Ohio State hot topics, Joe Paterno reaction & more in Monday's links

Here is a good podcast with Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com, discussing all things Ohio State football.

Among the topics: Cardale Jones? decision, Urban Meyer's future, Braxton Miller's position/school and who should start at quarterback next season.

My opinions? Jones made the right decision ? Meyer wouldn?t consider the pros ? Miller should switch positions ? J.T. Barrett should start.

***

News of the NCAA restoring Joe Paterno?s victories resonated across the nation. Opinions, as you may expect, vary. Here is a good recap of what some people are saying.

***

Speaking of Penn State, look who was at the Nittany Lions? hoops game on Saturday: Flavor Flav. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would type that. He even got a photo taken with James Franklin. I guess this is a good thing.

***

Another nice win for Iowa on Saturday vs. visiting Ohio State. Aaron White was simply unstoppable. The guy is a legit Big Ten Player of the Year candidate.

***

Nice win for Indiana on Sunday at Illinois. Check out Zach Osterman of the IndyStar.com in this video blog following the victory. The Hoosiers are now 4-1 in the Big Ten, tied for first in the loss column with Maryland, Iowa and Wisconsin. IU has been a nice surprise.

***

Here is a good look at new Nebraska defensive coordinator Mark Banker and the defense he will run in Lincoln: It will be simple ? and fast.

?Keep the ?what-ifs?? out of it,? Banker said. ?Keep the ?buts? out of it as best you can without handicapping yourself. Be able to play physical and fast. And once when you get the base down, then you can add a little strawberry with your chocolate and vanilla.?

***

Finally, over the weekend, Minnesota notched its first Big Ten win of the season after five losses. The Gophers needed this win vs. visiting Rutgers. And they really needed Andre Hollins to have a breakout game, which he did with 31 points.

***

It looked like Tom Izzo had his MSU team was poised for a run. The Spartans brought a three-game winning skein into Saturday?s big showdown at Maryland. Alas, Michigan State got whipped, suffering its second loss of the season to the Terps and putting the Spartans behind the eight ball in the title chase. Chief among Izzo?s concerns? Guard play. And, that?s not a good thing.

But, hey, freshman Javon Bess made his first start. And he showed promise. So the Spartans have that going for them ? which is nice.

"I thought Javon Bess competed better than everybody on our team, which is disturbing and upsetting, but that's what I saw," Izzo said.

***

If you watched Purdue?s win at Penn State on Saturday, you probably still are amazed that the Boilermakers found a way to win. Fluke or a sign the team has turned a corner? Regardless, it?s victories like this that can serve as a spark to big things. At least that is what Purdue hopes coming off two highly disappointing seasons.

The Boilers need Kendall Stephens to continue to shoot well after he drained the big three-pointer to tie the game and send it into overtime.

And if you want to leave a comment on this post, use the box below. All comments need to be approved by a moderator.