By: Andrew Harry

Bielema: "A rebirth of Wisconsin football"

There will be no shortage of fresh faces for the 2012 UW football team. The team added five new coaches in the offseason, with a sixth tight ends coach yet to be signed, and 12 scholarship recruits. Head coach Bret Bielema and his staff face many obstacles in attempting to win a third straight Big Ten title.

"It's a fun time to be here, I think it's a rebirth of Wisconsin football," Bielema said. "We may have a few tweaks and a few alterations, but what we've known to have success here is not going to change."

According to Bielema, his time on the road interviewing coaches allowed him to gain many insights into different coaching philosophies that perhaps will portend a few different looks next season.

"It was fun because I got to meet so many great coaches," Bielema said. "I got to interview 15 other great coaches [and] learn from them. I always believe that you can be in the information gathering rather than the information giving."

Losing one of the top play callers in the country in Paul Chryst certainly hurts, but new offensive coordinator Matt Canada and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni (both coming from mainly spread scheme backgrounds at Northern Illinois and Western Kentucky, respectively) should provide fresh ideas for the offensive playbook. However, Bielema assured that the Badgers will stick with the offensive philosophy that has taken them to consecutive Rose Bowls--the power running game.

"I think one of our guys that we were recruiting at the o-line position was told by an o-line coach from [Pittsburgh] that we were running the spread, which I know is not going to happen here," Bielema said.

Undoubtedly, losing four coaches to Pittsburgh has created tension on the recruiting trail along the northeastern part of the country, where the Badgers have signed 17 players since the 2006 season.

"The Pitt deal [is] obviously a little different deal," Bielema said. "They went in on some of our guys so that doesn't sit over well. It was interesting; everybody is still invited to my wedding, so it could be one hell of a party."

Count me in for the reception coach, sounds like a good time.

With five coaching departures this year, and eight in the last two years, many Badgers fans have feared something intrinsic about Bielema had caused the coaching changes. Yet many of the moves made were not lateral, and the coaches that left either improved their position or improved their salary.

"I'm not firing [the coaches]," Bielema said, "I'm just getting out-hired, some other people have a lot of cash and a lot of promises out there."

Additionally, Bielema spoke about how he left Iowa--there were hugs and tears, but the next week he was being blamed for doing something in recruiting. However, it seems that there was no antagonism between the coaches at UW.

"Paul Chryst wrote me a letter; I'm glad I was by myself because I cried like a baby," Bielema said.

Clearly, a lack of coaching continuity pervades college football, and there is some give and take. For instance, newly appointed offensive coordinator Matt Canada comes from Northern Illinois; where former UW defensive coordinator Dave Doeren left to become head coach last season. Despite the fact that many coaches left for other schools, Bielema has been able to once again secure a tremendous group of coaches capable of maintaining or even exceeding the Badgers high level of excellence.

"It's been one of the more enjoyable times of my life," Bielema said.

Badgers sign small, talented class

The 2012 Badger recruiting class didn't turn many heads nationally. But do they ever? The Badgers have a proven method for molding hard-working Wisconsin kids into perennial starters and All-Big Ten selections. Despite recent recruiting classes being ranked 41st, 26th, unranked, 33rd, and 38th by Scout.com, the Badgers have achieved consecutive Rose Bowls, consecutive Big Ten titles, and are one of six teams to win ten games in the last three seasons.

Since Bielema's first season as head coach in 2006, the Badgers have amassed 60 wins--averaging ten wins per season. The Badgers also boast three Big Ten Freshman of the Year award winners: P.J. Hill (2006), Chris Borland (2009), and James White (2010). Between 2007 and 2009 the Badgers signed 62 players; 34 of those players became starters, and 18 of them were All-Big Ten selections.

You can view an in-depth chronology of Bielema's recruiting since 2006 here: http://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=313753

Bielema's recruiting classes, though not highly touted, have certainly produced quality players. Badgers fans can be rest assured that although this class lacks elite five-star prospects, Bielema and his newly aligned staff will work tirelessly to develop these players into outstanding people on and off the football field.

In this recruiting class, consisting of 12 scholarship players and preferred seven walk-ons, the Badgers expanded their traditional recruiting grounds. UW landed two recruits from the West coast: quarterback Bart Houston and offensive lineman Walker Williams.

Additionally, the Badgers reached towards the East coast in safety D.J. Singelton, defensive back Reggie Mitchell, and defensive lineman Arthur Goldberg.

Bielema also landed recruits from the home state, garnering three Wisconsin signees including decorated linebacker Vince Biegel and running back Vonte Jackson. The Badgers also remained a presence in Florida--a recent pipeline state--where the Badgers signed cornerback Hugs Etienne and wide receiver Reggie Love.

Bielema thought that it was a quality class for the Badgers, signing positions of need on the offensive line, in the backfield, and at quarterback.

"We knew it was going to be a small class in number," Bielema said. "We really wanted to concentrate on the offensive line, obviously we want to sign a quarterback and running back in every group."

The Badgers get a talented backfield tandem with Bart Houston and Vonte Jackson. Houston, an ESPN elite 11 quarterback, heralds from De La Salle high school where he won three state championships and only lost one game. Jackson, a backfield teammate with Melvin Gordon at Kenosha Bradford, is the 22nd ranked running back in the country according to ESPN.

The Badgers also signed four offensive linemen including a last minute acquisition in Jake Meador. Meador originally committed to the University of Mississippi, but reconsidered his decision after the coaching transition at the school. New UW offensive line coach Mike Markuson, formerly at Ole Miss, was key in recruiting Meador.

Meador was initially leaning towards Florida, but Bielema opined that Meador's visit to Madison convinced him to come to UW.

"It's a true credit to our kids," Bielema said. "He visited this past weekend, really on Saturday through the day you saw him really open up. It shows the impact that Madison and the kids have during the recruiting process."

Bielema not only recruited high school football players during the past couple weeks, he also had to convince Markuson, who fielded NFL offers.

"The next day [after getting hired] he had an NFL job opportunity, and I went into high recruiting mode on that one, and he came the very next day which was very important," Bielema said.

Bielema also had to fend off schools offering scholarships to his preferred walk-ons, a program that Bielema is very proud of and a program that has produced notable players such as Bradie Ewing, Ricky Wagner, Jared Abbrederis, Jim Leonhard, and Luke Swan.

"Midwestern Athletic Conference schools [and] other schools from across the country started going after our preferred walk-ons. Jack Russell (kicker from Waunakee, WI) turned down a full scholarship to go to Pittsburgh," Bielema said.

"I think these guys are going to be 2-3 years from now, guys that we're talking about."

In terms of players able to contribute early, Bielema sees a number of players who might see time. Bielema noted that the early enrollees, Dan Voltz, Vonte Jackson, and Hugs Etienne will have a distinct advantage come fall.

"I think Dan Voltz physically is very gifted, a guy just by pure numbers [who] is going to have a shot in the spring," Bielema said. "He reminds me a lot of when we brought Travis Frederick in. Dan was a big one for us; he's very mature and very precise in what he wants to do. Vonte is a very, very gifted young man that can move and Hugs is a guy that needs the development work and all that goes through it."

"It's going to be a fun class to watch, we'll let them get in here and see."

The relatively small size of the class allowed Bielema and his staff to focus on maintaining the players who had committed to UW, even after all of the turmoil from coaches departing.

"It was a blessing in disguise that it was a small class," Bielema said. "If it would have been another ten players that we had to keep track of, it wouldn't have been good."

These past couple months have been nothing but madness for Bielema, but it'll be worth it when the Badgers walk under the Camp Randall arch on a crisp fall day amongst masses of red leaves and fans, between two glistening lakes. After all, it's the space between that matters, whether it's the offseason of hard work or the isthmus we live on. The season opener against Northern Iowa is only 212 days away.

With one week remaining before the bowl season begins, the Heisman picture is murky as ever. A slew of signal-callers with similar statistics headline the top of the list, as no one player has been able to create distinguishable separation. Behind a six touchdown performance in a blowout victory over Pac 12 rival UCLA, Southern Cal's Matt Barkley has taken over this week's top spot, though Houston's Case Keenum and Baylor's Robert Griffin III are certainly not far behind. Stanford's Andrew Luck drops off the list for the first time, despite being favored to win the award since last season concluded. While he is enjoying another great year, the Cardinal have not played an overly-difficult schedule and Luck's statistics are simply inferior to those of Barkley, Griffin, and especially Keenum. With that, the week fourteen Heisman update.

Matt Barkley, QB, USC

The Trojans' star signal-caller tied a season-high with six passing touchdowns in a 50-0 drubbing of UCLA. Barkley completed 35 of 42 passes for 423 yards and is certainly making a case as the Pac 12's top quarterback. The junior boasts five games with at least four passing touchdowns and his 39 total are good for second in the nation. He ranks in the top ten in passing yards (3,528) and has thrown only seven interceptions in leading the Trojans to a 10-2 record.

Case Keenum, QB, Houston 

Keenum once again led the nation's top scoring offense to a blowout victory over Tulsa Saturday, throwing for 457 and five scores. Despite sitting the final period in several games this season, the senior has recorded at least 300 passing yards in every contest. His 4,726 yards and 43 touchdowns are both tops in the country, while he ranks second in completion percentage and has thrown a ridiculous three interceptions. Keenum leads #6 Houston against #24 Southern Mississippi in this weekend's Conference USA championship game. A victory for the Cougars will likely yield an at-large BCS bid and a chance for their star quarterback to finally face a nationally-respected defense.

Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin 

While many seem to be pouring over Trent Richardson's excellent season down in Tuscaloosa, the statistics suggest Wisconsin's Montee Ball is having the superior season. With fewer carries than the Alabama star, he ranks second in the nation in yards (1,622) and first in touchdowns (29 - Big Ten record). Ball's 34 total touchdowns are already the second-most in NCAA history, and with two games likely remaining, he has a shot at breaking Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders' record of 39 (set in 11 games). Ball and quarterback Russell Wilson will lead the high-scoring Badgers into Indianapolis Saturday night for a rematch with Michigan State, by whom they were defeated on a last-second hail mary back in October.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Richardson has been a fixture in the Heisman debate all season, but perhaps his best performance came this past weekend in the Iron Bowl. The junior rushed for a career-high 203 yards on 27 carries in the 42-14 victory. He ranks in the top five in the country in both rushing yards and touchdowns and is highly regarded as the nation's top NFL running back prospect, should he opt to declare. Richardson will not have another chance to boost his resume before the trophy presentation, as Alabama is idle this weekend while they await their bowl fate, with a bid to the BCS National Championship likely.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

RGIII has led seventeenth-ranked Baylor to one of its best seasons in school history as its lightning-quick dual threat quarterback. The junior has racked up over 3,600 passing yards to go with over 600 on the ground. His remarkable efficiency (34 TDs, just five picks) has vaulted Baylor onto the national radar and established Griffin III as a legitimate NFL prospect. Despite leaving this past weekend's game versus Texas Tech in the second quarter with an apparent concussion, Griffin III managed to record three scores for the eventually-victorious Bears. He is expected to be ready for Saturday's showdown with 22nd-ranked Texas, a game with huge bowl ramifications for both squads.

