The Badger of Honor reported Saturday morning that scout.com has ranked the 2013 football recruiting class as the No. 28 class in the nation. Currently, the class is made up of six recruits, four of which are from the state of Wisconsin.

As it currently stands, Michigan boasts the top class in the nation.

Eight of 12 Big Ten Schools are in the top-30. Wisconsin ranks seventh best among conference schools.

The men's soccer schedule was released Saturday. The Badgers, who finished 10-8-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten, will open on the road against Louisville on August 17th. The home opener is Spetember 7 against Florida International at 7 p.m. Wisconsin will host Penn State in the Big Ten opener on September 21 at 7:30 p.m. Reigning conference champion Northwestern comes to town on October 28. The kickoff for that match is slated for 2 p.m.

Hitting the rink, former Badgers' defenseman Ryan McDonagh recorded an assist in the New York Rangers' 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. McDonagh, who played in Madison from 2007-2009, now has two points in 17 career playoff games.

The Rangers now lead the series 2-1. Game four will be played Monday night in New Jersey.

After a day of layoff from the series we are back with an oldy, but goody for your viewing pleasure today.  It's the fourth most played football game in America and unfortunately most in the Midwest have probably never heard of the game or see it in action, hence it's spot on our Bucket List. 

Before we go any further though please make sure to check out all the other games that have graced us on the countdown so far.

No's 100 - 91 

No. 90 - Clarkson vs. St. Lawrence (DI Hockey)

No. 89 - NCAA College Soccer Cup (DI Men's Soccer)

No. 88 - Cincinnati vs. Louisville (FBS Football)

Now that you're all caught up on the greatest college sports adventure ever created it's time to continue that adventure by taking a trip down I-64!!

No. 87 - William & Mary vs. Richmond (FCS Football): 

Lately there's been a crazy trend of FCS schools looking for a piece of the FBS pie and the CAA had it's share done to it today as Old Dominion is leaving it's FCS status behind for membership in Conference USA.  However, if you are looking for pure, clean, old fashioned rivalries than you needet look any further than two members of the CAA by the names of William & Mary and Richmond.  

These two play every year for what is now called the Capital Cup (previously known as the I-64 Cup) and they've been going at it so long it is the 4th oldest rivalry in Division I football with 121 meetings between the two schools.  Only Lafayette - Lehigh, Princeton - Yale, and Harvard - Yale are older.

1898 is the year this game started and it's only missed 4 games since it's inception.  Currently the lead belongs to William & Mary who hold a 61-55-5 record over the Spiders of Richmond.  

What makes this rivalry so interesting is the fact that the schools are located in the home of the last two Virginia capitals - Williamsburg (W&M) and Richmond (Richmond) and they are closely related because of that and the short trip down I-64 that connects the two schools.  

William & Mary not only holds the lead but also has the longest streak in the series that dates from 1939 to 1954 and spans a 15 game winning streak.  Lately this series has really taken a turn as the CAA is recognized as one of the best conferences in all of FCS football and of course both Richmond and William & Mary have been at or near the top of the CAA heap. 

Perhaps the most compelling game of the series actually happened recently.  In the first game since the switch to the Capital Cup in the South's Oldest Rivalry, Richmond needed a victory and a Villanova upset of Delaware to take the conference crown.  Well, they pulled out a last second 13-10 victory and got the help needed from Villanova to take the CAA crown home.  Lately it's been a series a bit back and forth with Richmond winning five followed by two victories in the past two seasons by William & Mary.  

It may not have the fancy tricks or the crazy shennanigans of some of the other games that may or may not be on this list, but you have to respect the longevity and the importance this game has for both schools and for that they land in the 80's on our list. Let's just hope a lust for money and FBS status doesn't derail this proud and historic rivalry.

The UW Athletic Department announced Wednesday that men's basketball team accepted an invitation to play in the 2012 Las Vegas Invitational November 23 and 24 at the Orleans Arena. The field for the 10th installment of the event includes Creighton, Arkansas, and Arizona State.

Creighton is fresh off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007. Arkansas finished the 2011-12 season with an 18-14 record and a 6-10 mark in the SEC. Arizona State went 10-21 with a 6-12 record in Pac-12 play.

The men's hockey team added another recruit to the 2012-13 class with the signing of defenseman Eddie Wittchow. Wittchow was selected by the Florida Panthers in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Draft. He spent this past season with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL where he recorded 18 points.

In other hockey news, Andy Baggotof the Wisconsin State Journal reported Thursday that it appeared likely that the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee is planning to formally submit a request to switch from full shields to three-quarter visors on hockey helmets. The Committee is set to meet next month in Indianapolis.

Former Badger forward Craig Smith recorded an assist in Team USA's 3-2 loss to Finland in the Quarterfinals of the IIHF World Championships. He finished the tournament with a pair of assists.

While the Badger softball program didn't make the NCAA tournament it still was a banner year for the program.  They tied a program record for most conference wins with 13 as well as overall wins with 34 and on Wednesday Wisconsin tied a school record with four players on All-Big Ten teams.  

