Big Ten Links: Huskers, Badgers ready for Big Ten showdown & more

If you are like me, you can?t wait for the Nebraska at Wisconsin game this Saturday. It is a key Big Ten West showdown. The Cornhuskers can count on the Badgers sticking with their classic power running game that has burned Nebraska in the past. Who can forget the 2012 Big Ten title game? Exactly.

Omaha.com points out that Bo Pelini has faced Wisconsin three times since joining the Big Ten. In 2011, the Badgers ran for 231 yards in a 48-17 win over the Huskers. In a 2012 game at Memorial Stadium, Nebraska stuffed Wisconsin - which had just fired its new offensive line coach - for 56 yards in a 30-27 win.

But the 2012 Big Ten championship game was Pelini?s Waterloo. Wisconsin romped for 539 rushing yards. NU?s defenders, Pelini said, were out of whack. Off-kilter. Focused on the wrong keys. It was flat-out ugly.

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Something else Wisconsin will throw at Nebraska on Saturday in Madison: The Badgers will rotate quarterbacks within the same series. It?s unique.

?I personally think it?s best when you have the ability to use them at any moment,? Gary Andersen said. ?And you have to adjust your defensive scheme to it.?

That will be tricky for the Huskers to keep track of - since both quarterbacks have different strengths, and there will likely be different methods of attack.

?You?ve just got to be aware of who?s in there,? cornerback Josh Mitchell said.

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The great Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News is beginning his 20th season covering national college basketball. He has commemorated the anniversary by authoring his 20 favorite memories on the beat. My favorite is the first one.

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Purdue?s offense suffered a big blow when wideout Danny Anthrop suffered a season-ending knee injury at Nebraska on Nov. 1. He easily was the team?s top wideout and maybe its best playmaker. Now, he faces a long road back. But don?t bet against Anthrop, who I think could be a pro someday along the lines of a Wes Welker or Julian Edelman.

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There is a lot to like about Ohio State hoops, as the Buckeyes welcome arguably the best collection of newcomers in the league headed by D?Angelo Russell. But how will OSU fare without pesky leader Aaron Craft?

"He's so disruptive," Penn State coach Pat Chambers said of Craft last month at Big Ten basketball media day. "If you look back at those games, we went away from him. We used a lot decoys …  It was a great challenge. He was so disruptive in everything. He's such a fearless competitor and great leader."

Now, he?s gone. Craft can?t be replaced. No way. No how. Still, the Buckeyes may be the second-best team in the Big Ten.

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Greg Pickel of Pennlive.com takes a good look at why Penn State?s defensive line has been so good this year. He says it comes down to three coaches.

Former longtime defensive line coach Larry Johnson, and now current first-year assistant Sean Spencer and his graduate assistant Will Windham. Spencer, like Johnson, uses a deep rotation that keeps his best players fresh while ensuring his full unit contributes on game day as much as they do on the practice field and in the film room. This is a championship-caliber defense. Just image if the Nittany Lions offense was just average or above-average.

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Now this is teamwork, as shovelers removed snow from TCF Bank Stadium earlier this week in anticipation of Saturday?s visit from Ohio State. Got paid $10 an hour.

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Speaking of Minnesota, here?s video of a joint press conference between Richard Pitino and his dad Rick in advance of their meeting on the court. Of course, they are trying to downplay the father-son angle. C?mon. Stop it.

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I am a big fan of Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. He has a nice podcast up now where his guest is former Iowa hoops great Roy Marble, who is battling stage-four cancer. He discusses his life and outlook since getting his diagnosis.

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If Rutgers is going to get on track and end a three-game losing skid, it?s going to have to contain Indiana RB Tevin Coleman, one of the best in the business. I like RU?s chances, as its defensive line is pretty stout and it already has seen good backs in Wisconsin?s Melvin Gordon and Nebraska?s Ameer Abdullah. There will be no fear factor for the Scarlet Knights, who can focus on Coleman with the IU passing game floundering.

"The way that he runs - he runs with a purpose, he falls forward a lot, he's a great athlete, he has long limbs," Scarlet Knights d-end Dave Milewski said. "I think he's the best one out of the running backs."

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