On the Outside Looking In

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Week 13 of the college football season was filled with many intriguing match ups, with births in conference championship games and bowls on the line. On Friday night, in one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, Arkansas travelled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to face top ranked LSU in a crucial SEC contest. Saturday afternoon, Alabama visited Auburn a year removed from blowing a 24-0 lead in Tuscaloosa to their archrivals. Wisconsin also hosted Penn State with a birth in the Big Ten Championship game at stake.

Arkansas came out on fire, taking a seemingly commanding 14-0 lead over LSU with just under six minutes left in the first half of their match up. However, following a breathtaking 92-yard punt return touchdown by star cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, LSU was not to be denied as they rolled to a 41-17 victory, all but securing their spot in the BCS National Championship in January.

After losing an overtime heartbreaker to LSU 9-6 earlier in November, Alabama's national title hopes took a huge hit. Fortunately for the Crimson Tide, they were able to recover and a number of top ranked teams ahead of them blew their opportunities to play for the national title.

Last year, top-ranked Auburn travelled into Tuscaloosa with eventual Heisman winning quarterback Cam Newton leading the way. After storming out to an incredible 24-0 lead, Alabama's defense collapsed after the break and Auburn was able to pull off the stunning comeback holding on in the 4th quarter 28-27.

This year's match up was a completely different story. Auburn looked to be completely out of place in this contest as Alabama dominated from the get go, winning 42-14 at Jordan-Hare Stadium behind 203 rushing yards from Heisman favorite Trent Richardson.

With a birth in the inaugural Big Ten Championship against Michigan State on the line, Penn State - in the midst of a high profile scandal - travelled to Madison to face off against Wisconsin. Behind a raucous crowd at Camp Randall, Wisconsin was able to overcome an early 7-0 deficit to defeat Penn State 45-7. Heisman candidate Montee Ball rushed for 156 yards and four scores as he rose his season total to 34 touchdowns, second all time in NCAA history.

My Top 5:

1) LSU (12-0)

2) Alabama (11-1)

3) Oklahoma State (10-1)

4) Stanford (11-1)

5) Virginia Tech (11-1)

Biggest Surprise: My biggest surprise of the week probably isn't much a surprise, but after there was much discussion by many analysts this past week about Penn State's defense, it was rather shocking seeing how Wisconsin was able to dominate in all phases of the game on their way to a commanding 45-7 victory.

Biggest Disappointment: After shocking the nation in the manner in which he led Baylor to a victory against Oklahoma, Heisman hopeful Robert Griffin III was well on his way to bringing the trophy to Baylor. Unfortunately RGIII took a hit to the head, and was held out of the game in the second half with a concussion, his Heisman hopes taking a hit as well in the process.

Offensive Player of the Week: Many in the SEC will probably disagree, but Montee Ball is this week's player of the week on offense. Ball rushed for 156 yards and four touchdowns against Penn State on the way to what seems like an appearance in New York City with a Heisman Trophy on the line.

Defensive Player of the Week: Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, a sure fire first round draft pick if he decides to enter the NFL Draft, ran an interception back for a score and also recorded nine tackles, bringing his season total to a whopping 191.

Play of the Week: Tyrann Mathieu's 92-yard punt return completely changed momentum in this game, as LSU went from being down a score to eventually blowing out Arkansas 41-17. Mathieu 92-yard punt return

Welcome to live blog! I'm Kelly Erickson, associate sports editor and I'm joined by Elliot Hughes, sports content editor. We're coming to you live from a soggy Camp Randall where Wisconsin (9-2, 5-2 B1G) and Penn State (9-2, 6-1 B1G) will duke it out for a berth into the inaugural Big Ten Championship game next weekend in Indianapolis, Ind. With division and even conference laurels on the line, the game is extra special added to the fact that it's senior day for the Badgers.

After a wild weekend a couple weeks ago when UW beat Minnesota 41-13, Penn State lost to Nebraska 17-14 and Ohio State suffered a huge upset from Purdue 26-23, which put Wisconsin in control of their own destiny. All the Badgers have to do is win out the rest of the season. With the win over Minnesota and a gritty win last week against Illinois 28-17, the Badgers have taken full advantage of the situation thus far.

But after all Penn State has been through this season, it proved last weekend that it's a formidable team with a 20-14 win on the road over Ohio State -- arguably one of the toughest atmospheres in the Big Ten next to Camp Randall.

Keep it here all afternoon for all the action from the Badgers final home game of the regular season.

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. -- Welcome to the Herald Sports live blog! We're here at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, where the No. 17 Wisconsin Badgers (8-2, 4-2) will face the Illinois Fighting Illini (6-4, 2-4) at 11 a.m.

The Badgers, of course, now control their own destiny in the Big Ten after losses by Ohio State and Penn State last weekend. Should Wisconsin defeat Illinois today and Penn State next week, the Badgers would represent the Big Ten Leaders Division in the conference's inaugural championship game Dec. 3

Illinois, meanwhile, has lost four consecutive games after beginning the season with a six-game win streak. Head coach Ron Zook is once again on the hot seat in Champaign, and even though the Illini are bowl eligible, there might not be much the seventh-year coach can do to save his job.

I'll be hopping on the broadcast for our friends at WSUM 91.7 FM (listen live at wsum.org), so Kelly will be doing the brunt of the work on the live blog. I'll chime in as much as possible, of course. Also be sure to follow @BHeraldSports on Twitter, as we'll have plenty of updates all game long, and afterward for post-game reaction. Thanks for following, and have a great Saturday.

Every year the Bowl Championship Series or BCS system seems to be subject of much controversy. Although it hasn't received as much heat the past few years, critics have bashed the BCS since it was first instituted.

The 98'-99' NCAA college football season was the first to use the new system and it left Kansas State Wildcat fans very unpleasant. Kansas State finished third in the BCS rankings that year, but didn't get a BCS bowl invitation because it was passed up by fourth-ranked Ohio State and eight-ranked Florida. The decision was so puzzling the BCS adopted the "Kansas State Rule," which guaranteed the third-ranked team an automatic bid to a BCS bowl game.

It was the first season for the BCS, so there was bound to be flaws with the system but its problems only got worse from there.

In 2000 Florida State played Oklahoma for the national championship, rather than a more qualified Miami Hurricanes team. In 2001 a Nebraska squad that didn't even win its own conference played Miami in the title game. The controversy continued with a dispute over who should be crowned the national champion after the 03'-04' season between LSU and USC.

Since then we've had controversy nearly every year about who should compete in the national championship game. It's become even more complicated in the last five years with non automatic-qualifying teams like Boise State and TCU getting into the mix.

I could go on forever about all the flaws of the BCS and mistakes since it was instituted, but the system seems to have worked well the past few seasons.

Don't give too much credit to the BCS though, because it has "lucked out" more than it's actually done a good job.

The only time the BCS gets through a season unscathed from critics is when there are two clear-cut teams that are undoubtedly the best in the nation. Last year it was obvious that undefeated Oregon and Auburn would battle for the title. We didn't need a complicated computer system to tell the nation who the two best teams were last year.

For instance, take a look how this college football season has progressed. There are only three undefeated teams remaining in division one football: LSU, Oklahoma State, and Houston. Houston has a long shot of receiving consideration to get an invite to the title game in New Orleans because of its weak schedule, so LSU and Oklahoma State control their own destiny.

The BCS must be crossing its fingers and cringing at the thought of the chaos that'll emerge if one of those two teams loses before the end of the season. Potential pandemonium waits because there's eight one-loss teams in the top ten that are salivating at the chance to place for a national championship.

There's a very good chance this scenario will play out. LSU still faces sixth-ranked Arkansas and another tough opponent if they play in the SEC title game. Oklahoma State won't have a conference title game to worry about, but the Cowboys end with their toughest game of the season against Oklahoma.

The best bowl games of college football shouldn't have to come down to controversy every year. There shouldn't be a system in place where people need to always pray that they get it right.

A playoff system isn't necessarily the best option, but something needs to be corrected. It's simply unacceptable to have controversy nearly every year about who should square off in the best bowl games of college football.

Andrew Luck's seat atop the Heisman rankings is certainly heating up. After his Cardinal's lopsided defeat at the hands of conference-rival Oregon (for the second-straight year, nonetheless), the senior's tight grip on the top spot is considerably looser. Big performances from both Brandon Weeden and Case Keenum have vaulted each into consideration for the top spot, and with two weeks remaining, it is sure to be a close battle for coveted trophy.

Heisman Watch

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Despite a second-consecutive loss at the hands (wings?) of the rival Ducks, the Stanford senior remains the favorite to take home the coveted Heisman in December. Luck certainly did not play poorly, passing for 271 yards and three scores, but his two picks proved to be costly for the Cardinal. He is still the consensus top NFL Draft prospect, but lackluster performances in the past few weeks are certainly not helping his stock.

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Weeden and Oklahoma State came out firing on all cylinders Saturday, dismantling a motivated Texas Tech squad en route to a 42-point halftime lead. The 28-year-old completed 31 of 37 passes for 423 yards and five scores. Weeden's 3,635 yards and 31 touchdown passes both rank second in the country and his 164.2 rating places him in the top ten. The undefeated Cowboys face off against Iowa State this weekend and cannot afford to look ahead to their huge showdown with fifth-ranked Oklahoma December 3rd.

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

Another game, another offensive outburst for Keenum and his Cougars. Undefeated Houston routed conference foe Tulane 73-17, behind 325 yards and three touchdowns from its star quarterback. Keenum is tops in the country in both yards (3,951) and touchdown passes (37) despite sitting the fourth quarter of several games this season. As is always the case with a non-AQ quarterback, Houston's weak schedule hinders Keenum's Heisman hopes, but with a couple more big-time statistical performances, the voters are sure to give the senior some serious consideration.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

In the Tide's 24-7 victory over Mississippi State, Richardson carried the brunt of the offensive burden, carrying the ball 32 times for 127 yards and one score. Like Luck, Richardson's numbers are not all that spectacular (1205 yards, 18TDs), but his reputation as a leader and hard-nosed runner for one of the nation's best teams is more than enough to keep his Heisman hopes afloat. Richardson and Alabama face undermatched Georgia Southern this weekend, a chance for the junior to put up some big numbers against a less-than-formidable defense.

Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin

Ball began last year as the Badgers' third-string running back, but after an impressive 2010 campaign and a great offseason in which he shed over 20 pounds, the junior has the Badgers in position to play for the Big Ten Championship and potentially a Rose Bowl berth. The 5'11" Ball rushed for 166 yards on 23 carries, tacking on three touchdowns (one receiving) to add to his nation-leading total (23). His 27 combined touchdowns are already a Big Ten record, and with at least three games remaining, he can only add to the total. Ball also ranks in the top five in rushing yards (1,242), which is especially impressive considering sophomore James White receives several carries per game as well.

On the Outside Looking In:

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

Closer Look: David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

Wilson leads the nation in rushing yards (1,360) and carries most of the offensive workload for the eighth-ranked Hokies. However, despite his production, the junior only has seven touchdowns to show for it. Wilson has failed to rush for less than 120 yards just once this season and is looking to carry 9-1 Virginia Tech to a BCS bowl game. With contests against unranked North Carolina and Virginia in the final two weeks, the Hokies appear to be well on their way to achieving this goal.

