With Week 8 behind us, it’s time for my latest Big Ten Player Rankings. Again, I’m doing these a little different this year. Whereas I used to rank the top 10 players – a practice that was tough due to all the talent on both sides of the ball – I’ll rank the top six offensive and defensive players each week.

Every Saturday night during the college football season, BTN.com web editor Brent Yarina hands out his weekly Big Ten Game Balls. The series is called “U.S. Marines Corps: Leaders of the Week,” and it’s designed to spotlight the Big Ten’s top individual performances. Who took home the honors from Week 8? Find out in this post.

With Week 7 behind us, it’s time for my latest Big Ten Player Rankings. Again, I’m doing these a little different this year. Whereas I used to rank the top 10 players – a practice that was tough due to all the talent on both sides of the ball – I’ll rank the top six offensive and defensive players each week.

Every Saturday night during the college football season, BTN.com web editor Brent Yarina hands out his weekly Big Ten Game Balls. The series is called “U.S. Marines Corps: Leaders of the Week,” and it’s designed to spotlight the Big Ten’s top individual performances. Who took home the honors from Week 7? Find out in this post.

Wisconsin running back Montee Ball broke the Big Ten record for most career touchdowns Saturday at Purdue. Ball broke the record, previously held by former Wisconsin standout Ron Dayne, on his third touchdown run of the game. It came on three-yard run, his shortest scoring scamper of the day. The senior tied Dayne’s record on a career-long 67-yard run. Watch the record-breaking run here and see him tie the record in this post.

Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball has left Wisconsin’s game against UTEP with a head injury. Ball appeared to be injured on a 1-yard scoring run at the start of the second quarter Saturday. He looked shaken as he got up, and the Wisconsin medical staff was quick to take him on the sidelines and examine him.

With Week 2 behind us, it’s time for my latest Big Ten Player Rankings. Again, I’m doing these a little different this year. Whereas I used to rank the top 10 players – a practice that was tough due to all the talent on both sides of the ball – I’ll rank the top six offensive and defensive players each week.

With Week 1 behind us, it’s time for my latest Big Ten Player Rankings. Again, I’m doing these a little different this year. Whereas I used to rank the top 10 players – a practice that was tough due to all the talent on both sides of the ball – I’ll rank the top six offensive and defensive players each week.

Montee Ball isn’t nicknamed The Bus, but he’s on one in Madison, Wis. Take that, Jerome Bettis. The Wisconsin athletic department put Ball on one Madison bus that will travel throughout the city through the end of September. It’s all part of Wisconsin’s “This Fall Belongs to Ball” campaign that promotes its 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist.

Believe it or not, BTN will celebrate its fifth anniversary later this month. The big day is Aug. 30, to be exact. As a way to celebrate – not to mention kill time before the 2012 season kicks off – I’m spotlighting some of the great careers during our time on the air. I’ll do it in the mold of “Big Ten’s Best,” our popular countdown show that returns this fall for another season of ranking the best in Big Ten history. My fifth list ranks the top five individual seasons of the BTN era.

It’s been a fast handful of years, and on Aug. 30, BTN will officially celebrate its fifth anniversary. Crazy to think, huh? To celebrate – not to mention kill time before the season kicks off – I’m spotlighting some of the great football careers during our existence. I’ll do it in the mold of “Big Ten’s Best,” our popular countdown show that returns this fall for another season of ranking the best in Big Ten history. My second list ranks the top five running backs of the last five seasons, aka the BTN era.

The BTN tour bus just became an even bigger fan attraction. On Monday, the tour hit Madison, meaning it was time for 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball to sign his likeness on our bus. If you haven’t seen the bus, either in pictures or on the road, it features one Big Ten player from every team. Ball, of course, represents Wisconsin, the two-time defending Big Ten champs.

(AP) Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema says star running back Montee Ball won’t be ready for camp after suffering a concussion during a street fight.

Star Wisconsin running back and top Heisman contender Montee Ball was the victim of an “unprovoked assault” on Wednesday morning, according to Madison police. Here is a link to a report on the incident.

Big Ten media days kick off Thursday in Chicago, so I thought I’d release my preseason Big Ten player rankings. I’m going to do these a little different this year. In previous years, I’d rank the top 10 players, which often became a tough task with all the talent on both sides of the ball. To account for both sides, I’ll rank the top six offensive and defensive players each week.