Penn State held its annual Pro Day combine for NFL scouts on Wednesday.  For players like Sean Lee, Jared Odrick, and the other Nittany Lions invited to the recent NFL combine, it's a chance for them to solidify their test numbers in a more familiar, less intimidating environment.  For guys who weren't invited to Indianapolis, like Mickey Shuler, A.J. Wallace, and yes, Anthony Morelli, Pro Day gives them exposure to scouts from every NFL team.

Reports are beginning to filter in, from the Allentown Morning Call, and the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

More photos » Carolyn Kaster - AP

Tom Bradley: Will work for food and doesn't like to fly.

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There was a shockingly candid article that appeared in the Post Gazette yesterday. In the article, Penn State associate athletic director of finance Rick Kaluza muses about what life will be like after Joe Paterno and the financial struggles the University is sure to endure.

Penn State officials also worry what will happen to the school's fundraising and budget once Paterno is no longer leading the program. He has two years remaining on his contract.

"Some people walk up to Joe now and just hand him a check, but we have no idea what's going to happen once coach Paterno is gone," Kaluza said. "It's the great unknown. Everyone knows he is a real bargain."

Paterno earned more than $1.03 million in 2008 in salary and bonuses, according to records released by the university, but that did not include outside compensation.

"If we go outside to hire a coach, we know what Mack Brown of Texas makes [$5.1 million] and we know what Nick Saban [$4.7 million] of Alabama makes," Kaluza said. "So, is that where we'll need to be? Probably. And that figure doesn't even include the assistant coaches.

"If we stay inside and [defensive coordinator] Tom Bradley is the new coach, then we can probably keep things a little closer to where we are now."

Oh, the horror. We'll probably have to cut the volleyball programs. Maybe we can keep fencing going, but they will most likely have to eat McDonalds and stay in cockroach infested motels when they travel. Because the new coach will have to take the private jet more often.

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More photos » Carolyn Kaster - AP

I wantz helmut. I takez this one.

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Height/Weight: 6'1", 232 lbs

Projected 40 Time: 4.6-4.7 sec

2009 Penn State Stats:93 tackles (52 solo), 17-60 TFL, Sacks 3.0-15, 2 INT, 2 FR

Short Bio: Penn State fans got their first look at Navorro Bowman as a redshirt freshman on special teams in 2007. It was quickly evident that Bowman was a physical player with speed and tenacity in pursuing the ball and bringing down the ball carrier. In limited duty due to a stacked depth chart with upper classmen like Dan Connor and Sean Lee, Bowman managed 16 tackles to go with a sack and 2.5 TFL. His season was cut short by a few games after he was involved in an on campus altercation and suspended from the team for the rest of the 2007 season.

Bowman returned in 2008, and thanks to a depleted linebacker unit from Connor's graduation and Sean Lee's knee injury, Bowman got the chance to start in week four of the season and never looked back. Though many don't remember, Bowman had a significant role in Penn State's biggest win of the year against Ohio State. Everyone remembers Mark Rubin knocking the ball out of the hands of Terrelle Pryor on a 3rd and 1 quarterback sneak. But as the ball was bouncing around out of control with bodies flying everywhere, it was Bowman who jumped in the pile to cradle the ball giving Penn State the huge momentum swing that propelled them to victory. He went on that season to lead the team in tackles with 106, and recorded 17.5 TFL, 4.0 sacks, and 1 INT to go with it. His efforts earned him First Team All-Big Ten honors from the media and coaches. But the day before the Rose Bowl against USC, tragedy struck when Bowman's high school coach and long-time friend, Nick Lynch, died unexpectedly in an automobile accident. Coupled with the fact his father died a few months earlier it was a devastating blow to Navorro. With a heavy heart, Bowman played in the Rose Bowl, and though Penn State didn't win, he had a monster game with eight tackles and five TFL.

The 2009 season started off slow for Bowman as he faught off a nagging groin injury. After missing two of the first three games completely, it really wasn't until midway through the season when he was back to playing full speed. Still, he finished second on the team with 93 tackles to go with 4 sacks and 17 TFL. For the second year in the row Bowman was named to the All-Big Ten first team.

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More photos » Carolyn Kaster - AP

5 months ago: Eastern Illinois quarterback Jake Christensen (11) is sacked by Penn State Jared Odrick (91) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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The various SBNation NFL blogs like to hold an annual simulation of the NFL draft where they all make selections for their respective teams. To aid in their mockery of the draft, they have asked the SBNation college bloggers to offer some player profiles for guys they feel may be first or second round material. To that end, this is a profile on Penn State defensive tackle Jared Odrick.

