Calling Joe Paterno's practices media-friendly is like calling Carson Daly cool.

But yesterday, three of the biggest names in college football broadcasting -- Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso, the hosts of ESPN's popular pregame show College Gameday -- were given full access to one of the legendary coach's practices.

It was part of a five-segment production for SportsCenter, previewing five of the country's biggest football programs as they go through spring practice.

On Saturday, the gang was in Oklahoma. They then traveled to Notre Dame on Tuesday before coming to Happy Valley yesterday. Trips to Iowa and Ohio State round out the week.

Fowler, Herbstreit and Corso have become synonymous with college football. As the popularity of College Gameday grew, so did their fame. Now, among serious sports fans at least, the trio have become celebrities. As evidence of this, yesterday outside Beaver Stadium, the media interviewed the media.

The trio gave their two cents on a number of topics.

On Penn State in 2003: The skill players are strong and both lines will have to come together.

On the quarterback situation: Zack Mills is the man, but in the words of Corso: "Yo, that number 12 [Michael Robinson] is pretty good. He can play at a lot of places."

On Anwar Phillips: No comment.

On Gameday coming back to Penn State this season for the first time since 1999: They would all love to, but nothing is decided.

For ESPN, the decision to come to Penn State this spring, at least, was natural.

"I feel Penn State, along with Nebraska, is one of the two best places to watch football in America," Corso said. "The fans respect the game, they know and appreciate good football, that's what makes it special." Herbstreit concurred.

"The feel and the pageantry on game Saturdays make this special. The fans are rabid, they just love the team."

The middle-aged broadcaster Fowler, the old coach Corso and the young ex-Ohio State quarterback Herbstriet span the generations of college football. And, on their travels in the sport, each has stories about Paterno.

Corso talked about how he used to come here and coach in the early 1960s when even Paterno was an assistant.

Corso has gotten a bad rap in the past about maybe being biased against Penn State, but there is only reverence in his voice when he speaks about Paterno and his program.

"I'm tremendously impressed with Joe's passion. His intensity never wanes," Corso said. "It's the same now as when I coached against him in 1961. Bobby Bowden will have to coach until he's 110 if he wants to pass Joe."

Fowler first crossed paths with the Penn State program as a youngster when he briefly lived in State College in the '70s. His father, a professor at Penn State, counted Paterno as an acquaintance.

"I first met Joe when I lived here as a kid and he's been good to me ever since," Fowler said. "I try to keep a souvenir from every road trip and from this one it's a menu that coach Paterno used to diagram plays from 1944 Brooklyn during lunch. I might have it framed."

Herbstriet got to know Paterno through the recruiting process. As a prep star in Ohio, Paterno was among the many coaches that courted the quarterback. When it came down to it, Herbstreit picked the Buckeyes over Penn State and Michigan, but said he was "flattered" to have been the recipient of Penn State interest.

All four were together again for at least a few hours yesterday. The person hoping most that all four meet up again should be Paterno. That would most likely signal that his team is on the eve of a big game, at the center of the college football world.