The Packers have reached their midpoint of the NFL season with a perfect 8-0 record. With eight more games to play in the regular season, the rumblings of a perfect season are growing louder each week. Although most athletes prefer to stay silent about such a possibility (similar to the unwritten rule for teammates to stay away from a pitcher tossing a perfect game or no-hitter), Charles Woodson apparently doesn't believe in such superstitions. Woodson addressed the possibility of perfection by stating,

"We can talk about it, I don't care. We're 8-0. We'd love to be 16-0 - love to. It's a realistic conversation now. We're halfway there. So yeah, let's talk about it...not just the regular season - the whole thing."

Perhaps more telling, Woodson added,

"Offensively, we're outstanding. Defensively, we're a liability on the team."

That accurately tells the story of Green Bay's last game in which they defeated the San Diego Chargers in a shootout (45-38). Aaron Rodgers completed 21/26 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers. On the other side of the ball, the Packers struggled to generate pressure which resulted in 385 yards and four touchdowns thrown by Philip Rivers. The Packers opened up a 45- 24 lead midway through the fourth quarter but the Chargers capitalized off of several blown coverages and an onside kick to pull within a touchdown and a chance to tie. However, Charlie Peprah hauled in his second interception of the game (Rivers threw three) and sealed a win for the Packers in the final seconds.

The Packers return to action at Lambeau Field on Monday (first and only Monday Night game for either teams) to take on the Minnesota Vikings (2-6) for the second time in three games. The Vikings are coming off their bye week with a little momentum as they previously defeated the Panthers on the road 24-21 two weeks ago. Rookie Christian Ponder continued to impress by completing 18/28 passes for 236 yards and one score without turning the ball over. As usual, Adrian Peterson carried the load offensively as the leading rusher and receiver with 159 total yards and two scores.

When the Packers and Vikings battled three weeks ago, the Packers snuck away with a six point advantage in Minnesota. The Vikings appear confident that they can build on that performance and pull off a huge upset on a national stage. Although that goal seems improbable, especially considering it's at Lambeau, here are three components of the game that could cause concern for the green and gold (emphasis on gold, because it seems that yellow is a preferred substitute for modern musicians).

Packers Defense

After consecutive convincing performances against the Falcons and Rams, the Packers defense has alarmingly regressed in the past two games. After giving up 27 points to the Vikings in Ponder's first NFL start, Green Bay's defense gave up 38 points to a struggling Chargers offense last week. The defense has been identified as a "bend but not break" defense (ie. allow a lot of yards but not points) this year, relying heavily on turnovers and defensive stands in the final minutes of games. However, it seems that the only thing preventing the defense from breaking lately is the dominance of Green Bay's offense. The Packers cannot continue to rely on the offense to post 25+ points every week, as they are certain to have an off week sooner or later (especially if you think ahead to the playoffs). Consider these statistics for the Packer defense: 30th in yards/game (399.6), 31st in passing yards allowed/game (299.6), and 17th in points/game allowed (22.4). If the Packers want to make it back to the Super Bowl, the defense is going to have to improve. The Packers have been able to avoid defeat for eight games this season in spite of the defense but I'm not convinced they can survive eight more (or eleven more if you include playoffs) en route to a perfect season.

AP and Allen

Three weeks ago I highlighted Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen as the two key playmakers the Packers needed to exert their attention to. Fortunately for Green Bay, they won despite being unable to effectively contain either player. Jared Allen dominated Marshall Newhouse one-on-one for most of the game, resulting in two sacks (he continues his record pace with 12.5 sacks through eight games), three quarterback hits, three tackles for losses, and six combined tackles. Although Newhouse steadily improved his pass protection throughout the game (with some blocking assistance), it's still going to be a matchup that greatly favors the Vikings on Monday. On offense, Adrian Peterson (who's on pace for 1590 yards and 18 touchdowns this season) ran rampant for 175 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Since the rookie Ponder has taken over for Donavan McNabb, Peterson has had at least 25 touches a game, a trend that is certain to continue this week. The Vikings were able to put a scare into the Packers three weeks ago largely thanks to the dominant performances of the two playmakers. Likewise, if they want to keep the game remotely close at Lambeau, Peterson and Allen will have to duplicate their performances and hope for some help elsewhere.

Healthy Vikings

After their bye week the Vikings will benefit from the return of two key players coming off of injuries. Veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield, the best coverage defensive back for the Vikings, appears ready to return to action for the first time since missing four games with a neck strain. Winfield could be the player the Vikings need to shutdown Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings, who connected with each other seven times for 147 yards and a score against the Vikings in week seven. Luckily for the Packers, there are an abundance of weapons at Rodgers' disposal and Winfield's presence may not be as impactful as planned. Percy Harvin did see action against the Packers in the last matchup but only caught two passes for 15 yards, citing an injured rib for his lack of production the last several weeks. Indeed, he has failed to replicate the success of his previous two seasons with only 334 yards receiving, no touchdowns and two fumbles this year (but he does have 185 yards rushing and a touchdown). With a week off to heal, Harvin claims his ribs should no longer be a problem, though it remains to be seen whether he can be the dynamic playmaker that we've become accustomed to seeing. Whatever the case, Winfield and Harvin's health will undoubtedly enhance the Vikings chances and if nothing else give them a little more confidence heading into Monday night.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where the 2-6 Minnesota Vikings storm into Lambeau Field and hand the Packers their first loss of the season. Nonetheless, Minnesota was a touchdown away from defeating Green Bay just three weeks ago. There are reasons for optimism for the Vikings; they had two weeks to prepare, are coming off of a road win, have favorable matchups with Peterson and Allen, and are getting healthier. However, there may be greater optimism for the Packers; they have, after all, won fourteen straight.

Nine weeks into the NFL season and the only seemingly safe team is the remarkable San Francisco 49ers. That's right, not even the Packers have everything locked up; the Lions and Bears are both sitting within range at 6-2 and 5-3. Other than the 49ers, the Giants are the only other team with a two game divisional lead. This type of parity during the middle of the season adds pressure to every game, especially the division matchups. For entertainment in week 10, and that's all you're going to get; a handful of division-defining games fill the Sunday schedule.

New Orleans at Atlanta

Each week I seem to highlight a game involving a team from the NFC South. The main reason is that none of their three playoff-caliber squads seem to take control of the division and head off for January football. The Saints lead the division but are very questionable following their midseason loss to the Rams. The Falcons started slow but seem to have things straightened out, riding a three game winning streak. A lone victory separates the two teams that will battle in the Georgia Dome this Sunday, with many passes that will surely find the air. Drew Brees has already set an NFL record for the Saints, throwing for over 3,000 yards through just nine contests. With all his receiving targets back healthy, expect Matt Ryan to air it out too. This game could very well come down to the quarterbacks. Luckily for the Saints, they own a better one. Look for Brees to lead the Saints out of Atlanta with a victory.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

Don't look now, but that rookie quarterback in Carolina isn't winning nearly as much as Andy Dalton in his first year at the helm of the Bengal offense. Dalton has led the Bengals to a share of the division lead while Cincinnati has won five in a row. The fuming Pittsburgh Steelers come to town anxious to prove that they are the class of the AFC North. They arrive off a heartbreaking loss at home against rival Baltimore in need of a bounce-back game. Normally a rookie quarterback would provide the perfect opponent for a bounce-back victory, but Andy Dalton is no normal rookie quarterback. If the Bengals are able to run the ball and take some of the pressure off Dalton, they may be able to cruise to victory. However, the Pittsburgh defense has been getting after running backs lately, so look for a fun plane ride home for the Steelers after their seventh victory.

Detroit at Chicago

The Lions and Bears square off for the second time this season, tied behind the undefeated Packers. Last time these teams locked up, the Lions squeaked out a 34-30 shootout victory in the friendly confines of Ford Field. This Sunday, expect a different outcome. The quick turf of Ford Field turns into the torn up combination of dirt and grass at Soldier Field with a Bears' veteran defense playing as well as it has all season, holding explosive Philadelphia down enough for Jay Cutler to coordinate a victory last week. Julius Peppers and Lance Briggs will be pressuring Matt Stafford all evening and since Jahvid Best is still questionable, a Bearry tough game awaits for the Lion crew.

Approaching the depths of the NFL season, a win or loss, namely within the division, can prove to make or break a season. Will the Bengals, Falcons, and Lions be down and out after a loss this Sunday? Probably not, but recovering sure won't be easy. It's not week 16, but for the division titles, its crunch time.

Ten weeks into the college football season and the race for the Heisman trophy is as close as ever. Despite strong statistical seasons from several stars, no player has legitimately established himself as the clear-cut favorite. In a year dominated by efficient quarterbacks, three reign atop the list as primary candidates for college football's top honor. Andrew Luck and Kellen Moore, both senior captains of undefeated, top five squads, continue to perform well as their respective teams have cruised to undefeated records. Houston's Case Keenum has exceeded all expectations and, following yet another big-time statistical game this past weekend, has crept into the number two spot in this week's rankings. Alabama's Trent Richardson remains the only running back on the list, as the Tide's star accounted for over 150 total yards against a stout LSU defense Saturday. With only a few games remaining, the battle for the Heisman trophy is sure to heat up even more in the coming weeks. With that, the week 10 Heisman Update:

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Another Saturday; another consistent performance from Andrew Luck. The senior quarterback passed for 206 yards and three scores in a 38-13 victory over Oregon State in maintaining the fourth-ranked Cardinal's unblemished record. Despite a lack of eye-popping numbers, Luck remains the consensus top NFL prospect and has established a rapport as the nation's most-composed and pro-ready signal caller. With a huge showdown versus number seven Oregon in Palo Alto looming Saturday, Luck has a chance to avenge last season's defeat and solidify his legacy in Cardinal lore.

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

In Houston's 56-13 win over a hapless UAB squad, Keenum completed 39 of 44 passes for 407 yards en route to breaking Hawaii legend Timmy Chang's all time record for career passing yards. The senior leads the country in passing yards (3,626 - over 1,200 more than Luck) as well as touchdowns (34 - eight more than Luck) and ranks in the top five in passer rating and efficiency. Though the Cougars' schedule is certainly less than impressive, it remains to be seen how much consideration this will be given by the Heisman voters. The situation is very similar to that of Hawaii's Colt Brennan in 2007, who, despite superior statistics, was clearly penalized for the Warriors' poor strength of schedule.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Moore threw for 219 yards and an impressive five touchdowns in the Broncos' 48-21 victory over UNLV. The win improved fifth-ranked Boise State's record to 8-0 as the senior passed Texas' Colt McCoy to become college football's all-time winningest quarterback. Moore and the Broncos face perhaps their toughest opponent since the season opener against Georgia in TCU this weekend, giving their quarterback his chance to shine in the spotlight yet again.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The junior running back was one of the few offensive bright spots for Alabama in Saturday's defensive slugfest versus LSU. In the Tide's defeat, Richardson rushed for 84 hard-earned yards on 23 carries in addition to an impressive 80 yards receiving. He ranks in the top ten in the nation in both rushing yards (1,078) and touchdowns (17) and has the Crimson Tide on the path to another BCS bowl game.

