Injuries are a key factor in any game, and this game is no different. Nebraska will miss the presence of tackle Baker Steinkuhler on the interior of the defensive line. The Huskers need Chase Rome—among others—to step up with Steinkuhler out. And center Justin Jackson is out. It will be Mark Pelini or Cole Pensick at center.

This Big Ten title game is about more than celebrating the culmination of the season and crowning a conference champ. This Big Ten title game is about validating a program—and validating a coach. I’m talking about Nebraska and Bo Pelini. That’s what’s at stake on Saturday night inside Lucas Oil Stadium—the “House the Peyton Manning Built.”

This should be fun. The 2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game, that is. People will argue it’s not going to be much of a game, because it doesn’t feature the Big Ten’s top team – 12-0 Leaders Division champ Ohio State – it’s a rematch of a game earlier this season, and it includes a 7-5 Wisconsin team that has lost three of its last four.

The Big Ten title game is almost upon us, and who better to break down Nebraska and Wisconsin than coordinators from other Big Ten schools? I dialed up six Big Ten coordinators from both sides of the ball and talked off the record with the guys who watched film, prepared game plans and stared down each team on a Saturday this fall. I asked them for their frank, candid and unvarnished analysis of each team.

Act Two of the Big Ten title game is almost upon us, but it will be difficult to top last year’s 42-39 sprint that Wisconsin won over Michigan State. Still, Wisconsin and Nebraska will try. Like last year’s Badgers-Spartans game, this year’s Badgers-Huskers game is a rematch of a scintillating regular-season meeting.

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema understands a lot of people believe his Badgers don’t deserve to be playing in the Big Ten championship game. Asked if he’s insulted by the sentiment, he says he’s not.

INDIANAPOLIS – Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany had every reason to smile late Saturday night.

INDIANAPOLIS – The notion of three yards and cloud of dust was trashed on this night. Instead, the inaugural Big Ten championship game was a celebration of yards, points–and more yards and points. And a running into the kicker penalty on Michigan State that killed the Spartans’ last hope to score to rally for the winning score.

In a game filled with action from start to finish, Wisconsin defeated Michigan State to win the first Big Ten Football Championship Game, 42-39. BTN.com’s Tom Dienhart writes that few thought this game had much of a chance to live up to the first meeting in October but it certainly did. Now Wisconsin heads to their second straight Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, thanks in large part to Montee Ball’s 137 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.

We posted photos from the Big Ten Football Championship throughout the game itself. Now look back and see some great shots of  Russell Wilson, Montee Ball, Keshawn Johnson, a three-photo sequence of that crazy lateral by Keith Nichol, and much more.  And since we’re on the topic of great images, watch a very cool video from the  BTN pregame show spotlighting the images of the year in the Big Ten.

We followed BTN.com’s Tom Dienhart (@BTNTomDienhart) and Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) live from the site of the first Big Ten Football Championship game as they tweeted details and photos from the event. We spotlighted their tweets in the post below. Click inside and stay in touch with our guys.

As a BTN.com web editor, I’m in Indianapolis covering the Big Ten Football Championship and filing reports including videos and tweets. I’ll also snap off some photos. Follow me on Twitter (@BTNBrentYarina). The Fan Fest has a feature where you can sit at the anchor desk and call a highlight reel. I met the father-son duo of Mark and Andy DeNato and watched them break down the Big Ten title game.

INDIANAPOLIS-Michigan State is hungry for its first Rose Bowl appearance since the 1987 season. It also is motivated to earn some respect. This is a program that has the best league record in the Big Ten over the past four years. This is a program that has won 10-games in consecutive seasons for the first time ever and is aiming for its first back-to-back Big Ten titles since 1965-66.

Friday night Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema and Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio talked with our Big Ten Network team in Indianapolis leading up to Saturday’s Big Ten Football Championship. Watch Bielema now and dive inside this post for our Dantonio interview and the complete press conference for each coach from earlier in the day. For more, go to our Big Ten Football Championship section for more updates on this game.

The first meeting between Michigan State and Wisconsin was an epic encounter that most consider to be the game of the year in the Big Ten. The Badgers raced to a 14-0 lead before seeing the Spartans go on a tear to lead 23-14 at halftime. Michigan State pushed its lead to 31-17 early in the fourth quarter before Wisconsin rallied to tie the game, 31-31.