Posted by Jerry Hinnen

Urban Meyer has made national waves with his success in recruiting players for the class of 2012, but he's also been busy recruiting coaches for his 2012 football staff. So how well will he do at the former job now that he's finished with the latter?

Ohio State announced its ninth and final assistant coaching hire for Meyer's staff Monday, naming 31-year coaching veteran Bill Sheridan a defensive assistant. Sheridan arrives from the Miami Dolphins, where he coached linebackers the past two seasons. His positional assignment with the Buckeyes, however, is yet to be determined.

“Bill Sheridan is a perfect fit for our program,” Meyer said in a statement issued by Ohio State. “His experiences in the NFL are huge. He has Midwest roots and, most importantly, he wants to be an Ohio State Buckeye. I am really impressed with him and I think he is going to be a terrific addition to our defensive staff as a coach, teacher and as a recruiter.”

Sheridan is perhaps best known for his single season as a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants in 2009, a year that (unfortunately) marked the end of a five-year tenure with the team. Before that, Sheridan spent time with several Midwestern powers including Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame.

“I have a refreshed perspective coming back from the NFL and getting into college coaching again,” Sheridan said in the statement. “I am really interested to study the offenses people are running in the Big Ten. The running quarterbacks are distinctly different than what you see in the NFL. It is stimulating if you enjoy the schematic part of the game, and I do.”

Sheridan becomes the ninth and final assistant coach for Meyer's first staff. Working under him on the offensive of the ball will be offensive coordinator Tom Herman, offensive line coach Ed Warinner, running backs coach Stan Drayton, receivers coach Zach Smith, and tight ends/fullbacks coach Tim Hinton; defensively, the Buckeyes will be coached by defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Luke Fickell, co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers, defensive line coach Mike Vrabel, and Sheridan.

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Posted by Adam Jacobi

On January 2, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly (seen at right) announced a litany of job status updates in his coaching staff, including a promotion for cornerbacks coach Kerry Cooks to co-defensive coordinator alongside Bob Diaco, who has also assumed the role of assistant head coach for the Fighting Irish. Chuck Martin was also moved from safeties coach to offensive coordinator. With that, then, Diaco now has three responsibilities and Cooks has two, and there's a hole at safeties coach, so the Notre Dame staff would appear ready for some help with position coaching. Now, Notre Dame has found just the man for the job.

Tom Dienhart reported on Tuesday night that Bobby Elliott, the secondary coach at Iowa State, would be taking an assistant role at Notre Dame, and CBSSports.com can confirm that report, per a source close to the situation. Iowa State defensive back Deon Broomfield also tweeted that Elliott informed the team that he would be leaving. Elliott's role with Notre Dame is likely to be involved with the safeties, as the secondary has been the main focus of his positional work over the course of his career, but the exact job title and responsibilities that he will accept with Notre Dame have yet to be confirmed.

There shouldn't be much time spent acclimating Elliott with Cooks and Diaco, Elliott's superiors on the defensive staff; he coached them both at Iowa during his 12 years as a defensive assistant under Hayden Fry. Diaco was an All-Big Ten linebacker with the Hawkeyes and graduated in 1995, while Cooks was a standout strong safety through the '99 season.

Elliott, 58, had actually been a strong candidate to assume the Iowa head coaching position from Hayden Fry as Fry's career wound down in the late '90s; he was young, experienced, and had extensive ties to the program (all factors that eventually led to Kirk Ferentz's hiring). A life-threatening blood disorder was discovered late in the 1998 season and forced Elliott out of coaching, however, and he didn't come back to the sidelines until a two-year stint with Dan McCarney and Iowa State in 2000-01.

From there, Elliott was the defensive coordinator for Kansas State for four years, then he was DC in Chuck Long's hapless regime at San Diego State for three years after that. Elliott rejoined ISU in 2010 after another year outside the coaching ranks, and his secondary was best known this season for neutralizing the Oklahoma State passing attack in the thrilling 30-24 overtime victory at Jack Trice Stadium that ended the Cowboys' national championship dreams.