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

In the Cowboys thrilling 52-45 victory over Big 12 rival Kansas State Weeden had another big statistical game, throwing for over 500 yards and 4 touchdowns. He ranks in the top five in the country in yards and touchdowns, as well as passing percentage. With two cupcake games in the coming weeks (Texas Tech and Iowa State), Weeden and the Cowboys must keep from looking ahead to their showdown with in-state rival Oklahoma December 3rd.

On the Outside Looking In:

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin

Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin

Closer Look: Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin

Ball has emerged as Wisconsin's undisputed feature back in a rushing attack that ranks amongst the top in the nation year in and year out after beginning last season third on the depth chart. The junior leads the nation in touchdowns (21) and ranks tenth in rushing yards. Ball has been arguably the Badgers' most consistent performer, scoring at least one touchdown in each of the team's nine contests. Just as with quarterback Russell Wilson, Wisconsin's two losses taint Ball's Heisman resume, but the Missouri-native, if he opts to return next season, will surely be one of the pre-season favorites.

With two of the nation's leading Heisman Trophy candidates, Boise State's Kellen Moore and Alabama's Trent Richardson, having the weekend off, Saturday was a time for others to shine. Despite a near-loss to conference rival USC, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck maintains the top spot with yet another rock-solid performance. Clemson's Tajh Boyd, on the other hand, disappointed in a bad loss to Georgia Tech, his Tigers' first of the season. The story was much the same for Wisconsin signal-caller Russell Wilson who has all but removed himself from the race with Saturday's loss at Ohio State, the Badgers' second consecutive disappointing defeat. One quarterback who certainly disappointed no one this weekend was Houston's Case Keenum. The senior had a coming-out party of sorts, passing for well over 500 yards and a jaw-dropping nine touchdowns, helping to reaffirm that his Heisman contention. With that, we take a look at this week's Heisman Update:

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

In a thrilling 56-48 triple-overtime victory over USC, the Cardinal's leader passed for 330 yards and three scores. After throwing a costly pick-six late in the fourth quarter, Luck redeemed himself, engineering a game-tying drive to force overtime. The senior certainly does not boast the best statistics of any quarterback, but his leadership, poise, and excellent decision-making set him apart. Luck and the Cardinal should have no trouble handling Oregon State this weekend as they prepare for the showdown with eighth-ranked Oregon (the Cardinal's lone defeat last season) November 12th.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Moore and the fifth-ranked Broncos enjoyed a much-needed bye week following a tough win versus Air Force last weekend. The week off should give Moore, who ranks fourth in the country in efficiency, additional time to prepare for the season's final five games, all versus unranked opponents. If the Broncos win out as expected, and receive some big-time help from Oregon and Oklahoma, this could finally be the year a non-AQ conference team receives a bid to the National Championship game.

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

Keenum went off on Rice Thursday night, in one of the most impressive statistical games for a quarterback in college football history. In a 73-34 beatdown, Keenum tossed nine touchdowns to go along with 534 yards, despite sitting the vast majority of the fourth quarter. The sixth-year senior boasts the nation's second-highest passer rating and ranks first in yards. Keenum's 32 scores are also tops in the country, six ahead of Oklahoma's Landry Jones. If he were putting up these videogame numbers for a major-conference team, Keenum would have the Heisman all but locked up. However, Houston's soft schedule and lack of formidable defenses hinder his cause.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Despite having a bye this past week, Richardson remained third in the country in touchdowns with 17. With the most-anticipated game of the college football season thus far looming Saturday, with LSU invading Bryant-Denny Stadium for a clash with Richardson and 'Bama, Richardson has a chance to make a big-time statement against arguably the nation's top defense.

Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

Broyles leaps into the top five with a huge game against then eighth-ranked Kansas State, in which the Sooners exposed the Wildcat defense in Manhattan en route to a 58-17 drubbing. The 5'10" senior wideout had another huge game, catching 14 balls for 171 yards and a score. Broyles, who holds the FBS record for career receptions (347 and counting), ranks second in the nation in catches (81) and first in receiving yards (1,070). With star quarterback Landry Jones seemingly back on track after an ugly loss to a substandard Texas Tech squad last week, the Sooners appear to have their mojo back and are certainly a BCS contender.

On the Outside Looking In:

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

Closer Look: Justin Blackmon

The Cowboy's star wide receiver is quietly having another strong season, recording 74 catches (5th in the nation), 834 yards, and ten touchdowns (2nd) thus far. Though he is not quite on pace to eclipse last season's jaw-dropping numbers (111 catches, nearly 1800 yards, 20 TD), Blackmon is certainly a dark-horse Heisman candidate and a serious contender for the Biletnikoff award. The 6'1" 215lb junior is considered a surefire first-round NFL Draft pick and it remains to be seen whether he will return for his senior season, though just this week Head Coach Mike Gundy said he does not expect Blackmon to be back in Stillwater in 2012.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck has received more hype than any college quarterback I've seen in my time.

Maybe it has something to do with Luck coming back for his senior season, but this whole "Suck for Luck" sweepstakes - as it's been called - is ridiculous.

Nobody even knows if this guy will pan out to be a great NFL quarterback.

He has put up impressive numbers in his college career. He's thrown for over 8,100 yards, 68 touchdowns, just 16 interceptions and a 64% completion rate in three seasons at Stanford. There's no denying the quarterback has impressive stats, and he also runs a pro-style offense at Stanford that will make the transition to the NFL easier.

Everything seems to set the 6-4, 235 pound quarterback up for a great NFL career. It's tough for scouts to even come up with any negatives about Luck.

I know we've seen rookie quarterbacks be successful early in their NFL careers with Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, and Christian Ponder. But we can't say it's a forgone conclusion that Luck will dominate in the NFL.

Although they haven't probably been as hyped as Luck, there's been many top college quarterbacks drafted that have turned out as huge busts. JaMarcus Russell, Matt Leinart, Vince Young, Joey Harrington, David Carr, Tim Couch and Ryan Leaf are major busts from just the past twelve years.

And those are just top ten drafted quarterbacks, so there are many others who have also failed in the NFL.

I'm not saying Luck will not be successful in the NFL because I expect him to be, but people need to understand he's human.

There will be an incredible pressure on Luck from his first NFL start to perform at a high level. People aren't just expecting him to simply be successful at the next level, but to be the next Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron or Rodgers.

It's ridiculous that some experts have already compared Luck to the great Broncos quarterback John Elway. That's not a justifiable comparison, unless you are comparing his stats in college and his physical attributes. The kid hasn't even played a snap of professional football.

Luck also needs to be placed in an environment where he can succeed. If he has a lousy offensive line and no weapons, how can be possibly be an elite NFL quarterback?

Luck has played in the conference formerly known as the Pac-10, which has been subpar the past couple of years. Luck hasn't faced much adversity in his junior and senior year besides a couple tight games with USC. Great NFL quarterbacks perform at their best with their backs against the wall, so it'll be interesting to see how Luck handles NFL opponents and tough situations.

The other annoying part of the "Suck for Luck" sweepstakes is how members of the media continue to wonder who will win the sweepstakes.

They bring up the idiotic idea that teams may or should try to lose games in order to win the "franchise" quarterback. I can understand how fans may want to earn the top pick in the draft to take Luck, but I can guarantee no NFL team even considers this idea.

It's very difficult to become a coach in the NFL, and just one lousy season can be all it takes to lose that position. Teams are impatient these days; even the worst teams in the NFL want to turn things around in a very short span of time.

The Detroit Lions have been a perennial loser in the league the past few decades until this season. But since 2000 the Lions have had seven different coaches. The most time any of those coaches received was three seasons to revive the franchise, but others had even less time to prove themselves as head coaches.

NFL owners are known to be impatient with head coaches regardless of the situation and talent the coach has to work with.

Every coach in the NFL wants to win to not only improve his team, but to save his job. None of them are drooling over the fact that Luck will be available in next year's draft at least until the regular season is almost finished.

The Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins are the only winless teams that remain this season. It's a good possibility that one of these teams could land the coveted Luck.

Regardless of where Luck lands one thing is for sure: teams will not intentionally "Suck for Luck" and the overused phrase needs to be put to rest.

The cast: 

The Blog Editor: Nick Korger 

The Bloggers: Morgan Foy, Nathan Palm, Nick Whalen, Max Perkins, Sean Zak

1 LSU at 2 Alabama 

NK: LSU 

MF: Bama 

NP: Bama 

NW: Bama 

MP: LSU

SZ: Bama

14 Kansas State at 3 Oklahoma State

Everyone: OKST

4 Stanford at Oregon State

Everyone: Stanford

5 Boise State at UNLV

Everyone: BSU

Texas A&M at #6 Oklahoma 

Everyone: OK

9 South Carolina at Arkansas

NK: Arkansas 

MF: South Carolina

NP: Arkansas 

NW: Arkansas 

MP: Arkansas

SZ: Arkansas

8 Oregon at Washington

NK: Washington 

MF: Oregon

NP: Oregon 

NW: Oregon 

MP: Oregon

SZ: Oregon

Northwestern at 10 Nebraska

Everyone: Nebraska

Week nine of the college football season was filled with plenty of intriguing matchups. Undefeated Stanford and quarterback sensation Andrew Luck faced off in the game of the week against USC. Oklahoma, fresh off their defeat against Texas Tech travelled to Manhattan to play Kansas State, and Michigan State went up against Nebraska, just a week removed from their dramatic thrilling victory against Wisconsin.

On Thursday night, however, Case Keenum and Houston completely obliterated Rice by a score of 73-34. Keenum threw for a whopping nine touchdowns, while breaking the FBS record for touchdown passes in a career with 139.

USC and Stanford faced off in Los Angeles in what might go down as the game of the year. Behind quarterback Andrew Luck, who threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns, the Cardinal was able to hold off the Trojans in 3 OT. Stanford kept their 16-game winning streak intact and look to be a legitimate national title contender.

Oklahoma looked to rebound after a devastating and quite shocking victory at the hands of Texas Tech in Norman as they travelled to face Kansas State. The Sooners completely dismantled the Wildcats in what proved to be a complete mismatch. Led by quarterback Landry Jones and his 505 passing yards and five touchdowns passes, OU won by an impressive score of 58-17 in Manhattan.

After Kirk Cousins hit Keith Nichol in what was certainly the Play of the Year to date, many wondered if that would lead to Michigan State making an appearance in this year's Rose Bowl. The Spartans, off of an emotional high, travelled to Lincoln to play Nebraska in a huge Big Ten affair. Michigan State seemed completely overmatched against Nebraska, as the Cornhuskers relied heavily on the running game behind Rex Burkhead, who rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns on the way to a dominant 24-3 victory.

My Top 5:

1) LSU (8-0)

2) Alabama (8-0)

3) Stanford (8-0)

4) Oklahoma State (8-0)

5) Boise State (7-0)

Biggest Surprise: Michigan State completely overmatched against Nebraska 

Fresh off of their thrilling victory against Wisconsin in East Lansing, many sports analysts believed that would be the lift the Spartans needed to make a serious run to Pasadena. "Not so fast my friend!" said the Cornhuskers. Nebraska, led by Rex Burkhead and a dominating performance by the defense defeated Michigan State 24-3.