A first was made when juniors Whitney Massey and Kendall Grimm became the first duo of Badgers to be named to the All-Big Ten first team.  

Massey, a second baseman, led Wisconsin with a .358 batting average and 36 RBI's.  She also set a school record with 22 doubles on the season and led the conference with 12 doubles in Big Ten play.  

Grimm, an outfielder, didn't commit a single error this season and batted .333 (.407 in conference play).

Besides Grimm and Massey the Badgers placed sophomore pitcher Cassandra Darrah on the All-Big Ten 2nd team.  She was twice named the Big Ten pitcher of the week during the season and Darrah had a 22-13 overall record (10-9 in B1G) with a 2.27 ERA (2.50 in B1G).

The final Badger to garner All-Big Ten honors was senior designated player Karla Powell, who was named to the 3rd team.  A year after being named to the 1st team Powell had a battle with injuries all season but managed a .314 batting average in conference play (.268 batting average overall).  She only started 22 of 50 games she played this season.  

Michigan won the conference and as you'd expect they took a ton of honors including Player of the Year (Amanda Chidester 1B), Pitcher of the Year (Haylie Wagner - unanimous selection), Freshman of the Year (Haylie Wagner), and Coach of the Year (Carol Hutchins).  Only Michigan and Iowa had more players on the first team than Wisconsin with three a piece. 

Just over a week ago we began to give you a look inside the Badgers 2012 opponents coming off of Spring.  We featured a look at Northern Iowa last time out, and now it's time to visit with our friends from the University of Texas - El Paso (UTEP) to see what the Miners bring to the table since spring practice is behind them.  

Thanks to our friends at MINER RUSH for checking in with us and answering the questions we had for them.  Enjoy getting to know a very unfamiliar opponent a bit better with Anthony and be sure to check out their site for all the news on UTEP ahead of the game this season.

Opposition Q&A: UTEP 

MTB: Mike Price was seen as a hire that could bring back UTEP football, but he hasn't exactly set the world on fire, going just 45-52 in his time at the helm of the Miners.  It's also been 9 years with just 2 bowl game appearances, is their a sense of him being on the hot seat this year?

Miner Rush: Coach Mike Price is on the hot seat, and really has been for quite some time now. Last year was nearly the final straw, but with only one year left on his contract he was given the opportunity to finish things out. That said, people should realize that Mike Price has done a lot for UTEP football. While his 45-52 record, and 3 bowl appearances don't exactly scream success, its a vast improvement from the three consecutive 2-10 years before he was here, and the 3 bowl appearances in the previous three decades. So, he is definitely on the hot seat, but at the same time, credit should be given where it is due.

MTB: A lot of the talk around the college football world has centered on conference realignment and the Miners home is Conference USA, is this a place the fans want to be in or would they want to see a move to say the Mountain West?  

MR: Since the MWC was formed, UTEP fans have felt that we belonged in that conference. After all, we competed with the founding members of it for decades. But time and time again, we've felt like an invite should be coming, and time and again we've been snubbed. I think we definitely are a better fit for the MWC than C-USA, but at this point, the fan base as a whole is kind of indifferent towards a move. If it happens, it happens, and if it doesn't...oh well. I actually did a write up on that for anyone who cares to read.

MTB: On the field, what are the biggest question marks coming out of spring football on each side of the ball?

MR: I think as a whole, its a matter of being able to stay healthy. Last year we suffered a ton of injuries, and that ultimately, was the main reason for our lack of success on the season. This year, in the spring, our O-Line has been banged up. Mostly knicks and dings more than anything, but still not comforting to see key guys miss time. Offensively, our success will rely on whether on not they can stay healthy. Defensively, I'd say the biggest question mark is how well we can transition, after losing so much production from out LBs and secondary. We replace those losses with some solid players, but it takes time to put it all together. How long it takes is the key.

MTB: Looking at the UTEP schedule makes me cringe just a bit with games against Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Ole Miss on top of the annual rivalry game with New Mexico State, how do you manage bowl eligibility with that kind of non-conference slate?

MR: There's no doubt its going to be tough to make a bowl, but I think it's completely possible. Again, and I've been preaching it all spring, it's a matter of whether or not we can stay healthy. I don't think many expect more than 1, possibly 2 wins in non-conference, but coming out of it in relatively good shape will be the real victory. I think that brutal non-conference slate can actually prepare us for a solid conference run. Tulsa did it last year. They played Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., and Boise St. in the non-conference, lost all three, but wound up winning 8 games on the season. So, why can't we?

MTB: Defensively you only return 4 starters from last season, but is that necessarily a bad thing?  

MR: It's always a bad thing to have to replace nearly two-thirds of your team. But, while the Miners lost a ton of starters, they do return a lot of key reserves. The defensive line shouldn't skip a beat, and will probably be better than it was a year ago. The LBs lose all three starters, but return Jamie Irving from injury, who was the leading tackler in 2010. And, we've got plenty of other extremely capable LBs. The secondary definitely loses a couple of guys in Blake and Nixon who should be on NFL rosters next year. But, we return two starters, and also return some key reserves back there as well. Again, its tough to lose 7 of your 11 starters, but I wouldn't exactly say we're in bad shape. I think these guys are going to surprise some people.

