BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart covers Big Ten football all year long. Check out these links:
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Read Dienhart's PostsGreg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
It’s that time of the week for me to reach into my mailbag and answer some of your questions. The buzz is about basketball, which makes sense as the conference season steams toward the midpoint with four teams in the thick of the race: Michigan, Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State. So, let’s get right to your questions.
Find out more about: Dienhart's Mailbag
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Fortunes continue to rise and fall in the Big Ten race, which drips with intrigue. No game this weekend is more fascinating than Michigan State’s visit to Indiana on Sunday. The Hoosiers already have lost once at home to Wisconsin. And that loss isn’t looking too good in hindsight. Indiana surely can’t afford another slip, right? But here come the Spartans, winners of six in a row and the hottest team in the Big Ten.
Find out more about: Dienhart's Three-Pointers
There are story lines galore for this Sunday’s Michigan State at Indiana game. So, let’s start Friday’s daily links right there. Tom Izzo will be matching wits with his protégé, Tom Crean. The battle of big men Adreian Payne and Cody Zeller will be epic. Also fascinating: How Indiana fans will react to Michigan State freshman Gary Harris, an Indianapolis area product who shunned the Hoosiers for the Spartans.
Find out more about: Dienhart's Daily Links
David Banks-US PRESSWIRE
For some players, it’s all about getting a jump on the college experience in hopes of getting a jump on winning a job. That’s why players enroll in college early.
Find out more about: Spring Football
Wisconsin big man Jared Berggren knows what’s at stake when Minnesota visits the Kohl Center on Saturday. The Badgers need a win—badly. Following a surprising 4-0 start in Big Ten play, Wisconsin has lost two games in a row, at Iowa last weekend and against Michigan State on Tuesday.
Find out more about: Big Ten Q&A
BTN has confirmed that new Purdue coach Darrell Hazell has made the final big hire of his first Boilermakers staff, tabbing John Shoop as offensive coordinator.
Find out more about: Big Ten coaching hires
Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
With top-ranked Duke going down hard, and I mean hard, last night against the Miami Hurricanes, the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll may be there for the taking for AP No. 2 Michigan if it beats Purdue at home tonight and then prevails at Illinois on Sunday. Right now, Michigan is No. 3 in the Coaches Poll behind Duke and Kansas.
Find out more about: Big Ten Blast, Dienhart's Daily Links
Bradley Leeb-USA TODAY Sports
Your team has the ball and is trailing by two points with less than 10 seconds to play. Who do you want to take the last shot? It’s no time for the faint at heart or the timid. Nope. This is the time for the clutch players with ice in their veins to step up.
Find out more about: Super Seven
Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
Tough loss for Wisconsin on its homecourt last night to Michigan State. Among legit Big Ten contenders, the Badgers, Gophers and Hoosiers all now have suffered defeats on their turf. Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State have held serve at home, which is key. No shame in Wisconsin losing to a very good Michigan State team, which is where I will begin daily links on this chilly Wednesday.
Find out more about: Dienhart's Daily Links
It’s never too early to think about March Madness and how the NCAA tourney bracket may fill out. The Big Ten figures to be well-represented in March, with as many as seven projected tourney teams in some mid-January brackets.
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
There are some intriguing matchups this week that will go a long way toward determining the Big Ten race, led by Michigan State’s visit to Indiana on Sunday. Will the Hoosiers lose another game in Assembly Hall?
Find out more about: Ranking the Games, Rankings
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Another week, another slate of big games in the Big Ten, which has five Top 25 teams this week: No. 2 Michigan; No. 7 Indiana; No. 12 Minnesota; No. 13 Michigan State; No. 14 Ohio State. Illinois dropped out, while Wisconsin looked poised to join the ranks of the ranked after winning at Indiana on Tuesday but then lost at Iowa on Saturday.
Find out more about: Big Ten Whiteboard
Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
This is a big week in Wisconsin hoops, with a visit from Michigan State tonight following by a visit from Minnesota on Saturday. That’s why I’m gonna begin daily links with the Badgers.
Find out more about: Dienhart's Daily Links
Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
The Super Bowl matchup is set! But bigger news on the college front came from the recent NCAA convention, when it was announced that the governing body was altering rules to make them more user-friendly. Nice. Let’s start the daily links there.
Find out more about: Dienhart's Daily Links
It’s that time of the week, time to reach into my mailbag and answer your questions. Basketball season is in full swing, but football always is on the mind of readers. I like that. So, let’s begin.
Find out more about: Dienhart's Mailbag
What kind of week has it been in the Big Ten? With Northwestern winning at Illinois on Thursday, road teams have won six of the nine games this week. And we still have Saturday to go. Are you listening, Iowa and Michigan State? Wisconsin plays at Iowa while Ohio State plays at Michigan State in two big games on Saturday. If the Badgers and Buckeyes can continue the trend of road teams winning, it will be impressive.
Find out more about: Dienhart's Three-Pointers
Purdue announced the official hirings of six assistants for new coach Darrell Hazell’s staff. Defensive coordinator Greg Hudson; offensive line coach Jim Bollman; linebackers coach Marcus Freeman; cornerbacks coach Jon Heacock; receivers coach Kevin Sherman; running backs coach Jafar Williams. It’s a nice blend of youth and experience, giving Hazell a good base to build from.
Find out more about: Big Ten coaching hires
Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
No doubt, Wisconsin’s victory at Indiana on Tuesday was impressive. But Michigan’s win at Minnesota last night may have been even more impressive. So, let’s start daily links right there, OK?
Find out more about: Big Ten Blast, Dienhart's Daily Links
News that Wisconsin quarterback Curt Phillips received a sixth season of eligibility is good for the Badgers—and for Phillips, who has endured a lot in his career.
Competitive people like challenges. And that’s exactly what Chip Kelly is going to get when he takes over the Philadelphia Eagles. Kelly is the latest college coach to make the move to the NFL. It’s becoming a trend in the NFL, the ultimate copycat league.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
If it’s Thursday, it must mean there is a big game in the Big Ten, right? Yep. Brace yourself for No. 5 Michigan visiting No. 9 Minnesota. Let’s begin daily links right there. This will be the first meeting of top-10 teams in the venerable Barn since—are you ready for this?—1977.
Find out more about: Dienhart's Daily Links
The final punctuation mark has been put on the 2012 season and we closed that latest chapter. Now, we turn the page and look toward 2013. Before you know it, spring football will be here.
Find out more about: Rankings
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota point guard Andre Hollins knows what’s at stake on Thursday night when No. 5 Michigan visits the Barn.
Find out more about: Andre Hollins, Big Ten Q&A
Wisconsin’s win at No. 2 Indiana was impressive. Not only that, but the victory pushed the Badgers into sole possession of first place in a Big Ten race that looks to be wide open now. And, get this: Wisconsin isn’t even ranked, while six other Big Ten teams are: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois. Let’s start the daily links there.
Find out more about: Big Ten Blast, Dienhart's Daily Links
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
We all know that come March, college basketball becomes all about the guards. In fact, whatever teams have the best guard play typically advance the farthest in the NCAA tourney. But, every coach loves to have a big man–especially a GOOD big man. And, look around: They typically are few and far between. But this year, the Big Ten has a plethora of good players who are 6-10 or taller—and three of them are freshmen.
Find out more about: Rankings, Super Seven
Enter the Buffalo Wild Wings Trip to the Big Ten Tournament Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for two to the 2015 Big Ten men's Basketball Tournament. 
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