Biggest Disappointment: Kansas State gets blown out at home

The Wildcats had quietly made their way to the top-10 in the BCS, but they quickly proved to be a fluke team. They had an opportunity to make a huge statement to voters but Oklahoma proved to be a huge mismatch for them as they fell by a score of 58-17 in front of a disappointed home crowd in Manhattan.

Offensive Player of the Week: Case Keenum, Houston

Is there any question about this? Case Keenum threw for 534 yards and nine, yes, nine touchdowns as Houston annihilated Rice 73-34 at Robertson Stadium.

Defensive Player of the Week: Nebraska

Actually, I'm going to award this to an entire defensive. Nebraska impressively held Michigan State - who had scored 37 just one-week prior against Wisconsin - to just 3 points.

Play of the Week: Wisconsin falls again in last seconds

 Just a week after giving up a Hail Mary touchdown pass to Michigan State as time expired, Wisconsin, once again, was somehow on the wrong side of another miraculous pass. Braxton Miller connected with Devin Smith on a 40-yard bomb with just 20 ticks left on the way to a 33-29 victory for Ohio State.

Apparently there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

It's tough to pinpoint what stage Badger fans are currently fighting through just less than a week since the infamous hail mary play in East Lansing.

At first Wisconsin fans couldn't believe their eyes last Saturday night. They were left wondering how wide receiver Keith Nichol somehow came up with a deflected 44-yard touchdown and muscled his way into the end zone in the game's final seconds.

After reality sank in, fans wanted to place blame on someone. They were angered at how the Badgers found a way to surrender an early 14-point lead on the road with the nation's best offense. Badger faithful questioned Bret Bielema for his suspect use of timeouts at the end of the game, and shook their heads at how quarterback Russell Wilson and the special teams committed major mistakes.

The bargaining stage of grief centers around "what if" questions. There were plenty of times throughout the Michigan State game that fans could use the cliché phrase to wonder what could have happened had certain plays gone in the Badgers' favor.

Many sports fans are too familiar with the depression stage of grief. Wisconsin fans surely were in low spirits after how high they'd been riding on the new "Russellmania" bandwagon, as they could start to see New Orleans in the distance.

And fans finally experience acceptance as they realize there's nothing they can do but accept the loss and move forward. They realize Wisconsin's shot at a national title and Russell Wilson's Heisman campaign are essentially over.

As soon as fans have finally accepted the loss, ESPN airs the hail mary play multiple times a day, and the feelings of grief creep back as the infamous play replays in the mind of every Badger fan.

I'm obviously generalizing how many Wisconsin fans have probably felt since the Badgers loss to Michigan State, but it's one of the toughest losses the program will ever have to stomach.

They can surely fix their mistakes with a successful year, but this year could've been the greatest in Wisconsin football history. The program has never won a national championship and most people never dare to even speak of the title game. Simply getting to the Rose Bowl is an extremely impressive accomplishment, but this team had the rare opportunity of taking one step past a trip to Pasadena.

The Badger's Rose Bowl team from a year ago lost many key veterans, but returned other key players like Montee Ball, James White, and Aaron Henry. The only piece that was missing for the 2011 Badgers squad was a quarterback. The position was a big uncertainty until Russell Wilson entered the picture. Wilson is an amazing talent that has brought an entirely new dimension to Wisconsin's offense. He made the Badgers Big Ten favorites and even outside contenders for a national championship when he transferred from North Carolina State.

People were initially uncertain of how Wilson would fit the Badger's offense on the field and in the locker room. He silenced the doubters immediately by leading Wisconsin to a 6-0 record and the nation's top scoring offense.

Had the Badgers won all of their games, they still would have needed some help to get into the championship game. But with Oklahoma's loss last week, the Badgers would have possibly moved up to the fourth spot in the BCS rankings.

It's all a mute point now, but this year seemed to hold something special for Wisconsin.

The Badgers still have a long road ahead of them that begins with a tough showdown against Ohio State this weekend. They need to focus on winning the Leaders Division of the Big Ten before setting their sights on the Big Ten Championship game and the Rose Bowl.

A Rose Bowl berth would be considered another great season for Wisconsin. A trip to Pasadena is always a special one. But every team's ultimate goal is always to win it all and this year looked to be the one for Wisconsin.

Fans will obviously be very excited about getting another shot to win the Rose Bowl if the Badgers return to sunny Pasadena. The team could very likely win the remainder of its games if it's able to bounce back from its first loss of the season. Even if the Badgers manage to return to the Rose Bowl, fans will always wonder "what could've been" had they not fell at the hands of the Spartans on that unforgettable October night.

With the conference races beginning to heat up, the chase for college football's most coveted prize is certainly following suit. In a weekend marked by two stunning upsets (one of which we all have been trying to forget), the Heisman leaderboard has undergone a few changes. Behind a monster five touchdown performance, Clemson signal-caller Tajh Boyd has moved into the picture, as he has led his Tigers to a perfect 8-0 start. While Boyd is the only newcomer in the top five, there has also been some moving and shaking amongst the other primary candidates. Let us take a look in this week's Heisman Update:

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Despite a mediocre, by his standards, statistical performance (16-21, 169yds, 2TD) in the Cardinal's 65-21 thrashing of Pac 12 foe Washington Saturday, Luck remains the odds-on favorite to take home the hardware. He's amassed nearly 1,900 yards through the air thus far, to go along with 20 touchdowns and just three picks. With Wisconsin and Oklahoma falling over the weekend, if Luck and Stanford continue to win convincingly, the National Championship Game is a legitimate possibility.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

In the Broncos' closest game of the season versus Air Force this weekend, Moore tied Texas legend Colt McCoy for the most wins by a quarterback in FBS history with 45. The amazingly efficient signal-caller (4th in the nation) also passed for 281 yards and three scores against a formidable Falcons defense that was not intimidated by the nation's fourth-ranked team. Moore ranks fourth in country in efficiency and has passed for 2,010 yards and 24 scores (T-1st in the nation).

Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

The 6'1" sophomore leapt into the forefront of the Heisman race over the weekend with a huge statistical performance in Clemson's 59-38 rout of North Carolina. Though not as wildly efficient (62%) as the other top candidates, Boyd has managed to lead his Tigers to a number five ranking in the latest AP poll with his decision-making and lack of turnovers. He's somewhat-quietly having a monster year, passing for 2,379 yards (7th in the nation), 24 touchdowns (T-1st), and only three interceptions, to go along with four rushing scores. With a very favorable remaining ACC schedule, the Tigers are certainly on pace for a BCS bowl game. And if Boyd can continue to sling the ball all over the field to his talented corps of receivers, like freshman sensation Sammy Watkins, he just may hear his name called in New York City come December.

Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin

Wilson's candidacy certainly took a major blow in Saturday's gut-wrenching loss to Michigan State. Despite going up 14-0 early in the first half, the Badgers quickly unraveled, due in large part to a series of poor plays from Wilson. The senior threw two costly interceptions, took a bad safety, and missed several open receivers en route to the ultimate 31-37 defeat, Wisconsin's first of the season. Wilson just did not look like the star we had seen all year. He did, however, manage a decent statistical game, throwing for 223 yards and two scores and adding one rushing touchdown. Wilson's Heisman campaign, arguably more than any other candidate's, hinges on team success, as his numbers simply are not as impressive as those of Luck, Moore, and Boyd. While one loss surely does not doom his hopes, Saturday was definitely a major setback.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The Crimson Tide star had another typically solid game in Saturday's victory over SEC rival Tennessee, rushing for 77 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 17 on the season (2nd in the nation). Richardson has yet to have an explosive game in terms of yards, but this can be accredited to the strength of the defenses he and the Tide are facing. He is doing exactly what everyone expected - putting the ball in the end zone and wearing down opponents. With the most-anticipated game of the year looming against number one LSU (Nov. 5th), Richardson will have a chance to prove once and for all that he is the nation's premier running back against a stout Tigers defense.

On the Outside Looking In:

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

Closer Look: Sammy Watkins

Watkins has quickly emerged as Tahj Boyd's favorite target in the undefeated Tigers' offense. His nine receiving scores are tied for tops in the nation and he ranks seventh in yards. And, oh yeah, he is eighteen years old. The highly-touted recruit from Fort Myers has exceeded any and all expectations and is having one of the best seasons by a true freshman in ACC history. Watkins has already broken eleven school records and is showing no signs of slowing up. He boasts four 100-yard receiving games and is also a major factor in the return and running games for the Tigers. At 6'2" 210lbs, the imposing Watkins is able to size up smaller cornerbacks, as well as run past bigger safeties with his blistering 4.4 speed. While the Heisman may be a tall order for the freshman wideout, he is certainly making a serious case for the Biletnikoff and ACC Freshman of the Year awards.

It's been one long week, right?

After hearing Michigan State begin trash talking immediately after the Spartans' 28-14 win over Michigan last Saturday, the anticipation by this game ratcheted up significantly. Now, we finally have some football. I'm here with fellow Herald Sports editors Elliot Hughes and Kelly Erickson live at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., and we'll be here all game long, and after, to bring you all the action as the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers (6-0, 2-0) take on the No. 16 Michigan State Spartans (5-1, 2-0).

The Spartans, of course, defeated the Badgers 34-24 in the Big Ten opener here in East Lansing last season. The loss seemed to doom Wisconsin's early-season BCS hopes while simultaneously boosting Michigan State's -- though that, of course, was the opposite of how the rest of the season unfolded.

This season, Wisconsin cruises into this matchup on the highest of highs. The Badgers boast the nation's top scoring offense at 50.2 points per game, and the rushing attack has once again prolific in averaging 257.5 yards per game, No. 7 in the country. Quarterback Russell Wilson has thrived beyond anyone's wildest imagination, completing 74.2 percent of his passes in throwing for 1,557 yards, 14 touchdowns and only one interception. His 210.9 quarterback rating leads the nation, and Wilson has emerged as a bona fide top-three Heisman Trophy candidate.

Michigan State, meanwhile, enters the game with the nation's fourth-ranked scoring defense (10.8 points allowed per game) and arguably its most physical. The Spartans lead the country in passing defense (119.2 yards per game) and rank third against the run (67 yards), raising the level of intrigue as the explosive Badgers come to town.

For more insight into what to expect tonight, check out Elliot's game preview from Friday and Kelly's feature on how the Badgers plan to stop the Spartans' also powerful rushing attack. Of course, we'll have the live blog running all game long, so be sure to check that out as well. Thanks for following, and On Wisconsin.

If we learned anything from the weekend's college football action, it's that the nation's top players do not play to the level of their competition. This week's top four candidates' teams outscored their opponents by an average of nearly 45 points, with each playing a substantial role in the respective routs. However, for another top contender, the weekend was not all fun and games. Despite yet another dazzling statistical performance, Robert Griffin III and his Baylor Bears were unable to overcome a six-touchdown performance from Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill, falling 28-55 in College Station. Overall, the race for college football's ultimate prize continues to be dominated by quarterbacks (four of the top five candidates) - and efficient ones at that; each ranks within the top four in the country in passing efficiency.

As in last week's Heisman update, we will recap each contender's weekend performances, as well as profile one off-the-radar candidate.

