Gridiron Grind

Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel chimed in with his list of 10 potentially season-defining games in the 2008 college football season. The University of Wisconsin's game against Ohio State on Oct. 4 at Camp Randall Stadium made the list. ``While many cynics assume the loaded Buckeyes will once again cruise through the 'soft' Big Ten, this game represents an unquestioned challenge,'' Mandel wrote. ``The last time these teams played in Madison, in 2003, the Badgers snapped a 19-game Ohio State winning streak -- and that was before Wisconsin began its current run of four-straight seasons of nine or more victories.'' One more point on that game: Assuming the Badgers beat Akron and Marshall to open the 2008 season,... READ MORE

If the subject of how they spent their summer vacation comes up when college football coaches across the country meet at midfield this fall, Bret Bielema may have one of the most unique stories. After all, how many coaches can say they went on a cruise with their parents? Bielema can. Last week, he and his parents, Arnie and Marilyn, flew to Vancouver for the start of a week-long cruise on the Pacific Ocean. The final stop is Anchorage, Alaska. ``I'm looking forward to it just from the standpoint of getting to spend some time with my parents,'' Bielema said last week. ``If they come up on football weekends, I've got a house full of people and it's never just me and them.'' It's also a chance for Bielema to get away. By his count, this coming Saturday will be the last one he has off until after Signing Day in February... READ MORE

The University of Wisconsin football program is having a busy week on the recruiting front. Both Scout.com and Rivals.com are reporting that the Badgers have received oral commitments from two players: Jon Lechner, a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive lineman from Omaha, Neb.; and Chris Borland, a 6-0, 213-pound linebacker from Kettering, Ohio. What's intriguing about Lechner is that he had a scholarship offer from Nebraska but chose the Badgers anyway. Earlier this week, Montee Ball, a running back from the St. Louis area, gave UW an oral commitment. To see some YouTube video clips of Ball, click here and here. Ball, who rushed for 3,077 yards and 32 touchdowns last season for Timberland High School in... READ MORE