Our all-time Big Ten coaches tournament has reached its conclusion, and a champion has been crowned.
The No. 4 seed in our 12-coach field, Penn State's Joe Paterno, emerged victorious in the title match against No. 3 seed Nebraska's Tom Osborne. With more than 31,000 votes cast, Paterno won with 63 percent of the vote.
I was surprised that Paterno won this tournament, considering the way his tenure ended and considering the normal power of the Huskers fan base in these voting situations. Some of you noted some potential irregularities in our voting, as Paterno received vast support from international voters the past couple rounds (more than half the votes in the title game came from outside the U.S., according to SportsNation, and Paterno won 87 percent of those votes). Are there that many people around the world who are JoePa fans, or is there some funny business going on? We have no real way of checking that, and I'm not sure why anyone would go to the trouble of cheating to win a contest like this.
Regardless, Paterno is our champion. Congratulations to Penn State fans. Here are some of your comments on the title game matchup:
Tony M. from Harrisburg, Pa.: I think Joe Paterno is the top coach of all time. His 409 wins will not be passed or topped in Division I, nor can the NCAA take away something that already happened. He won every major bowl, two national championships and should have won a third when his team won the Rose Bowl, beating Oregon, and going undefeated the same year Nebraska won the national championship. Penn State finished No. 2 that year despite being the top scoring team in college football with 47 points a game. Joe Paterno also gave back to Penn State millions in donations and helped build a library. ... No single coach has ever had as long a tenure at a major university and contributed more to its success. He was Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1986 and is in the College Football Hall of Fame after 61 years at the same school.
Jim from Navarre, Fla.: As a native Nebraskan and lifelong Husker, I had to vote for Tom. He was and is the epitome of what college athletics should be about. However, in all fairness, if I was not a Husker I would have voted for JoePa, because despite the scandal at PSU and even though I'm still famous for throwing the rocker recliner across the living room in 1982, he was the greatest B1G coach in history.
Foster from Providence, R.I.: Joe wins out because that's what he did in the majority of big games. His bowl record is second to none and I think that's what it comes down to. Penn State's victories over Hershel Walker-led Georgia and Vinny Testaverde-led Miami are great examples of Joe's ability to coach big games and win. If only the BCS had been around in 1994, Penn State would have had a shot at Nebraska and the answer would be more obvious... assuming Penn State would have won, which everyone in Happy Valley certainly believed would have been the case.
Phil T. from Hackettstown, N.J.: Not acknowledging Paterno as the all-time winningest coach is like not acknowledging Pete Rose as Hall of Fame worthy -- you can't erase history.
Rob from Ontario: Whenever it's Tom Osborne vs Joe Paterno, I will always think of the 1994 championship game that was never played. To me this is similar to the recent Super Bowl - offensive juggernaut (Denver/Penn State) vs. defense (Seattle/Nebraska). Well, we know what happened in the Super Bowl. I think Nebraska wins that game and I voted for Tom Osborne.
Vance B from Lincoln: Dr. Tom was two plays away from five national titles, and he was the offensive coordinator for back-to-back national titles for Nebraska in 1970 and 1971. ... That's not only a lot of wins, but a lot of national championships. ... So, granted JoPa was the "face" at PSU for a very long time, which is why he's in the lead and he will probably win, but when it comes down to winning it all and/or playing for it all, which is what this game is all about, there's no other coach in the history of Big 8, Big Ten, Big 12 football like Dr. Tom, and there's a reason why he's called the Doctor. Since 1970, only Alabama can beat Nebraska for the crown of "title town."
Musky from Hamilton, Ontario: It's hard not to vote for TO. Team was very clean in the 20 years he ran the show. Win-lost record is outstanding. Then there is this big cloud hanging over Joe. I could not vote for him because of it.
William from N. Little Rock, Ark.: Growing up in Husker Nation, I looked forward to every fall Saturday. Tom Osborne made it even more special. No matter what team he put out there, you knew you were going to have a good team to a great team. When I moved out of Nebraska, I still had my Saturdays to look forward to. Winning three national titles in four years was the greatest feeling, and only Tom could take us there. I was greatly inspired when he ran out with the team and Bo Pelini for the last time. Heck, wouldn't be shocked if he could still coach and win.
Joel from Panama City Beach, Fla.: What's funny is that the two finalists for the Big Ten coaching title are from the last two teams to join the Big Ten... two outsiders defeated the best coaches with the best Big Ten legitimacy... Osborne never coached in the Big Ten and I love you, Joe, but in his years in the Big Ten were not even his best years. Woody Hayes should have won it. Where are all the true Big Ten fans?