ESPN College Football

On Monday, I unveiled the start of our own little March Madness: A Big Ten Champions Tournament.

In case you missed it, I selected an eight-team field of champions from the past 15 years. Your votes will determine who wins each matchup. Voting in the first game of our first round is open until 9 a.m. ET Wednesday, though No. 1 seed 2002 Ohio State appears to be running away from No. 8 seed 2007 Ohio State, as expected.

Now it's time to reveal the second matchup of our first round:

No. 2 seed 1997 Nebraska vs. No. 7 seed 1999 Wisconsin

The 1997 Cornhuskers were one of the best teams in school history, romping through an undefeated season and whipping Tennessee in the Orange Bowl to earn a share of the national title. This team was nearly unstoppable on the ground, rushing for an amazing 72 touchdowns in 13 games. Nebraska had the Outland Trophy winner in Aaron Taylor and the Lombardi Award winner in Grant Wistrom, along with All-Americans Jason Peter and Ahman Green. However, there are those who'll still insist the Huskers should have lost to Missouri in the famous "Flea Kicker" game.

The 1999 Wisconsin team had two losses, including one to Cincinnati. But these Badgers won their final eight games and beat Stanford in their second straight Rose Bowl appearance. They had the Heisman Trophy winner in Ron Dayne and a strong young quarterback in Brooks Bollinger. Barry Alvarez would have a chance to coach against his alma mater in this theoretical matchup. But would Wisconsin have the speed to slow down a high-octane Nebraska rushing attack?

Vote in the poll to determine the winner of this game, and send me your reasons for why you voted the way you did. The best responses will be included in the post announcing who moves onto the semifinals.

Has something seemed odd to you about the BCS bowls this year? Does it seem like ... oh wait, West Virginia just scored again.

Does it seem like ... wait, there goes De'Anthony Thomas. Don't think he'll get caught from behind.

Does it seem like ... wait, would somebody please tackle Justin Blackmon?

Does it seem like there have been a lot of points this bowl season?

It's not just you. There have been a lot of points. More points than ever before. And by huge quantities.

So far, BCS bowl teams have averaged a total of 77 points in the Rose, Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls. That, folks, is nearly 26 points more than last year (51.6). And it's nearly 11 points better than the previous high of 66.3 from 2001-02.

Perhaps pairing two SEC teams in the title game has created a black hole sucking all defensive stinginess into the LSU-Alabama rematch, which you might recall went 9-6 with no touchdowns in their first meeting. West Virginia scored 10 touchdowns -- 10! -- against Clemson. Alabama gave up 12 TDs all season.

Speaking of Clemson: ACC. Well, well, well.

After the Tigers ingloriously fell 70-33 to the Mountaineers, we got our second story from the BCS bowl season: The ACC's insistence on throwing up on itself in BCS bowl games.

The conference that was once expected to challenge the SEC is now 2-13 in BCS bowl games. That's hard to do. You'd think in 15 BCS bowls the conference could get lucky at least five or six times. But no, it insists on making ACC blogger Heather Dinich, a genuinely nice person, into some sort of Grim Reaper every bowl season.

Heck, the Big East has won seven BCS bowls -- second fewest among AQ conferences -- but it's 7-7.

Of course, this all ties together, and we're here to bring out a bow, but first a warning: If you don't want to read about how good the SEC is for the 56,314th time this year, then stop reading. I'd recommend an episode of "South Park" or perhaps a John le Carré thriller as an alternative for passing the time.

We can all agree the SEC plays great defense right? Alabama and LSU will play for the title Monday with the nation's top-two defenses. Do you think perhaps that it's not a coincidence that the conference that is 16-7 in BCS bowl games plays great defense?

The only other AQ conference with a winning record in BCS bowl games is the Pac-12, which is 11-7. The Pac-12 isn't known for defense, either, but USC was when it won the conference's last national title in 2004.

The only team to win a BCS national title without an elite defense was Auburn in 2010, but the Tigers' defense seemed to find itself late in the season. Since 1999, eight national champions had a top-10 defense. Other than Auburn, the lowest-rated defense to win a BCS national title was Ohio State in 2002. It ranked 23rd in the nation in total defense.

