(by David Ubben) That was pretty shocking. I didn't give Washington much chance to win, and I don't think I was alone there. The Huskies proved us all wrong with a 19-7 victory.

How the game was won: Washington got physical and overpowered Nebraska's defensive line up front for 60 minutes....read more from the ESPN Big 12 Blog

(by David Ubben) What a wild game, won by Syracuse, 36-34. Great entertainment and one of the best games of the bowl season, but an ugly finish that was, in the end, decided by officials. Nobody likes to see that.

How the game was won: Kansas State's Adrian Hilburn scored a touchdown on a 30-yard pass from Carson Coffman with 1:13 to play that brought the Wildcats within two....read more from the ESPN Big 12 Blog

(by David Ubben) Oklahoma State became the first Big 12 team to take care of business in a bowl game this year, and did it pretty impressively. The Cowboys made plays on both sides of the ball and finished the season on a high note. Here's some instant analysis on the Cowboys' 36-10 win....read more from the ESPN Big 12 Blog

HOUSTON — Mikel Leshoure ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns as Illinois earned its first bowl victory since 1999, beating Baylor 38-14 Wednesday night in the Texas Bowl.

The Illini spoiled the Bears' first bowl appearance in 16 seasons. Both teams finished at 7-6.

Leshoure had a 5-yard TD run in the second quarter, a 13-yard score in the third quarter and another 5-yard touchdown run in the fourth period. The performance gave him the school single-season rushing record with 1,697 yards....read more from The Dallas Morning News

(by Berry Tramel) I believe in bowl games as a barometer for conference strength, for a very simple reason. There is no other barometer.

Most college football programs have surrendered to easy schedules; there aren’t enough interleague games in September to determine conference strength. Most BCS-league schools play just one fellow BCS-league school non-conference. Few play two....read more from The Oklahoman

(Fox News Channel) - The Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. saw some unexpected drama off-field Monday when the Air Force Academy mascot, a live falcon, flew off mid-game, Fox News Channel reported.

The bird was found a short time later with the help of a tracking device in downtown Shreveport....read more from KDFW-TV

Must have been going after a Bud Light:

Penn State coach Joe Paterno's wife dismissed as "lies" speculation that her husband's health would serve as a reason for him to resign from the job he has held for 44 years.

"Who started the crazy rumors?" Sue Paterno said, as quoted by website PennState.Scout.com. "He's fine. No one has to identify who starts it. We don't even know where it starts." ....read more from ESPN College Football

(by David Ubben) Missouri has already secured its third 10-win season in four years under Gary Pinkel, as the Tigers prepare to face an Iowa team that lost its last three games. The Tigers enter favored by a field goal, and Iowa is hoping to secure a win to cap a disappointing season that began with legitimate Big 12 title hopes and a top-10 national ranking....read more from the ESPN Big 12 Blog

(by David Ubben) The New Era Pinstripe Bowl was tempting fate by holding an outdoor bowl game in New York City in the thick of winter.

Forget the game, Kansas State and Syracuse can't do much before the game, either. The teams arrived in the city on Sunday, but 20 inches of snow arrived, too.

Instead of practicing at Columbia University on Sunday afternoon, the Wildcats were forced to hold a walk-through at the Sheraton hotel where they're staying....read more from the ESPN Big 12 Blog

(by Randy Riggs) Coach Mack Brown's makeover of his University of Texas football coaching staff was complicated considerably Saturday night with the shocking announcement that defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, the Longhorns' head coach-designate to one day succeed Brown, will become the head coach at Florida.

Muschamp, 39, will replace Urban Meyer, who resigned last week. The University of Florida said in a release that Muschamp will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday....read more from the Austin American Statesman

(by Matt Hinton) Urban Meyer is walking away from Florida to shower his neglected children with fatherly love while they're still in their volleyball-spiking prime. Even after this season's disappointing slide to 7-5, he leaves behind one of the few programs in the country that can legitimately lay claim to the "dynasty" tag, a towering achievement in just five years – and, now, one that leaves his successor in the unenviable role of grabbing the controls and keeping the speeding train on track.

The last time Florida was in this position, after Steve Spurrier's jump to the Washington Redskins in 2002, athletic director Jeremy Foley bombed by tabbing first-time head coach Ron Zook, a hire that will go down in infamy as one of the worst of the last decade. This time, the first qualification to replace Meyer will be "proven head-coaching experience." No rookies allowed....read more from Yahoo Sports/Rivals

(by Joey Helmer) Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini thought otherwise before last weekend’s finale in Arlington, Texas, which OU won in a 23-20 thriller.

“As far as it being the last Big 12 Championship game, I think it’s probably the last one maybe for a year or two, but I don’t think this will be the last Big 12 Championship,” Pelini said. “It just so happens that I think the conference will keep thriving. It will probably add [some teams]—who knows what’s going to happen. But I don’t think for the foreseeable future [it’s necessarily gone], I wouldn’t be surprised if you see a Big 12 Championship come back around here pretty quick.”....read more from Sooners Illustrated

USA TODAY — in partnership with the National Sports Law Institute of Marquette University Law School and Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP — has attempted to compile compensation data for the head football coaches at all 120 schools.

At least some information was obtained on all but 10 schools, most of which are private....read more from USA Today

(by AP) AUSTIN, Texas - Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis has resigned and two other assistant coaches are leaving after the Longhorns' first losing season since 1997.

Davis, who has been with head coach Mack Brown for 13 seasons at Texas, had been under fire all season as Texas finished 5-7 and didn't qualify for a bowl. It was Brown's first losing season since 1989....read more from The Dallas Morning News......H/T @RedDirtKings

(by AP) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Don Meredith, one of the most recognizable figures of the early Dallas Cowboys and an original member of ABC's "Monday Night Football" broadcast team, died Sunday. He was 72.

Meredith's wife, Susan, told The Associated Press on Monday her husband died in Santa Fe after suffering a brain hemorrhage and lapsing into a coma. She says a private graveside ceremony is being planned and that family members were traveling to Santa Fe.

"He was the best there was," she said, describing him as kind, warm and funny. "We lost a good one."....read more from OKBlitz.com