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Luck turned in another consistent performance in a 44-14 romp of Pac 12 opponent Washington State, throwing for 336 yards and four touchdowns. The senior ranks third in the nation in passing efficiency and has already compiled over 1,700 passing yards and eighteen touchdowns. With showdowns against a ranked Washington team and the always-dangerous USC in the coming weeks, Luck's skills will be on display against fiercer competition.

Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin

The hometown favorite moves up to the number two spot following the Badgers' 59-7 thrashing of an inferior Hoosiers squad on Saturday. Wilson threw for 166 yards and one touchdown, a meager statistical performance by his standards. However, the nation's leader in pass efficiency also ran for 42 yards and caught his first career touchdown pass, exhibiting just how versatile of a skill set he possesses. With the cupcake portion of Wisconsin's schedule for the most part exhausted, Wilson will look to build his resume against stiffer competition, starting with two huge Big Ten road contests in the next two weeks. This coming Saturday, the Badgers travel to East Lansing to face fifteenth-ranked Michigan State, followed by a Halloween weekend showdown versus Ohio State.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Kellen Moore jumps to third in the rankings after an incredibly efficient performance in a 50-point rout of Colorado State (26-30 for 338 yards and four scores). The senior continues to make opposing defenses look silly, racking up over 1,700 yards to go along with 21 touchdowns and just four picks. Moore ranks fourth in passing efficiency and with a soft Mountain West schedule the rest of the way, he and the Broncos should have no trouble keeping up their winning ways.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

With the season-ending injury to South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore over the weekend, Richardson stands alone as the only legitimate candidate at the running back position. Richardson had arguably his best game of the year in a 52-7 massacre of Ole Miss, rushing for 183 yards and four touchdowns on just seventeen carries. His 912 yards are good for second in the country behind Pitt's Ray Graham and Richardson's fifteen scores trail just Temple's Bernard Pierce (17) and Wisconsin's Montee Ball (16).

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Despite a disappointing loss on the road to in-state and conference rival Texas A&M, Griffin remains a Heisman frontrunner. The only top five candidate whose team has a loss, Griffin's stats alone are enough to outweigh the Bears' setbacks. In Saturday's contest, he threw for 430 yards and three scores, but was sacked five times, often in key situations. Griffin has put together the undisputed best statistical year of any player in the nation: 1,950 passing yards, 295 on the ground, and 24 touchdowns with a mere two interceptions. For a team with two losses, just two interceptions is a remarkable stat, and exemplifies just how efficient Griffin has been this season. Though his team's record certainly works against his case, if the Bears can right the ship and Griffin continues to post incredible numbers his Heisman stock cannot help but rise.

On the Outside Looking In:

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Closer Look: Case Keenum

Keenum, now in his sixth year with the Houston Cougars, has somewhat quietly compiled one of the most impressive statistical careers of any quarterback in college football history. Coming of a 2010 season cut short by a torn ACL three games into the season (for which he appealed, and was granted, a medical redshirt), Keenum is back to his old self in 2011, leading the country in pass yards (2,309) to go along with seventeen touchdowns and just two interceptions. Though considered by many to be a "system quarterback" similar to NFL burnouts Colt Brennan and Graham Harrell, Keenum has, nonetheless, thrown for nearly 16,000 yards and 124 touchdowns (and counting) in his career with the Cougars. He is one of only a handful of quarterbacks with multiple 5,000-yard passing seasons and is also a dangerous running threat. If he can continue to pile up yards through the air, and he's showing no signs of stopping, Keenum is on pace to eclipse the immortal Timmy Chang as the NCAA's career leader in passing yards.

The No. 4 Wisconsin football team (5-0, 1- Big Ten) is minutes away from kicking off its second conference game of the season against Indiana (1-5, 0-2) at Camp Randall Stadium. Follow along with Sports Content Editor Elliot Hughes and Associate Sports Editor Kelly Erickson as they bring updates and musings throughout the game.

Wisconsin enters today's game coming off a productive bye week while Indiana looks to recover from a 41-20 loss to Illinois.

Badger wide receiver Nick Toon was ruled out of today's game this morning after aggravating a foot injury against Nebraska two weeks ago, which could surely make things a little more interesting for the Wisconsin offense.

Boise State has flown under the radar for a few years now. Year in and year out they play top-tier football, yet they still get omitted from playing in the BCS National Championship because of their so-called 'weak' schedule. On Friday night, under the lights in Fresno, California, the Broncos had another opportunity to impress a national audience, and they did just that and then some. Star senior quarterback Kellen Moore threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns, as Boise State completely dismantled Fresno State by an impressive score of 57-7.

Of course a team from the Mountain West Conference, such as Boise State, will never earn the respect that teams in the SEC such as Alabama and LSU garner. Saturday, LSU welcomed Florida into Death Valley in a highly anticipated top-25 match up. Unfortunately for Florida, their starting quarterback John Brantley was out with an ankle injury, and the Gators were completely overmatched, losing 41-11 in a game that wasn't even as close as the score indicated.

Another SEC powerhouse, Alabama, had a far easier test as they welcomed Vanderbilt to Tuscaloosa. Quarterback AJ McCarron had a career day, passing for 237 yards and four touchdowns, on the way to a resounding 34-0 victory.

In what was expected to be the game of the week, Oklahoma and Texas met in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Tex. Texas was looking to rebound from a rough past few years and make an early season statement. The Longhorns youth proved to be key, as the Sooners completely dominated from the first snap as Landry Jones and co. proved to be too much to handle.

OU has been slipping in the AP and USA Today polls the past few weeks, but their highly impressive 55-17 victory over the Longhorns was a huge statement to the voters. LSU and Alabama face off on November 5th, one of those teams will no longer be undefeated, and Oklahoma -baring an upset loss at some point in the next few weeks, should sneak into the top-2 and play in the BCS National Championship game come January.

My Top 5:

1) LSU (6-0)

2) Alabama (6-0)

3) Oklahoma (5-0)

4) Wisconsin (5-0)

5) Stanford (5-0)

Biggest Surprise: The biggest surprise of the week has to be how easily Oklahoma was able to dismantle Texas. Of course the Bob Stoops coached Sooners are led by one of the top quarterbacks in the nation in Landry Jones and their receiving duo of Ryan Broyles and Kenny Stills is one of the strongest in the nation, but nobody thought they would dominate Texas like that.

Biggest Disappointment: Florida State is easily the biggest disappointment this week. The Seminoles were a top-5 team to start the year, but less than a month later they are already an unranked squad. After a loss to Wake Forest, the Noles sit at 2-3 (0-2 ACC) and in less than a month their focus has shifted to playing for a national championship to just qualifying for a bowl game.

Offensive Player of the Week: Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden is this week's Offensive Player of the Week. Weeden threw for 288 yards and five touchdowns as the Cowboys crushed Kansas 70-28 in Stillwater.

Defensive Player of the Week: Illinois cornerback Tavon Wilson is this week's Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Indiana. Wilson ran a fumble back 66 yards for a touchdown, recorded 11 tackles, and also had sack in a 41-20 victory for the Illini.

Play of the Week: As seen in the above YouTube clip, Nebraska's Rex Burkhead helped the Cornhuskers overcome a 21 point second half deficit against Ohio State with this impressive sidestep and touchdown against the Buckeyes.

Week five of the college football season was filled with intriguing matchups, particularly a huge contest in Madison between Wisconsin and Nebraska. The first meeting of top-10 teams in Madison since 1962 looked to have huge ramifications on both the Big Ten title and National Championship picture.

Under the lights of Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin looked a little uncomfortable at first, spotting the Cornhuskers an early 14-7 lead. Once the offense, led by Heisman contender Russell Wilson got going, the Badgers were impossible to contain. Wilson threw for 255 yards and two scores, and also ran for another, and running back Montee Ball poured in 151 yards on the ground and four touchdowns as the Badgers won impressively 48-17.

Across the country, more intriguing matchups took place. Alabama visited Florida at “The Swamp” in Gainesville, in an important SEC road test for the Crimson Tide. Running back Trent Richardson absolutely obliterated the Gators run defense, rushing for 181 yards and two scores, as the Tide rolled to a 38-10 victory.

After spotting Texas A&M a seemingly comfortable 35-17 lead, Arkansas and quarterback Tyler Wilson stormed back to an improbable 42-38 victory at Cowboys Stadium. Wilson threw for a whopping 510 yards and three touchdowns, as A&M got an early taste of what might be to come once they officially join the SEC next season.

Last season Texas was stunned by Iowa State 28-21, in the Cyclones first ever win over the Longhorns. This year proved to be a different story, as Texas completely dismantled ISU 37-14 in a warm up game for this week’s highly anticipated Red River Rivalry between UT and the Oklahoma Sooners.

As the regular season progresses and the nations elite begin to rise toward the top of the polls, it will be fascinating to see how the national title chase will shape up. Through five weeks, the battle for the top two spots looks to be between Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Of course some upsets will occur in the coming months, but for now, these four elite programs look to be the cream of the crop in college football.

My Top 5: 1) LSU (5-0) 2) Alabama (5-0) 3) Oklahoma (4-0) 4) Wisconsin (5-0) 5) Clemson (5-0)

Biggest Surprise: Illinois’ ascension towards the elite of the Big Ten has been extremely surprising thus far. It is still early in the season, but after overcoming a 28-10 deficit against Northwestern, the Illini look to be serious contenders for a Big Ten title.

Biggest Disappointment: After winning the Rose Bowl last year against Wisconsin, TCU looked to be on the verge of greatness. They lost quarterback Andy Dalton to the NFL, but under head coach Gary Patterson, the Horned Frogs looked to be heading towards elite status. Not so fast. After last week’s 40-33 loss to Southern Methodist, TCU dropped out of the top-25, and they will be playing just to get into a bowl game this year.

Offensive Player of the Week: My offensive player of the week for the fifth week of the regular season is Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson. In overcoming a 35-17 deficit against Texas A&M, Wilson threw for 510 yards and three scores, as the Razorbacks were able to storm back to an improbable 42-38 victory.

Defensive Player of the Week: After winning the SEC Defensive Player of the Week award for the second consecutive week, Melvin Ingram is also my choice for the award. Ingram, a defensive end from South Carolina, recorded 11 total tackles, 3 ½ sacks, and an interception.

Play of the Week: For the second consecutive week, Tyrann Mathieu had the play of the week in college football. Mathieu, a sophomore cornerback from LSU, is a making a strong case for Heisman consideration.

Welcome to the Herald Sports live blog! I'm Kelly Erickson, associate sports editor at The Badger Herald. I'm joined by Mike Fiammetta, sports editor, here at Camp Randall Stadium. We'll be live all evening, bringing you the action in Wisconsin's conference opener that officially inaugurates Nebraska into the Big Ten.

As a No. 7-No. 8 matchup, this game is expected to a close one. Both quarterbacks -- Russell Wilson and Taylor Martinez -- are well regarded for their mobility. In this new Big Red Rivalry, both teams matchup well, though Nebraska doesn't have as strong of a passing game as Wisconsin, and the UW defense knows Martinez can throw just as well as he can run.