Three of the four BCS bowl games have been thrillers. Two went to overtime. We've seen big plays all over the field in the passing game and running game. Yet, if things go according to script in the title game, we'll see none of that. We might not see more than a couple of plays that go for more than 20 yards. We might not see any.

Some might call that boring. It might seem that both offenses are so paranoid of making a mistake that they are stuck in mud, both in game plan and execution.

But, snoozefest or not, when the clock strikes zero a team from the SEC will hoist the crystal football for a sixth consecutive time.

That might say something about playing better defense.

My Heisman Trophy ballot has changed every week for the last couple of months.

I'm not surprised there are more than three players going to the trophy presentation.

Five players were invited to New York for Saturday night's Heisman Trophy presentation -- quarterbacks Andrew Luck of Stanford and Robert Griffin III of Baylor, tailbacks Montee Ball of Wisconsin and Trent Richardson of Alabama and cornerback Tyrann Mathieu of LSU.

It's a shame the Heisman Trust didn't have room for three more quarterbacks because Houston's Case Keenum, USC's Matt Barkley and Boise State's Kellen Moore were just as deserving.

With five finalists going to New York, it figures to be one of the closer votes in recent Heisman Trophy history.

The closest vote in Heisman Trophy history came just two years ago, when Alabama tailback Mark Ingram edged Stanford's Toby Gerhart by only 28 points. Ingram received 227 first-place votes, Gerhart got 222 and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, the second runner-up, received 203.

Given the number of finalists and their geographical regions, we could have another really close finish on Saturday night.

Luck, the runner-up to Auburn's Cam Newton last season, entered the 2011 season as the Heisman Trophy favorite. His performance didn't slip much this season, as he completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards with 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

I still feel Luck might be the most valuable player on any team in the country. Without him, there's no way the Cardinal is ranked No. 4 in the country and playing No. 3 Oklahoma State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Luck has done more with less, as Stanford lacks the game-changing playmakers that other teams have.

But Luck might still be the second-best quarterback in New York. Griffin, who is widely known as RG3, completed 72.4 percent of his passes for 3,998 yards with 36 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 644 yards with nine touchdowns.

Without him, the Bears wouldn't have beaten TCU, Oklahoma and Texas. Griffin's one drawback: He had a late interception that sealed the Bears' fate in a 36-35 loss at Kansas State on Oct. 1 and threw two picks in a 59-24 loss at Oklahoma State on Oct. 29. But with everything else RG3 has done this season, it's easy to give him a mulligan for the miscues.

I still believe Richardson is the best player in the country. He looked like the best player on the field in No. 2 Alabama's 9-6 loss in overtime to No. 1 LSU on Nov. 5. He had 89 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards in a game where every yard mattered. He finished the season with 1,583 yards with 20 touchdown runs and three touchdown catches. He's also Mr. Dependable, not losing a fumble in his past 520 touches and only once in 614 career touches.

Ball has been a scoring machine for the No. 10 Badgers this season, running for 1,759 yards with 32 touchdown runs and six touchdown receptions. His 38 total touchdowns are one shy of matching former Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season record of 39 set in 11 games in 1988. Ball's production helped lead the Badgers to a Jan. 2 date against Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO.

Mathieu fell off my ballot after he was suspended from playing in the Tigers' 45-10 victory over Auburn on Oct. 22 for smoking synthetic marijuana. But his big plays helped the Tigers overcome deficits in each of their last two victories, over Arkansas and Georgia in the SEC championship game.

Mathieu -- aka the "Honey Badger" -- is the best player on the top-ranked team. He leads the Tigers with 70 tackles and has forced six fumbles and recovered five. He also is the most dynamic punt returner I've seen since Florida State's Deion Sanders. Mathieu has scored four touchdowns -- two on fumble returns and two on punt returns.

To penalize Mathieu for one foolish mistake wouldn't have been right. After all, Newton was briefly ruled ineligible at Auburn last season and 2010 Heisman Trophy finalist LaMichael James of Oregon was suspended from playing in last season's opener.

Wisconsin Badgers (11-2) vs. Oregon Ducks (11-2)

Jan. 2, 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Wisconsin take from Big Ten blogger Brian Bennett: The memory of last year's 21-19 loss to TCU in the Rose Bowl helped motivate Wisconsin this offseason.