Elliott is the second Iowa State assistant coach to leave during the offseason; former offensive coordinator Tom Herman joined the Ohio State staff as the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach following the Pinstripe Bowl.

Notre Dame is expected to announce Elliott's hiring by the end of the week.

For more Fighting Irish updates, subscribe to the CBSSports.com Notre Dame RapidReports by Mark Bradford.

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Posted by Chip Patterson

RUTGERS WON. The Scarlet Knights jumped out to a 17-6 halftime lead thanks to some stellar running from Jawan Jamison, and the defense held off a late charge by Iowa State for a 27-13 win in the Pinstripe Bowl.

HOW RUTGERS WON: It didn't matter whether Chas Dodd or Gary Nova was under center for Rutgers, as long as they were handing the ball off to Jawan Jamison. The sophomore running back was a star for the Scarlet Knights on Friday, rushing 27 times for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Iowa State also featured a performance from their backup quarterback, but Steele Jantz' appearance on the Yankee Stadium field more out of necessity. Starting quarterback Jared Barnett sacked by Khaseem Greene early in the second quarter, coughed up the ball and was apparently rattled from the hit. Jantz struggled early but was able to mount a couple of impressive drives into Rutgers' territory to keep things interesting late in the game.

WHEN RUTGERS WON: After Jantz led a scoring drive to cut the Rutgers lead to 20-13, the Scarlet Knights delivered the ultimate answer with a 86 yard touchdown pass from Chas Dodd to Brandon Coleman. Dodd simply tossed the ball deep and high for the 6-foot-6 wide receiver, who used his 11-inch height advantage to pull down the ball over the defender and carry it to the end zone. Much of the emotion and momentum on the Iowa State sideline was erased, as the Cyclones then faced a two-touchdown deficit with less than ten minutes to play.

WHAT RUTGERS WON: Redemption. Finishing the 2010 season with six straight losses led to some serious discontent within the Rutgers community. Head coach Greg Schiano spoke before the season about bringing the toughness back to Rutgers football. Getting things done on the ground, and winning games with defense were the hopes for his 2011 team, and that's exactly how they won the Pinstripe Bowl on Friday.

WHAT IOWA STATE LOST: An opportunity to finish an already successful season with a win. The Cyclones have had a much better season than their 6-7 record indicates, and not just because they knocked off Oklahoma State in arguably the biggest upset of the season. Paul Rhoads has plenty of these pieces coming back next season, but replacing offensive coordinator Tom Herman will be his first and most important offensive challenge. Jared Barnett can have a bright future with the Cyclones, and this overachieving squad will be back for more in 2012.

THAT WAS CRAZY: Anytime you have football in Yankee Stadium it's an odd experience to observe. The fans were right on top of the end zone in some areas, but empty stands behind midfield stood out in the awkwardly attended stadium.

FINAL GRADE: C+. Iowa State fans will walk away with that empty feeling, because of Jared Barnett's injury. Steele Jantz was able to channel some of his early-season success late in the fourth quarter to keep it interesting, but it still doesn't compare to the threat the offense presents with Barnett under center.

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Posted by Chip Patterson

A look at the key matchup that could decide the Pinstripe Bowl

Jawan Jamison, RB, Rutgers vs. Jake Knott and A.J. Klein, LB, Iowa State

Rutgers had one of the worst rushing offenses in the nation this season, finishing with an average of 91.5 yards per game. That mark put them at No. 115 among FBS schools, and has become is an immediate concern with head coach Greg Schiano indecisive about his starting quarterback for the bowl game. However, the dreadful statistics from the season do mask one glimmer of hope for the Scarlet Knights' rushing attack: sophomore Jawan Jamison.

Jamison ran for 90+ yards four different times this season, including a 200 yard, two touchdown performance in a 20-3 win against Cincinnati. It wasn't always consistent, but when Jamison got going good things happened for the Scarlet Knights. Schiano would prefer the run to set up the pass with his shaky quarterback situation, and the best chance he has is with Jamison.