Measurements: 6'5", 301 lbs

40 time: 5.0-5.2 sec

2009 Penn State Stats: 43 tackles (17 solo), TFL 11.0-72,  Sacks 7.0-61, 1 Fumble Recovered

Short Bio: It was immediately clear from his freshman year that Jared Odrick was going to be a special player at Penn State. Seeing immediate playing time as a true freshman, Odrick tallied 4 tackles and 1 sack. In 2007 Odrick was poised for a breakout year. But a dislocated ankle cut short his sophomore campaign after just eight games. Still, he managed to record 16 tackles and 2 sacks. Odrick truly came into his own as a junior starting all 13 games with 41 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 9.5 TFL in leading Penn State to a Big Ten Championship. In 2009 Odrick topped those numbers with 43 tackles, 7.0 sacks, and 11.0 TFL in helping Penn State rank No. 8 in the nation in rushing defense. His efforts won Odrick numerous All American honors, and the Big Ten coaches recognized him as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for 2009.

Strengths: Odrick has tremendous power and strength and a good motor to go with it. When he is on his game, he is unblockable. Several teams tried to contain him with double teams all year long with little or no effect. He loves to initiate contact and uses his hands well to fight off the blocker and gain leverage. There's a reason why Jared Odrick is listed as most experts as a first round draft pick. I won't say he's as good as Ndamukong Suh, but he's in that category.

Weaknesses: He may be a bit on the small side to play the middle in the league which leads many to believe he would be a perfect fit at defensive end in a 3-4 scheme, but he may lack the explosiveness to be an effective pass rusher off the edge. There were a few plays or a few games here and there where he looked like he didn't give everything he had. When he gets tired he tends to play a little too upright. But those moments were few and far between and I can't be certain there weren't outside factors like injuries or illness to blame.

My other issue with Odrick was his leadership, or I should say lack thereof. He is a very physically imposing presence, and when he speaks he commands the attention of his teammates, but those moments seemed to be few and far between. He wasn't named team captain, and I can't recall a single tale of Odrick rousing his teammates with a dramatic speach. Further adding to the character issues, Odrick was once cited in a late night altercation during the offseason where he threw a single punch. Most accounts agree Odrick was baited into throwing the punch, and he never suffered more than a slap on the wrist and a day or two on the scout team. It sounded like a case of college men with a little too much alcohol and testosterone on a Saturday night, and shouldn't be extrapolated to compare Odrick to Pac Man Jones or anything.

Who the bleep is Jim Caldwell?

Jim Caldwell was the guy on your TV Sunday night not showing any emotion.  The guy who looked like he forgot he was coaching one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play in the Super Bowl (probably no coincidence, as you'll be told later). 

He's the guy that was doing this despite once being pushed out of the frickin' Wake Forest job.  A guy who went 12-52 in league play at that school and called it "maybe one of the greatest experiences of my life."

He's a guy who "knows shadows."  He's just recently stepped out of those metaphoric shadows.  Although not really.

He is both liked and respected:

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But we already knew that, right? (via GoPSUSports)

There has been a TON of activity lately in the college football world, with breaking news happening on an almost daily occurrence. Rick Stockstill stunned the college football world by announcing he WOULD NOT be leaving Middle Tennessee State to become the next head coach at East Carolina. The previous day, huge news broke when it was announced that Houston coach Kevin Sumlin had agreed to a contract extension through 2015.

Wait, those aren't big stories? The bowl season is over, and the 2010 season is 226 days away? Oh, well then the following will have to satisfy you this week. Stay tuned next week for such potentially riveting headlines as "Skip Holtz has a Hangnail" or "Texas Tech Files 12(b)(6) Motion Against Mike Leach."

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Jay Paterno has been writing columns all over the internet (and maybe in print, but I wouldn't have noticed). They've been getting better, too.

The most recent one is even kind of newsworthy:

Broken Promises, Useless Contracts: The Current State of Coaching

Both cliché and totally accurate.

[I]n 1966 Joe Paterno shook hands with Penn State President Eric Walker and was told the pay was $20,000 a year.

There were no negotiations, no agents, no buyout clauses, and he was a tenured member of the faculty. Tenure was a bit of a safety net - and a reminder that the coach was part of an academic institution and not bigger than the institution.

This is no understatement. Football coach at a place like Penn State was no rock star gig. JoePoz gets to that on internet-page two. Paterno felt called to something that no egomaniac would have really thought much of back then.

The past few days have seen seismic movements in the world of college football coaching where vacancies have occurred at two of the more notable programs in the country.

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