John Gagliardi looks at what’s happening to Joe Paterno this season at Penn State and what happened to Bobby Bowden at Florida State last year from the distance — not to mention the perspective — of another college football universe.

Theirs might be worlds apart from the one Gagliardi has occupied for the past 51 seasons at tiny St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., but there is at least one common theme: Even a legend has to win enough games to satisfy the alumni, fans and the media.

“They’re all saying the same things — no imagination or the game’s passed them by,” Gagliardi, 77, said about Penn State fans who want the 76-year-old Paterno to retire.

The question of whether Paterno or Bowden, 74, are too old to be coaching is simply an excuse for not winning. Gagliardi points to the four Division I-A coaches who were fired in midseason this year, most recently Mike Kruczek at Central Florida.

“It wasn’t a matter of age for them,” said Gagliardi. “How did Paterno and Bowden avoid that for so long? I guess they won. It (age) is an issue everywhere, and it’s the wrong issue.”

The only thing Gagliardi passed by this season is a legendary name in the record book. Last week, Gagliardi overtook former Grambling coach Eddie Robinson as the sport’s all-time leader with 409 career victories.

Age might become an issue for Gagliardi, but not yet. With a 9-0 record, St. John’s should be in the hunt for Gagliardi’s fourth national championship and first since 1976.