By Steven Lassan (@AthlonSteven on Twitter)

When the 2012 season kicks off, 27 teams will have a new coach roaming the sidelines. Athlon examines each hire and grades the moves by each school. Grading new hires is never an exact science, but one can get a good snapshot of a coach by looking at his resume and previous experience. 

By Patrick Snow (@AthlonSnowman)

The coaching carousel in college football has been as crazy as ever this offseason.

By Steven Lassan (@AthlonSteven on Twitter)

Ohio State is coming off its worst season since 1999, finishing with a 6-6 record and not earning at least a share of the conference title for the first time since 2004. While the 2011 season had plenty of drama and a disappointing record, the Buckeyes won’t be down for long.

Just how soon can Ohio State fans start to think about a trip to the Big Ten title game? Try 2012.

-by Braden Gall (follow him on twitter @AthlonBraden)

Urban Meyer is a proven commodity on the sidelines. His immaculate coaching record speaks for itself.

The search for the next Penn State head coach took an interesting turn over the weekend with the news that current Miami coach and former PSU player Al Golden signed a new four-year contract extension that stretches to February 2020.

Multiple reports surfaced last week that former Florida coach Urban Meyer had agreed in principle to take over at Ohio State after the regular season concludes. The current college football commentator, who left the Gators last year after citing health and family reasons, has denied the reports and said that he and the Buckeyes’ administration have not talked.

The current situation at Penn State is truly sad and tragic. We were all shocked by the revelations in the grand jury report involving long-time PSU assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and his 40-count sexual-abuse case. The fallout from this horrific criminal indictment has affected the entire university.

Florida has been very difficult to beat at the Swamp over the last 20 years. However, the Gators lost three home games last season on their way to an 8-5 record. Urban Meyer quit after the tumultuous season, and now Gainesville native Will Muschamp has UF sitting at 4-0 with Alabama rolling into town.