The responsibility to keep Jamison in check will fall on Iowa State linebackers Jake Knott and A.J. Klein. The pair combined for 208 tackles this season, tied for the most of any other defensive duo in the Big 12. They will need to stuff the run early to force either Gary Nova or Chas Dodd into third and long situations. Then you can hope the turnover prone Scarlet Knights will slip up, giving Iowa State a chance to capitalize on the opportunity. But if Jamison can establish the run, he will give better coverage opportunities to All-Big East wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.

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Posted by Chip Patterson

RUTGERS WILL WIN IF: They can limit turnovers and establish the run early. The Scarlet Knights have been their own worst enemy at times this season, turning the ball over more times (28) than any team in the Big East. The impact on the game's result has been clear, with Rutgers averaging 3.25 turnovers per game in their four losses while the average in their eight wins was 1.875. Head coach Greg Schiano has stressed a desire to let the run setup the pass in this matchup, and that will require a strong showing from sophomore running back Jawan Jamison. Jamison has been up and down during the regular season, and the Pinstripe Bowl will be his first healthy opportunity to follow up on his 200 yard, two touchdown effort in a win over Cincinnati on Nov. 19. Jamison suffered an ankle injury early in the regular season finale against Connecticut, and the offense sputtered down the stretch in a 40-22 loss.

IOWA STATE WILL WIN IF: They can get a big performance from Jared Barnett. The freshman quarterback took over the starting job midway through the season, finishing with a 3-2 record as a starter. Barnett was a huge part of Iowa State's upset of Oklahoma State, throwing for 376 yards and adding 84 rushing yards in the overtime win. The rookie sensation was not given an easy task for an encore, having to finish the season on the road against Oklahoma and Kansas State. But with extra time to prepare, expect the Cyclones to utilize Barnett along with running backs James White (701 yards, eight touchdowns) and Jeff Woody (360 yards, five touchdowns) in a spread zone read attack. If Iowa State can spread that disciplined Rutgers defense and create some gaps, Barnett, White, and Woody should have opportunities to create big plays for the Cyclones.

X-FACTOR: Iowa State's offensive preparation. Head coach Paul Rhodes holds no ill-will towards offensive coordinator Tom Herman, who has accepted the same position on Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State. But before making the final move to Columbus, Herman has pledged his dedication to preparation and execution of a game plan for the Pinstripe Bowl. Herman's creativity and talent as a play-caller has been obvious in Iowa State's surprising success during the 2011 season, and freshman quarterback Jared Barnett will need as much guidance as he can get heading into his first career bowl start. It's only natural to wonder if Tom Herman's focus over the holiday season has been split between the two positions, and question if that will have an effect in Iowa State's preparation for Rutgers.

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Posted by Adam Jacobi

Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State is starting to take shape. On Thursday afternoon, FootballScoop.com reported that Meyer hired Iowa State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tom Herman. Sources close to the situation have since confirmed that report to CBSSports.com. Herman is expected to be named the quarterbacks coach at Ohio State.

Herman is the first outside coach to be hired to Meyer's staff. Meyer announced at his introductory press conference that Luke Fickell -- currently the interim coach through the Gator Bowl, when the Buckeyes meet Florida -- would be retained at Ohio State in an as yet undetermined role. Also, first-year receivers coach Stan Drayton has been retained, though he may switch to coaching running backs. Taver Johnson, OSU's fifth-year cornerbacks coach, will also be retained. Linebackers coach Mike Vrabel's future with the Ohio State program is still under consideration by Meyer.

As for Meyer's new quarterbacks coach, Herman is relatively young (36 years old); he graduated cum laude from California Lutheran in 1997 and has been an assistant coach ever since. He has been Iowa State's offensive coordinator for three years, as he was brought in with Paul Rhoads before the 2009 season. Under Herman, the Iowa State offense has scored 20.5, 23.7, and 23.6 points per game in those three years. Previously, Herman was the offensive coordinator at Rice for two years, and he spent time as an assistant at two other schools in Texas for the six season prior to that. Herman also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Texas after graduating from college.

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