This game marks the first meeting between UW and NU since 1974, as well as the first top 10 matchup in Camp Randall since 1962. Wisconsin and Nebraska are both historic, traditional programs, and this game has so many storylines that define what's truly at stake. Nebraska fans are expected to make their presence known at Camp Randall, and the traditionally electric night-time atmosphere will be curical to any success Wisconsin has in this game.

We'll be here all game long, bringing you the action as Wisconsin aims for a 5-0 record and a strong start to the Big Ten season.

Badger fans throughout Wisconsin are well acquainted with UW's mascot Bucky, but with ESPN's "College GameDay" airing from Madison this week, he's taken on an even bigger profile.

ESPN's latest This is SportsCenter commercial features Bucky and SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm, and it's hilarious. Check it out below:

How young we are in this zany NFL season. Only three games have been played and pessimism is already dominating the analyst banter. Why are the Eagles, the free-agency assembled dream team, sitting in last place in the NFC East at 1-2? Why can't the Vikings play a second half? What is wrong with Chris Johnson, the former rushing leader? How is it possible for the Bills to be undefeated through three games? No matter how heavy the dose of the bizarre has been thus far, there is surely to be plenty more in week four. Here are a few headliner games garnering attention as the anticipation for another Sunday grows.

Detroit at Dallas

Expect stats, and lots of them. This noon start will most certainly include an abundance of offense for Cowboy Stadium. The Lions are definitely the surprise team in the NFC at 3-0, laying claim to a pair of road victories. Matt Stafford (crossing fingers) is still healthy and had been magical thus far, finding Calvin Johnson for six of his nine touchdown passes. They will face a battered Cowboys' secondary, but a 2-1 Dallas team nonetheless. Tony Romo is already limping to the finish after a plethora of injuries in only the first three weeks. Romo has played well given the shaky play of his offensive line and has the Cowboys leading the division. Every game the 'Boys have played thus far has been decided by three points or fewer, and this Sunday likely will not be any different. Look for Romo and the Cowboys to be victorious and establish a small crack in the Lions' Cinderella slipper.

Pittsburgh at Houston

The Steelers may be the most confusing team in the league this year. They must have thought the season started in Week 2 because the Ravens in week one shellacked them. Then they came back to shutout the Seahawks and struggle to triumph the lonely Colts. Do they boast the league's best defense or not? The verdict will be out following their game against one of the most explosive offenses in the Houston Texans. Matt Schaub is the conductor of that train with healthy weapons, at long last, in Andre Johnson and Arian Foster. The Texans' defense has been surprisingly praiseworthy thus far, so their matchup against Big Ben and the Steelers' offense will likely determine the winner. Look for the Texans' revamped defense to get after Roethlisberger and his struggling offensive line to make the difference in a Houston win.

NY Jets at Baltimore

The Sunday set of games finishes out with two AFC contenders in primetime. The Jets and Ravens pose many similarities with second-level quarterbacks and aggressive defenses being the most obvious. The Ravens are coming off a dominating victory at St. Louis and have surrendered only three touchdowns in as many games. Will Mark Sanchez even be able to score? Probably, but the opportunities on Sunday night will be limited, especially with the game being in Baltimore. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and the league's best defense will be all over the field making it easy for quarterback Joe Flacco to do his thing and lead the offense. If the Jets defense can do the same, look for a barnburner; if not, let the Raven's roll.

Some teams are doing just that; they're getting on a roll. The Lions, Packers, and Bills sure are rolling. Look elsewhere and you will find some contenders like Chicago and Atlanta getting rolled over. The season remains young, but with injury reports thickening, pressure increasing and losses accumulating, something has to give. Hopefully it's not the television remote because fantastic football awaits you this weekend.

All eyes will be on Camp Randall this weekend in a prime time game, with College Gameday on hand, and UW facing a top-ranked opponent in a key Big Ten October matchup.

Sound familiar?

It should, because there are many aspects that parallel this weekend's matchup between Wisconsin and Nebraska with last season's game against Ohio State. Nebraska doesn't hold a number one ranking like the Buckeyes did, but the game has just as much, if not more, hype than last year's game.

With all the comparisons and parallels that can be drawn between the two games, there's one major difference: the Badgers are the favorites this year. Wisconsin has been favored by as much as nine points, which is a hefty amount for what will most likely be its biggest test of the season.

The Badgers aren't used to playing the role of the favorites. Last year's late October battle with Ohio State was a "coming out" party for the Badgers. With the nation watching, it was their chance to show they were legitimate Big Ten contenders that could win crucial games. Coming off a disappointing loss to Michigan State on the road, Wisconsin faced what would be the defining game of its season. Unlike recent UW teams, it chose not to falter again to a top Big Ten opponent and be satisfied with another average bowl game. Last year's Badgers team showed they were special, as they defied recent history with their 31-18 victory over the Buckeyes. The game set the tone for the remainder of the Badger's season all the way to Pasadena.

This weekend Madison prepares itself for as many as 20,000 Nebraska fans donning their favorite black Cornhusker gear. The cheapest tickets sold on the secondary market have been going for over $200. Everyone expects a great game, but does the contest between the Badgers and Cornhuskers match the hype that's been building for months? Maybe, but it seems that's not necessarily the case.

The Big Ten season will look different this year with twelve teams, two divisions, and a conference title game. Nebraska is in the Legends Division of the Big Ten, while the Badgers play in the Leaders Division. In order to earn the right to play in the Big Ten Championship game, it's only necessary for a school to win its respected division. It would appear Wisconsin's biggest threat in the Leaders Division would be the Ohio State Buckeyes, who play UW in Columbus on October 29. That matchup is probably the most important game of the season for the Badgers, if their goal is to make it to the Big Ten Championship game. From this perspective, the Ohio State game is much more important than this weekend's highly anticipated matchup with Nebraska.

Although it seems the Ohio State game may be more important, the Nebraska game has much more implications than most would expect.

You can ignore the fact that if the Badgers lose this game, their national title hopes are essentially gone. You can ignore that fact that if the Badgers lose, their swagger and confidence will greatly diminish. You can ignore the fact that this game will very likely set the tone for the rest of Wisconsin's season. You can ignore the fact that that if the Badgers lose, Russell Wilson's shot a winning the Heisman is practically over.

If you put all that by the wayside, there's still a reason why Wisconsin desperately needs to win this football game: for the future of its program and the Big Ten.

The downfall of the Ohio State and Michigan football programs in recent years has opened the door for other schools in the Big Ten to fill the void of the elite programs in the conference. Michigan hasn't had the same type of success its accustomed to since Lloyd Carr retired, and Ohio State's recent scandal has left them scrambling to rebuild its image. The Big Ten has never been so open or ready for a new school to emerge as the face of the conference, and Wisconsin looks to be the perfect school to fill that role.

Coming off a Rose Bowl appearance, many experts wondered if last season was a one-year fluke for the Badgers. They were questioning if Wisconsin would be able to realistically contend for a conference title every year, or if it'd return to being the third or fourth best team in the conference that was content with a trip to the Capital One or Outback Bowl each season. Last year was an impressive season for UW, who made its first Rose Bowl appearance since 2000. But as head coach Bret Bielema said last year, ten years is too long between Rose Bowl appearances.

It's time for Wisconsin to show it can consistently contend and win the big games. In 2008 they lost three key games against ranked opponents, and in 2009 lost its most important games of the year against Ohio State (#9) and Iowa (#11). It's been a recent trend for the Badgers to win their games against easier conference foes, but falter in the games where the stakes are higher. The game against Nebraska gives Wisconsin another opportunity to show it can perform well when the lights are at their brightest. UW beat Ohio State and Iowa in consecutive weeks last season, but they also squandered away a game at Michigan State. Nobody expects Wisconsin to win all of its matchups against top ranked opponents, but the Badgers need to prove they can win the majority of their tough tests. This is especially the case when they're favorites to win a game at the raucous Camp Randall Stadium.

It would also be a travesty for the newest member of the Big Ten to defeat the favorite to win the conference in its first Big Ten contest. Nebraska's toughest remaining games are both at home against Ohio State and Michigan State, so if the Cornhuskers knock off the Badgers, the conference would be theirs to lose. The national media would love to use the success of a new team to once again showcase the weakness of Big Ten football, which is not what Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany envisioned when he got Nebraska to join the conference.

The outcome of Saturday night's game will have a significant impact on determining the future perception of Wisconsin football and restructuring the hierarchy of the Big Ten. It's Bret Bielema's time to show his Wisconsin Badgers can truly "jump around" with the best schools in college football.

Several key matchups headlined week 4 of the college football season. The game of the week had Oklahoma State facing off against Texas A&M in an early season top-10 contest. After spotting the Aggies a 20-3 lead at the half, quarterback Brandon Weeden led the Cowboys on a ferocious comeback, as he threw for 438 yards in leading the Cowboys to an improbable 30-29 victory.

Alabama welcomed Arkansas to Bryant-Denny Stadium in a crucial SEC battle. The Crimson Tide wasted no time taking a 17-7 lead at the break, on the way to an impressive 38-14 victory behind an outstanding performance by running back Trent Richardson, who piled up 126 yards on 7.4 yards-per-carry.

After spotting Missouri an early 14-10 lead, Oklahoma rallied behind the strong arm of Landry Jones and the sure hands of Ryan Broyles, as the Sooners pulled off the 38-28 victory in Norman. Although Oklahoma was able to pull off the victory, they dropped to number two in the AP Top-25 behind LSU.

Defense wins championships, and in the SEC defense is key. Right now, all signs point towards either Alabama or LSU bringing the conference an unprecedented sixth consecutive national championship.

LSU, Alabama, and Oklahoma are clearly the cream of the crop right now in college football. Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Stanford and Boise State all look to stay in the mix for the time being, but it will take quite the effort to pass the elite teams currently in the top three of the polls.

My Top 5:

1) LSU 4-0

2) Oklahoma 3-0

3) Alabama 4-0

4) Oklahoma State 4-0

5) Wisconsin 4-0

Biggest Surprise: Yes, it is already week 4 and they have already proven not to be a fluke, but LSU behind Jarrett Lee has to be my biggest surprise of the week. The way they manhandled a solid West Virginia squad completely caught me off guard. Not only is Lee filing in for the suspended Jordan Jefferson, he is performing in a similar manner to which Tom Brady did filling in for Drew Bledsoe in 2001. The SEC is loaded, and the next few weeks will be crucial, but for the time being LSU looks to be a legitimate national championship contender.

Biggest Disappointment: Florida State falling to Clemson is my biggest disappointment of the week. Just two weeks ago the Seminoles were in the top five and playing Oklahoma in a highly anticipated matchup. Now they have lost two consecutive games, and look to be on their way towards a tumultuous season. Expectations are always sky high in Tallahassee, but this season looks to be another disappointment.

Offensive Player of the Week: Brandon Weeden is this week's top offensive player. After trailing Texas A&M 20-3 at the half, Weeden led Oklahoma State on a great comeback, throwing for 438 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys pulled off the stunner in College Station.

Defensive Player of the Week: South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram, who also won the award for the SEC, is my national defensive player of the week. Ingram scored a touchdown by recovering a fumble in the end zone along with four tackles, a pair of sacks, and a pass breakup in the Gamecocks 21-3 win over Vanderbilt.