The Badgers made it their mission to get back to the BCS and change the outcome this year, a plan that was nearly derailed by two straight dispiriting October losses. But they battled back to clinch consecutive trips to Pasadena for the first time since the 1998-99 seasons. And the players say they're not satisfied just to get there.

"We didn't finish it right last year," safety Aaron Henry said. "To have a chance to go out there and finish off something is a truly amazing, special feeling."

It won't be easy. Oregon is one of only three teams in the country that scored more points than Wisconsin this season, and the Ducks' speed could cause major problems for a defense that struggled against swiftness in space at times this year.

The Badgers' best defense, though, could be its offense. Their imposing offensive line could wear on the smaller Ducks, and the ground game led by Montee Ball -- who needs just two more touchdowns to set the single-season FBS record -- will help keep Oregon's offense off the field. Quarterback Russell Wilson should thrive against a less physical defense than he faced in the Big Ten, and he embraces the big stage.

An NC State transfer, Wilson will be making his first BCS appearance. The rest of his teammates know the Rose Bowl well. They hope to find out what a Rose Bowl victory feels like.

---

Oregon take from Pac-12 blogger Ted Miller: Oregon is headed to its third consecutive BCS bowl game and second Rose Bowl in three years. That's great, but the Ducks are 0-2 in those games, so the program is no longer just happy to be there. They need to win to climb another rung in the national pecking order.

The Ducks are not unlike previous varieties. They are again an offensive juggernaut, ranking third in the nation in scoring, fifth in rushing and sixth in total offense. Their relentless, up-tempo offense wears opposing defenses down and causes them to lose concentration and gap integrity. The perceived Achilles’ heel that will be tested, however, is this: Coach Chip Kelly has lost six times. In five of those losses, high-quality teams had extra time to prepare their defenses. Your turn, Wisconsin.

That's one take of the Ducks' opener against LSU in Cowboys Stadium. They lost 40-27 in large part because their rebuilt offensive line struggled with the Tigers’ front seven. Of course, Oregon fans will point to losing the turnover battle 4-1. And it's worth noting no other team scored as many points against the Tigers this year. Only West Virginia had more total yards against LSU.

After the LSU loss, Oregon mostly cruised. The marquee showdown at Stanford was underwhelming, as the Ducks' defense controlled Cardinal QB Andrew Luck and the offense just looked too fast for Stanford.

The win at Stanford put the Ducks back into the national title discussion. A week later, however, they were out with a 38-35 loss to USC, missing a late field goal for the tie as time expired. They bounced back with easy wins over Oregon State and UCLA in the Pac-12 championship game.

The Ducks' chief star is running back LaMichael James, the 2010 Doak Walker Award winner and the first back in conference history to rush for more than 1,500 yards three consecutive seasons. But there are plenty of weapons on offense, including multipurpose true freshman De'Anthony Thomas, backup running back Kenjon Barner and tight end David Paulson. The defense produced three first-team All-Pac-12 players and a second-teamer, so it's not a nameless bunch in conference circles. It's solid in most areas and ranks third in the nation with 3.3 sacks per game.

Just how tough is it to play at Camp Randall Stadium?

I'm back to provide a few more Big Ten lunch links now that Adam is on his third (or is it his fourth?) week of vacation.

As I promised the last time, there will be no barbs directed the Big Ten's way and no cheap shots. That's not the way we roll in the SEC. One thing I would like to remind you of, though, is that everything in this correspondence should be treated as confidential and not shared with anyone. Glad we've got that cleared up.

Now, onto some links:

• Nebraska senior Austin Cassidy could end up staying at safety, but he's versatile enough to factor in at nickel, too.
• Wisconsin beats out several SEC teams, including Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee, to land a commitment from offensive lineman Dan Voltz of Barrington, Ill., for the 2012 class.
• Michigan's Denard Robinson will have to get used to taking snaps from under center in Al Borges' new West Coast-like offense.
• Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio says the two Spartans' players arrested last week following an incident at a Colorado bar have been disciplined internally.
• Ohio State coach Jim Tressel apologizes to the fans.
• A closer look at the Iowa defensive line heading into next season.
• Bob Flounders of The Patriot-News examines five hot-button items for Penn State heading into spring practice.

Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett break down the day at the Rose Bowl.

Adam Rittenberg talks with Wisconsin’s Jay Valai about his time in L.A. and facing TCU.

Pat Forde and Ivan Maisel preview the Rose Bowl.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Five lessons from the week that was in the Big Ten:

1. Iowa is foolproof in the clutch -- After a long stretch of heartbreaking losses from 2006-2008, Iowa has won its last five games decided by five points or fewer. The Hawkeyes have fallen behind in both of their Big Ten games and rallied behind tremendous special teams play, opportunistic defense and a resilient quarterback in Ricky Stanzi. Since upsetting Penn State last November, Iowa has displayed a team-wide confidence when things get close. The Hawkeyes might not be able to live on the edge much longer given their schedule, but they're a good bet when the score gets close late in games.

2. Ohio State's defense is the Big Ten's best unit -- Jim Heacock's defense once again has made the Buckeyes the team to beat in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes rank seventh nationally in points allowed and 11th in total defense, and they're forcing more turnovers than they have in past years. No Big Ten offense comes close from a talent and execution standpoint, and while Iowa's defense has been solid, Michigan exposed some weaknesses Saturday at Kinnick Stadium. Despite losing several national award winners, Ohio State's defense repeatedly makes big plays and rescues an offense that still hasn't found its rhythm. Sure, the Buckeyes allowed yards to Wisconsin, but they forced major mistakes and didn't wear down despite being on the field for 42:47.

3. Minnesota can run the football -- Tim Brewster wants to restore Minnesota as a rushing powerhouse, and the Gophers took a big step Saturday. Eight players combined for 207 rush yards and four touchdowns in Saturday's victory against Purdue. Redshirt freshman Kevin Whaley provided a spark off the bench, and quarterback Adam Weber got more involved in the run game with nine carries and a touchdown. Weber only attempted nine passes in the victory, two of which were intercepted. Wide receiver Eric Decker might be the Big Ten's best offensive player, but Minnesota knows it needs to run the ball to win Big Ten games.

4. Big Ten getting defensive -- It's very clear midway through the season that the Big Ten won't be an offensive league in 2009. While veteran quarterbacks have struggled a bit and one potential juggernaut (Illinois) has totally crumbled, the league's defenses are once again the story. Both Ohio State and Penn State boast top-20 units, and Iowa has at times been the league's most impressive defense. Minnesota's linebackers have sparked an improved defense, while both Michigan State and Northwestern are starting to see their veteran-laden units step up. Both Michigan and Wisconsin showed good things on defense despite losses, while the league's bottom three (Purdue, Indiana, Illinois) are all struggling to stop anybody.

5. Michigan not a finished product -- Credit the Wolverines for never giving up and always finding ways to hang around in games, but it's clear that head coach Rich Rodriguez is still very much in the building stage. Michigan is still too prone to defensive breakdowns, and its special-teams play, aside from all-world punter Zoltan Mesko, left much to be desired against Iowa. Despite Tate Forcier's late-game magic earlier this season, Rodriguez didn't go back to the freshman quarterback in crunch time after some earlier struggles. The talent is there and Michigan will continue to improve, but things aren't falling into place just yet.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Sick of the preseason yet? Me, too.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor is a known commodity at Ohio State, but who are the Buckeyes' unknowns? Buckeyes starting defensive end Cam Heyward is wearing a walking boot but shouldn't be out too long, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
A neck injury nearly ended Donsay Hardeman's career, but the Illinois safety is back and can't wait to hit somebody, Shannon Ryan writes in the Chicago Tribune. Illini senior quarterback Juice Williams wants to go out a winner, Herb Gould writes in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Defensive end Nickcaro Golding is among Purdue's top training camp performers, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.
Notes on Wisconsin's quarterback competition, injury updates and the coaching staff lighting up a few players during practice, courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jeff Potrykus.
Minnesota freshman Ra'Shede Hageman could be a 60-minute man this fall, Marcus Fuller writes in the Pioneer Press.
Michigan needs everyone in the same boat to turn things around this fall, Bob Wojnowski writes in The Detroit News.
Freshman quarterback Edward Wright-Baker has moved up to the second-string offense, Chris Korman writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times.
The Lansing State Journal's Joe Rexrode breaks down the candidates still alive for starting spots at Michigan State.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg


Thomas from Dublin, Ohio, writes: Through reports and the one televised practice this summer, it's deduced that the defensive line of Ohio State may be the team's strength.In Saturday's jersey scrimmage, the defensive line seemed to have its way with the offense, leading to the defense keeping the Scarlet jerseys. At this point, is the defensive line so good that it's making the offensive line look bad? The offensive line seems to be having a lot of troubles and I personally cannot tell if it's OSU's defensive line that's causing these problems.


