Besides the nation's worst total defense, Roof also inherited a squad which had ranked 115th in pass defense, 114th in rushing defense and 109th in scoring defense in 2007. Roof's defense made strides throughout the season and finished ranked in the top-25 in both sacks and tackles for loss after being ranked 103rd and 116th the previous season. Roof's defense created 31 turnovers, second most in the Big Ten and 11th nationally. They were seventh in the nation causing fumbles (16), fueling the team's 16th ranking in turnover margin. Overall, the scoring defense improved to 61st, rushing defense to 69th, total defense to 79th and pass defense to 93rd. This quick turn-around on defense contributed to the Golden Gophers improving their record from 1–11 to 7–6 and garnering an appearance in the 2008 Insight Bowl. On January 6, 2009, Roof was hired as the defensive coordinator at Auburn University by first-year head coach Gene Chizik. Roof had just finished one season in a three-year contract at Minnesota reportedly worth $350,000 a year. His salary at Auburn was $370,000. While at Auburn, Roof coached in two bowl games, with wins in both the 2010 Outback Bowl and the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. On December 8, 2011, Roof accepted the defensive coordinator position at the University of Central Florida. The move came after Roof led Auburn's defense to one of the worst statistical seasons in the program's history. Auburn's defense finished the 2011 regular season 78th in the nation, allowing 405.8 yards per game. The previous yards-per-game high for an Auburn defense was 389.1 in 1979. Ted has played an important role in the success of our football program, helping Auburn win 29 games in three years, including a national championship last season. I'm very appreciative of the passion, energy and work ethic Ted brought to the program every day. I know that this will be a great opportunity for Ted to be reunited with his mentor in George O'Leary and we wish him and his family nothing but the best at UCF.--Gene Chizik, Auburn head coach, 2009-2012  On January 10, 2012, Roof was hired by new head coach Bill O'Brien as defensive coordinator at Penn State. Due to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, on July 24, 2012 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned Penn State with a four-year postseason ban, loss of 40 scholarships over a four-year period and allowed players to transfer without having to sit out a year.