nobody takes into account is the conference system. It’s the conferences that keep the bowl system alive, which means any serious change will mean a change to the current conference configurations. In other words, if you want a playoff, that conversation needs to happen. Otherwise, you could be headed for bowl matchups featuring the God Conference 3rd place team and the Non-God Acronym Conference 4 or 5.

To help you get over your post-draft, post spring game, "we still got how long until football season?" blahs, take in Francis Ford Coppola's vision of the days even the river wanted Houston Nutt dead...It's the best movie with a bunch of SEC coaches in it that doesn't have Sandra Bullock's ass in it that you are going to see today...Besides, there's a special guest appearance by Sly Croom, and it's always nice to see him get work.