"I think a bowl game, first and foremost, is really a reward to the players, and especially the seniors. So with that in mind, I'm hoping that we can qualify for it and go play in a bowl. I'm not real sure which one that would be, but I'm studying up on that and I'll be with the Big Ten next week and study it a little bit more. Any time you can extend the season, I don't care what the circumstances are, I think it's good for the players. ...

"(Getting to a bowl) was the norm for years and years. Certainly my plan is to get back to that point that we are in bowl games every year, and that we start moving up the chain and hopefully get to those big ones at the top, because in my opinion, that's our rightful place."

On not firing coaches midseason:

"It's been my feeling all throughout my career that unless there's a behavioral issue, firing a coach in the middle of the season really doesn't accomplish that much. And it really causes some poor feelings and anxieties with the players. At the end of the day, this is really about the student-athletes, and we obviously want to make our fans happy, but to keep a focus and not have distractions in regards to terminating a coach in midseason is important for the current players."

On what he looks for in a football coach: