But in Penn State circles, I suspect there will always be a cloud above Bill O'Brien's good legacy -- a perpetual "yeah, but..." -- and to me, there's a tragedy in that. And you know what? As Bill O'Brien looks out the window of the Texans private jet about to touch down at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, he probably doesn't care.

But unlike his 2013 recruiting class counterpart Adam Breneman -- whose Tweet last night sounded like a commitment -- Hackenberg's father told Audrey Snyder of the Patriot News that he's in wait-and-see mode.

According to a source close to the process, Penn State expects the search to last "a couple of weeks" rather than the drawn out process to hire O'Brien. The source also acknowledged the upcoming Signing Day on February 5 was a date of "importance" but would not comment on any set date for the search to end.

But one section of the Penn State community remained in lock-step solidarity. Nearly all of Bill O'Brien's current and former players who were compelled to speak publicly had nothing but admiration and glowing words for their outgoing coach.