The week that was: Last week's top 10 stories

Between the Freeh Report and the Big Ten and Pac-12 announcing that they will suspend their scheduling plan across all sports, there was no shortage of news this past week. Check out our top 10 stories from the week that was in this post.

10. Big Ten, Pac-12 to suspend schedule plan
The Big Ten and Pac-12 announced Friday that they were scrapping plans to schedule games against each other in all sports, with Pac-12 officials saying there were too many complications with football schedules to pull it off.

9. Team USA: Who'd fill out a Big Ten-only roster?
Team USA tips off its Olympic training slate with its first exhibition game Thursday in Las Vegas. USA is stacked, per usual, and it?s the favorite to win gold next month in London. With the action about to start, I got to thinking: what if Team USA was comprised of only former Big Ten players, starting with the 2007-08 season (the BTN era)?

8. NCAA Football 13's top 10 Big Ten players
BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart scribes a weekly Big Ten player rankings post during the college football season, and it?s a popular fall staple. Well, with the highly anticipated release of NCAA Football 13, we have a different kind of Big Ten player ranking for you. This one comes straight from the game?s top overall players.

7. Dienhart: Q&A with Wisconsin OC Matt Canada
Wisconsin offensive coordinator Matt Canada realizes the situation he?s stepping into in Madison. He?s taking over an attack that ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in total offense (469.9 ypg), No. 1 in rushing (235.6 ypg) and No. 1 in scoring (44.1 ppg) last season under former coordinator Paul Chryst, who left to become head coach at Pitt following consecutive Rose Bowl trips in the 2010-11 seasons.

6. Dienhart: 'I though I knew ya, JoePa'
Joe Paterno died back in January. Today, his legacy perished. That makes me sad. And it should make you sad, too. Less than a year ago, Paterno was an American icon. He was one brick away from finishing a castle of coaching greatness as he zeroed in on the all-time win record for Division I coaching.

5. Dienhart: Ranking 2012 Big Ten games Part V
My ranking of all 96 2012 Big Ten football games has reached the finish line. It was a fun journey, but now it?s time to take a look at the season?s top 20 games. Here?s an interesting fact: nine of the top 10 games involve a team from the state of Michigan. But which one is No. 1?

4. Dienhart: Ranking 2012 Big Ten games Part I
Here?s a fun project: I am ranking each 2012 Big Ten football game, from 96 to 1. Up first today: 80-96. In the next four days, I will send in groups of 20. If you see anything crazy, let me know.

3. Dienhart: 12 newcomers to watch in 2012
Every season, there are fresh faces that make impacts-true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, transfers from four-year schools, junior-college transfers. And often times, the newcomers seemingly come out of nowhere to make big impacts.

2. Big Ten mascots join "Call Me Maybe" craze
The video view counter on YouTube suggests that many of you have seen the variety of video spoofs of Carly Rae Jepsen?s ?Call Me Maybe? video. There was the Harvard baseball team, the SMU rowing team, and the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders. Even Sesame Street?s Cookie Monster got in on the act with his own distinct cookie-related twist. You can now count a handful of Big Ten mascots as inspired fans of the song, too.

1. Dienhart: Q&A with Nebraska OC Tim Beck
The numbers last year for the Nebraska offense were decent. The Cornhuskers ranked fifth in the Big Ten in total offense (379.9 ypg); third in rushing (217.2 ypg); fourth in scoring (29.2 ppg) during a 9-4 season. The number that wasn?t so pretty? Passing, as Nebraska ranked 10th in the Big Ten (162.7 ypg).