Bowl Games 2010: Is It Joe Paterno, Rich Rodriguez, or Jim Tressel's Final Game?

As the Big Ten has begun to get into the bowl action, rumors have swept up in the past couple of weeks about the futures of several of the conference's coaches.

One coach, Penn State's Joe Paterno, has been rumored to be stepping down in each of the past few seasons because of declining health.

Another, Michigan's Rich Rodriguez, has struggled to win over the fanbase of the winningest program in Division I history with two terrible seasons followed by a mediocre 7-5 in 2010.

The third, OSU's Jim Tressel, never has had his future in doubt until the blogosphere cranked up a rumor about his resignation following the suspensions of Terrelle Pryor and four other players.

All three teams will play their bowl games once the calendar flips to 2011, but here is a look at the validity of each coach's immediate departure and how long they have left with their teams.

Joe Paterno

The winningest coach in football history, Joe Paterno stands at 85 years young and has single-handedly outlasted several hundred coaching regimes in his time at Happy Valley.

As he heads into his bowl matchup with the departing Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators, the question rose once again about his future.

Though his health is a concern, he has made it very, very clear that he will coach into 2011, and possibly until he can't physically do it anymore.

And admittedly, it's tough to imagine college football without Joe Paterno. After 45 seasons and 400-plus wins, his resume may be the greatest in American football history.

His time will eventually end, much like Brett Favre's consecutive starts streak and the UConn women's win streak have this season.

Will it end after 2011? Possibly, but that's really up to JoePa.

Based on the career he's having, it's a given that the only way he would ever give up his job would be if he was seriously hospitalized.

Validity of Departure Rumors: 10-15 percent

Possible Final Season as Coach: 2012

Jim Tressel

In a week where Ohio State football was shaken to the core, a blog called ChicagoNow posted a story claiming that Tressel and the OSU coaches told recruits that he would be leaving OSU after the Sugar Bowl against Arkansas.

Within 24 hours of the report, OSU AD Gene Smith responded on Twitter: "Merry Xmas everyone!! Go back to drinking your eggnog!! Rumors not true."

For any logical OSU fan, the idea that Tressel would jump ship after the suspensions that cost Pryor and four other seniors the first five games of the 2011 season seemed absurd in theory.

And the idea that the athletic department would not support a coach who is well known for being a great humanitarian and developer of character makes little sense.

So he is not going anywhere, and may very well have a street in Columbus named after him as they have done for the legendary Woody Hayes.

And thanks to Smith's clarification, we know that Tressel will stay in Columbus until he feels like leaving and handpicks his successor.

Validity of Departure Rumors: 0.5-1 percent

Possible Final Season as Coach: 2025

Rich Rodriguez

Since 2008, Rich Rodriguez has had to deal with enormous criticism for taking a legendary program such as Michigan and making them relatively irrelevant in the landscape of the Big Ten.

Despite putting Michigan back into a bowl game at 7-5 behind a powerful offense, AD Dave Brandon may still consider firing Rich Rod even if he is able to upset Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl.

Some of Michigan's fans have continued to aim their ire at Rodriguez through the means of viral video, citing how far the program has fallen since Lloyd Carr's departure in 2007.

The other major nail in his proverbial coffin is how his teams have played against Ohio State in his three years, losing all three games by an average of 25.3 points per game.

Brandon may be willing to give Rodriguez another year, especially considering the type of season that QB Denard Robinson had in his first year as a starter.

Robinson may improve dramatically next season and be a Heisman contender, but his team will need a better defense next season.

But whatever the case, the Gator Bowl should make or break Rodriguez's career.

Validity of Rumors: 65 percent

Possible Final Season as Coach: 2011

This article is featured on The BCS Blitz. Follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim and join me on January 4th here on Bleacher Report for a live blog of the 2011 Allstate Sugar Bowl beginning at 8:00 PM.