Adam Rittenberg: I'm extremely impressed with the Buckeyes' defensive line heading into the fall, but their strong play in Saturday's scrimmage shouldn't be overblown. The offensive line played without arguably its best piece, guard Justin Boren, who looks to be recovering well from a knee injury. Also, the left tackle position remains very much in flux, with Andrew Miller and J.B. Shugarts competing there. You've also got guys like Bryant Browning and Jim Cordle in different spots, so it's going to take a while for that group to jell.

Adam from Terre Haute, Ind., writes: I don't know what to make of the badgers running back situation. I know zach brown is a very good back but were talking about JOHN CLAY! He just flashed so much potenia last year. Why do you think they moved him back to back up? Is it to motivate him or to make him work harder? Because I can't see any other back starting other than JoHn Clay next season. What should I make of this?


Adam Rittenberg: It surprised me, too, but Wisconsin's decisions might have more to do with Brown's production than any regression from Clay. Brown was kind of the forgotten man last year behind P.J. Hill and Clay, but he clearly has elevated his play in camp. The coaches will play the best player, but you're right about the motivation factor for Clay. After being hyped as the team's No. 1 offensive option all summer, he's suddenly the backup. You can bet he'll be fired up for the season. Wisconsin should benefit from the variety Clay and Brown provide. They're obviously different physically and stylistically, so offensive coordinator Paul Chryst will be able to use them in different situations.

Nick from Tuscaloosa, Ala., writes: What do you think about Minnesota working in the Wildcat...or rather Wild Gopher package into their offense this season? Will it be successful in helping establish a running game?



Adam Rittenberg: Gopher fan in Bama country? Nice. Minnesota has so many athletes, especially on the offensive side, so the Wildcat package makes a lot of sense. You've got a guy like Troy Stoudermire, who was tremendous on kickoff returns last year and played some quarterback in high school. He hasn't played much wide receiver at the college level, but he's dangerous with the ball in his hands and seems like a perfect fit to run the Wildcat.

Matt from NYC writes: Adam,You and others have said the Big Ten needs to win the Rose Bowl to regain its reputation. I've also seen talk that our problems stem from the fact tha we constantly get two
teams in the BCS so all of our teams have to play up in competition. Really, I think our problems stem from USC getting screwed out of the championship game every year. Let someone else play them and the Big Ten can take on number two in the Pac 10. I think you'd see the Big Ten do just fine then. It's not like I see any SEC schools chomping at the bit to play the Trojans. Lord knows those guys will schedule anyone, where as Florida won't leave the state of Florida.



Adam Rittenberg: Good assessment, Matt. No team in the country wants to play USC in a meaningful game, and the Big Ten has seen the Trojans four times in the Rose Bowl this decade. I can't imagine the Big Ten's Rose Bowl losing streak would be what it is had the opponent been Oregon, Cal or Oregon State. Having only one BCS team would improve the league's overall bowl prospects, but the Big Ten wants its teams on the biggest stages with the biggest payouts. Two BCS victories after the 2005 season certainly helped, and the Big Ten could make a similar breakthrough this year, if the matchups fall right.


Craig from Peoria, Ill., writes: Adam:I'm a native from Peoria, IL. However, I am NOT a U of I fan in any shape or form. I developed a love for NU football during the mid 90s while I was playing football in highschool. I feel like the only guy in this area who is a NU fan. I know that NU football has been around a long time, so why is it that the citizens of Chicago do not fill Ryan Field with thousands of fans, yet the U of I can be packed on any given saturday?