Play of the Week: Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu had an absurd interception for LSU against West Virginia: Tyrann Mathieu with the athletic interception

If you find yourself being nostalgic about Green Bay's Super Bowl run last year, perhaps this week's game will satisfy your football needs. The Packers (2-0) are set to face off against their divisional rival, the Chicago Bears (1-1), in a NFC Championship Game rematch at Soldier Field. Last week, the Packers defeated the Carolina Panthers 30-23 in a sloppy and uninspiring affair. Nonetheless, the Packers have won consecutive games to start the year and eight in a row (including playoffs) dating back to last season. Neither team was able to establish a consistent run game, but that did little to deter the combined 53 points that were scored. The secondary remains a severe concern for Green Bay as rookie Cam Newton threw for 432 yards and a score. Aaron Rodgers was on target for much of the game and countered with over 300 yards passing and two touchdowns.

The Chicago Bears travelled to the Big Easy last week and marched out with a discouraging blowout (30-13) at the hands of the Saints. Drew Brees remained on fire and torched Chicago's defense with an efficient 270 yards and three scores through the air. The Bears were unable to gain any momentum on offense or defense and they will look to bounce back in a significant way against Green Bay. In 2010, the two rivals matched up closely as they split their two regular season games. Ultimately, the Packers had the last laugh with a trip to the Super Bowl and a 21-14 victory in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field. All three games between Green Bay and Chicago last year were decided by seven points or less, so it's reasonable to expect an exhilarating nail-biter this week. With that said, here's a glance at four key components of the game to watch during Sunday's intriguing contest.

Replacing Collins: The secondary of the Packers has become a primary concern, and for good reason. Green Bay has allowed over 400 passing yards in both contests this year. To make matters significantly worse, they lost three-time Pro Bowl selection Nick Collins for the season. The safety injured his neck in the win over Carolina and it remains unclear how it may affect him in the future. Neck and spinal injuries are extremely dangerous and in certain circumstances they can be career-threatening (Former Packers' receiver Terrence Murphy was forced into retirement at age 24 due to a spinal injury in 2006). Losing Nick Collins is a gigantic blow to an already reeling secondary, as he is one of the key playmakers and leaders on defense. Charlie Peprah, who performed admirably as a starter last year, will presume the safety role opposite of Morgan Burnett. Although Peprah is a smart and capable replacement, he still has some physical limitations that set him apart from Collins. In addition, the Packers lack quality depth behind their two new starters. The only other safety besides Peprah and Burnett on the active roster is M.D. Jennings, an undrafted rookie from Arkansas State. As a result, the health and performance of Green Bay's safeties will be an important theme to monitor on Sunday and in the following weeks.

Protecting Culter: Protecting the starting quarterback is a main priority for NFL teams, and it is something that the Chicago Bears have consistently failed to accomplish in the last two years. They have neglected to protect Jay Cutler all of last season, in the playoffs (in which he got injured), and to begin this season. Last year Cutler led all quarterbacks, by a large margin, with 52 sacks taken in fifteen games (Packer fans may remember Aaron Rodgers took a league leading 50 sacks in 2009...Allen Barbre anyone?). It appears Chicago's offensive line hasn't improved much this year either, as Cutler has been sacked 11 times in two games. He may be well-acquainted with the ground again this week as the Bears' line woes are certain to continue in the near future. Rookie starting right tackle Gabe Carimi (On Wisconsin) is going to miss significant time with a dislocated right knee, so Chicago will continue to play musical chairs in the trenches. Frank Omiyale, a frequent victim of Clay Matthews' pass rush last year, will start at right tackle while it remains to be seen whether injured guard Lance Louis resumes his starting duties. Whether you want to blame the personnel, injuries, Mike Martz (offensive coordinator), or Jay Cutler's pocket awareness, the same principle still applies. The Bears will not succeed if Jay Cutler's back is constantly on the ground and he may not be able to physically endure this much punishment in the future.

Special Teams: Two words: Devin Hester. And now, for once, two more: Randall Cobb. It's not often that special teams garners a lot of attention, but whenever Devin Hester is playing it always does. In his career, Hester has returned 14 kicks and punts for touchdowns (NFL record). However, Hester may not be the only one earning attention on special teams this week. Perhaps for the first time since Desmond Howard, the Packers possess a legitimate return specialist who has already shown flashes of quickness and athleticism. Cobb received national hype when he hit paydirt on a record-tying 108 yard return in week one against the Saints. Although Cobb and Hester may not make much of an impact on kick returns (hello, touchbacks), expect extra focus to be exerted towards the pair on punts. As a result, all eyes will be squarely on Green Bay's punter Tim Masthay and Chicago's punter Adam Podlesh. It would probably be in their best interest to utilize the diagonal punt frequently and kick it out of bounds, however it seems to be a dying and difficult art (For evidence, feel free to YouTube Matt Dodge punts to DeSean Jackson). In what is expected to be a barn burner of a game, it may come down to one special teams miscue that determines the final score.

Turnovers: Turnovers; it's what makes Jay Cutler most famous (well, besides people unfairly questioning his toughness). When people aren't questioning his attitude and toughness, they often question his decision making on the field. To Cutler's defense, he doesn't have many notable weapons, is constantly getting smacked, and Mike Martz has him throwing the ball 1,943 times a game (slight exaggeration). Jay Cutler will put up respectable numbers against the Green Bay secondary, and he could very well continue the trend of throwing for over 400+ yards. Nevertheless, he is routinely prone to throwing interceptions early and often. As we start to make Brett Favre comparisons, here are his career statistics against the Packers: 5 games started, 1139 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 9 interceptions. As the numbers show, ball security has clearly been an issue for Cutler against the Packers. For Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers has had his share of difficulties holding onto the ball against the Bears having thrown 4 interceptions in 6 games. If Cutler and Rodgers want to put their team in a position to win, they will have to limit their giveaways. Whichever team turns the ball over less generally wins in the NFL, and I would expect that to holdup in this matchup as well.

As the first divisional matchup for the Bears and Packers in 2011, it should be an extremely intense sequel to the NFC Championship Game last year. The Packers and the Bears matchup pretty equally across the board so the game will likely come down to one key play. Don't be surprised if that decisive play is a sack, interception, or thrilling punt return.

Two weeks deep in the NFL season, the league's best teams are already separating themselves from the rest of the pack. Costly injuries are piling up for some squads and three 2010 playoff teams find themselves still in search of a victory. While the long NFL season is still in its first quarter, significant divisional games are looming in a very important Week 3; here are a few key ones.

New England at Buffalo

Beginning the season, the Patriots certainly didn't circle their Week 3 matchup with the Bills as a vital one for the lead in the AFC East. However, each year there is some wackiness in the NFL and both teams are 2-0. Both offenses are simply outscoring their opponents by averaging over 35 points. Tom Brady has put up astronomical numbers thus far as the Pat's found little difficulty in dominating the Dolphins and Chargers. On the flip side, the Bills escaped with a late win against the Raiders after thumping the Chiefs in Week 1. This game is shaping up as a bonafide shootout, so the team with a better defense will likely be the victor. That's the Patriots, the team that has not lost to Buffalo since 2003. Barring an injury to terrific Tom, that won't change.

NY Giants at Philadelphia

The last time these two teams met, DeSean Jackson was skipping along in the end zone and Tom Coughlin was blamelessly pointing fingers along the sideline. The Giants' playoff chances were fading faster than Jackson could sprint in the game winning score. Things have certainly changed since then. The Eagles put together a purported "dream team" during the condensed free agency period and the Giants were scorned for doing the exact opposite. Through two weeks, nothing separates the pair of one-win teams battling many injuries. If Michael Vick is able to play following a Week 2 concussion, it will likely provide the boost the Eagles need to top their division foe. If they make it dramatic again, Coughlin's face may, somehow, redden just a little more.

Highlighting two early football games would make for a very boring Sunday evening, so here's an intriguing evening game definitely worth viewing.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay

These two NFC South teams have plenty in common. Both entered the season with legitimate hopes of reaching the playoffs. Each team was very disappointed following Week 1 losses to NFC North contenders. Each team, however, bounced back in fourth quarter comeback victories last week. Both teams present bruising tailbacks, accurate quarterbacks and struggling defenses. The Falcons are virtually unbeatable at home, but this game is being played in Tampa where the Bucs have already lost there once this year. This game may just be a toss-up and possibly provide some dinner entertainment with overtime.

By the time dinner is finished, the entertainment might be too, however, when the Steelers beat up on the heavily injured Colts. This likely won't matter because the afternoon provides plenty of amusement; make sure to catch these games.

Week 3 of the college football season continued on Thursday, with LSU facing Mississippi State in an intriguing match-up. Classes in Starkville, Mississippi were cancelled for the highly anticipated game, but LSU's tenacious defense came to play, as the Tigers survived an early SEC test 19-6.

After nearly pulling off a stunning victory against Ohio State in week 2, Toledo hosted Boise State in a Friday night affair. After keeping it relatively close for about a half, Toledo began to unravel. Kellen Moore threw for 455 yards and five touchdowns and the Boise State offense proved to be too much to handle in their 40-15 victory.

Saturday turned out to be another eventful day, with the game of the week coming in primetime as top-ranked Oklahoma faced off against Florida State under the lights in Tallahassee.

Oklahoma held what seemed to be a comfortable 13-3 lead at the half. After Florida State's starting quarterback was knocked out with an arm injury midway through the third, the Seminoles were forced to play redshirt freshman Clint Trickett for a majority of the second half. Despite FSU tying the game in the fourth at 13, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones remained poised and led a decisive drive into the end zone. Kenny Stills capped it off with an acrobatic 37-yard touchdown catch as the Sooners pulled off the late victory.

My Top 5:

1) Oklahoma (2-0)

2) LSU (3-0)

3) Alabama (3-0)

4) Wisconsin (3-0)

5) Stanford (3-0)

Biggest Surprise: Clemson defeating Auburn is my surprise of the week. Clemson, led by head coach Dabo Swinney, always comes out ready to play, but Auburn was coming off of an impressive victory over Mississippi State. Nobody expected Auburn to actually compete in the SEC this year, but I expected the Tigers to make it to their October 1st match-up with South Carolina unscathed.

Biggest Disappointment: My biggest disappointment had to be the manner in which Michigan State lost to Notre Dame. After their miraculous overtime victory a year ago on a fake field goal on fourth down, I expected the Spartans to come out ready to play in South Bend. Quarterback Kirk Cousins played relatively well, but special teams and a late interception proved to be the deciding factors, as the Fighting Irish won their first game of the season by a score of 31-13.

Offensive Player of the Week: South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore, my pre-season Heisman favorite, had one of the best individual performances of the college football season thus far. Lattimore rushed for 246 yards and three touchdowns as he single-handedly helped the Gamecocks avoid an upset bid by Navy.

Defensive Player of the Week: Boston College's Luke Kuechly had a whopping 23 tackles in the Eagles' loss to Duke. Kuechly has racked up an incredible 58 tackles through just the first three weeks of the season.

Play of the Week: Tied 13-13 midway through the fourth quarter, Landry Jones connected with Kenny Stills on a 37-yard touchdown. The impressive play turned out to be decisive, as Oklahoma held off Florida State 23-13. Jones to Stills