The Big Ten grid links that matter are right here. Come inside and get the latest headlines, from Matt McGloin to the YouTube videos John L. Smith doesn’t want any of us to remember to Michigan and Michigan State’s challenging schedules, among other things.

Not all non-conference schedules are created equal, as you can see from my rankings, from 1-12, of the Big Ten non-league menus. Some are high calorie. Some are low-calorie. So, who has the toughest slate? And the easiest? Find out in this post. You can find all of my Big Ten football coverage here. Oh, and if you like rankings like this, you’ll want to check out this archive, where I’m ranking 2012 games, players and schedules.

Is there a hotter or better program in the Big Ten right now than Wisconsin? The Badgers are coming off back-to-back Big Ten championships and Rose Bowl appearances. And the good times are primed to continue to roll as Bret Bielema enters his sixth season in Madison with lots of mojo.

Last year brought us some epic Big Ten games. We soon won’t forget Michigan State over Wisconsin; Ohio State beating the Badgers; Nebraska rallying over Ohio State. What classics are waiting to be hatched in 2012, you ask? Good question. Get out your red Sharpie and circle these games that land on my Top 15 Big Ten clashes of 2012. Earlier, I ranked the top 15 nonconference games. Did I miss one? Tell me which Big Ten games have you fired up the most. I’m on Twitter and Facebook, too.

BTN lead football analysts Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith recently completed their spring trek across Big Ten country, and now it’s time for the impressions from the trip. Lucky for us, DiNardo is a dedicated tweeter. See some of Coach’s thoughts from his travels in this post.