Adam Rittenberg: There are several factors involved, namely the number of sporting options in Chicago. Northwestern isn't the only show in town like many Big Ten programs, and the team doesn't have that historical bond with the Chicago sports fan. Things could change with the program's decent run since 1995 and head coach Pat Fitzgerald's popularity, but not enough people in the Chicago area connect to the program. Northwestern's alumni base in Chicago pales in comparison to those of other Big Ten schools (Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin). So it's an uphill battle, but things should pick up if the team keeps winning and schedules better nonconference matchups.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg Rather than bogging down the daily lunch links with stories about the weekend scrimmages around the league, I'm giving you the scrimmage recaps first. Not every team scrimmaged, and not every team had media present, but here are a few links to get you caught up.  You can thank me later.  OHIO STATE Terrelle Pryor had a decent performance in Saturday's scrimmage, completing 17 of 27 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Other standouts included wideout DeVier Posey and running back Dan "Boom" Herron, though the shuffling at left tackle continued.  Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel is pleased with his run game so far.  WISCONSIN The quarterbacks struggled in Saturday's 100-play scrimmage, but the running backs, led by junior Zach Brown, looked impressive.  MINNESOTA More than 15,000 fans attended Saturday's scrimmage in TCF Bank Stadium, and the Gophers' offense showed some promising signs at both running back and wide receiver. Still, much will depend on the offensive line's ability to adjust to a new system.   Quarterback Adam Weber had a mixed performance, with two touchdown passes and three interceptions. INDIANA The Hoosiers' coaches seem closer to announcing their depth chart for the opener, which means we'll soon learn who starts at running back. Redshirt freshman tailback Darius Willis had some nice moments in Saturday's 120-play scrimmage.   NORTHWESTERN Backup quarterback Dan Persa stood out in Northwestern's scrimmage. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg Rather than bogging down the daily lunch links with stories about the weekend scrimmages around the league, I'm giving you the scrimmage recaps first. Not every team scrimmaged, and not every team had media present, but here are a few links to get you caught up.  You can thank me later.  OHIO STATE Terrelle Pryor had a decent performance in Saturday's scrimmage, completing 17 of 27 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Other standouts included wideout DeVier Posey and running back Dan "Boom" Herron, though the shuffling at left tackle continued.  Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel is pleased with his run game so far.  WISCONSIN The quarterbacks struggled in Saturday's 100-play scrimmage, but the running backs, led by junior Zach Brown, looked impressive.  MINNESOTA More than 15,000 fans attended Saturday's scrimmage in TCF Bank Stadium, and the Gophers' offense showed some promising signs at both running back and wide receiver. Still, much will depend on the offensive line's ability to adjust to a new system.   Quarterback Adam Weber had a mixed performance, with two touchdown passes and three interceptions. INDIANA The Hoosiers' coaches seem closer to announcing their depth chart for the opener, which means we'll soon learn who starts at running back. Redshirt freshman tailback Darius Willis had some nice moments in Saturday's 120-play scrimmage.   NORTHWESTERN Backup quarterback Dan Persa stood out in Northwestern's scrimmage. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Coming out of spring practice, it looked likely that Dustin Sherer and John Clay would open the season as Wisconsin's starting offensive backfield.

Now it appears neither man will take the field when the Badgers' offense lines up Sept. 5 against Northern Illinois.

Sherer, who started the final seven games last season at quarterback, has slipped back in the race. Head coach Bret Bielema confirmed that redshirt freshman Curt Phillips and junior Scott Tolzien have created some separation. Phillips has looked like the frontrunner for most of camp, but Tolzien came on strong last week.

"I said I think it was a week ago that a [veteran] player has got to show us a certain amount of things," Bielema said. "And other guys you've got to see what they can do with reps. Scott and Curt have taken advantage of those reps. Nothing against Dustin. He is doing some good things but we want to see where those guys can go in this week."

Perhaps more surprising is the fact that Zach Brown has overtaken Clay at running back. Clay finished seventh in the league in rushing last fall (884 yards) despite backing up P.J. Hill, and he was expected to become a star this season. I named Clay as the 16th best player in the league this spring.

Instead, Brown could open the year as the starter.

[Running backs coach John Settle] made it clear Brown is the No. 1 tailback and it is looking more and more like he'll open the season as the No. 1 back, with John Clay No. 2.

Wow. Very interesting stuff in Madison.