MTB: Looking at some of the highlights and video I've seen on the Miners it appears you have a QB that can be very productive, at least mechanically he looks that way.  What needs to happen for him to improve on his 1,700 yard 12TD/10INT season from a year ago?

MR: I've said it a couple of times, and I'll say it again. It's all about being able to stay healthy. Nick's numbers last year weren't great, but honestly, he just didn't have time to throw. Injuries plagued our team, and Nick was even knocked out with a shoulder injury in week 2. The O-Line will have to be healthy, and will have to give him some protection. The guy certainly has the tools to make all the throws, it's just a matter of giving him the opportunity to make those throws. I'd expect that to happen.

Continue to check back throughout the rest of the week as we complete our looks at the opposition on our 2012 schedule.

After a few days away, it's back to business in the off-season countdown we like to call the MTB College Sports Bucket List.  Today we will dive in to the first known football rivalry and it's coming from one of the most controversial conferences in the country.  

Of course it's been a few days so, here's a reminder of where we stand in our countdown:

No. 100 - Army vs. Canadian Royal Military College (DI Hockey)

No. 99 - Adrian vs. MSOE (DIII Hockey)

No. 98 - VMI vs. The Citadel (FCS Football)

No. 97 - Iowa vs. Iowa State (FBS Football)

No. 96 - Hope vs. Calvin (DIII Basketball)

No. 95 - UCLA vs. Arizona (DI Basketball)

No. 94 - Texas vs. TCU (FBS Football)

No. 93 - Alaska-Anchorage vs. Alaska-Fairbanks (DI Hockey)

No. 92 - Plastburg vs. Oswego (DIII Hockey)

No. 91 - RPI vs. Union (DIII Football)

No. 90 - Clarkson vs. St. Lawrence (DI Hockey)

No. 89 - College Cup (DI Men's Soccer)

With that done, let's get on to the newest addition to our bucket list!

No. 88 - Cincinnati vs. Louisville (FBS Football): 

It's known as the Battle for the Keg of Nails and it's history dates back to 1929 when these two teams first met on the gridiron.  Where the heck did the Keg of Nails come from?  Well, lore states that it was started by fraternities at Louisville and Cincinnati to signify their players "were tough as nails."  

This rivalry is huge in basketball, but the proximity of the two schools along with both programs being at the top of the Big East as of late has really made this game even more important.

Overall Cincinnati leads the series 30-20-1 including a 25-16 victory by the Bearcats in last year's meeting.  Currently Cincinnati has a four game winnings streak in the series.  The Bearcats have the longest winning streak in the series as well, winning the first 12 meetings between the two schools.  Louisville's longest winning streak is just 5 games in length.

For Louisville the Bearcats are their oldest football rivals, while Cincinnati claims the Cardinals as their second oldest rival behind Miami (OH), whom they play every year in a non-conference tilt.

What makes this a must see for any college football fan is the fact that these two schools have played this game through three conferences (Missouri Valley, Conference-USA, and now the Big East) and because in the past ten years both teams have become more relevant players in the conference as well as nationally.

It's also a game that could be in jeopardy thanks to all the conference realignment, so putting it our list is a bit of a leap of faith that it still will be played should Louisville get it's wish and possibly move to the Big 12.   

With this year's Big Ten - ACC Challenge schedule being released yesterday we thought we'd take a look at these games, rank the match-ups, and make some very early predictions. As a fan of the Big Ten, I love this event because it allows all of us midwesterners to look beyond our hate for each other and feel a sense of conference pride. For two days we come toegether and root for each other. The Big Ten is currently on a 3 year win streak, while previously losing all previous 10 meetings from 1999-2009. 

 Match-up Rankings and Analysis

12. Boston College at Penn State, Wednesday Nov 28th

These two teams finished at the bottom of their respective conferences last year, so it's pretty safe to say this won't be a battle between two juggernauts. Considering Boston College hasn't had a solid season in quite some time, look for Penn State to give the B1G a easy home win.

Prediction: Penn State

11. Nebraska at Wake Forest, Tuesday November 27th

This also won't too great of a game. Nebraska is losing Bo Spencer while Wake Forest is a young inexperienced squad. This should be a close one but in the end Wake Forest will take it on it's home floor.

Prediction: Wake Forest

10. Georgia Tech at Illinois, Wednesday Nov 28th

At the lower end of the rankings, this is still an interesting matchup. Illinois, who is losing their best player in center Meyers Leonard, will be a guard heavy team next year. Georgia Tech is a team who's bringing in 3 four star reqruits next year after an awful previous season. Illinois is a team who choked many times at home last year, so I think it's a very realistic possibility that GT could come in and steal a road game here.

Prediction: Georgia Tech

9. Maryland at Northwestern, Tuesday November 27th

Northwestern is losing their top player John Shurna next season after a dissapointing campaign this year, in which they failed to make the NCAA tournament again. Maryland on the other hand is a rising team in the ACC and could easily come in and beat Northwestern. But I think the Wildcats will come out with some conference pride out win.

Prediction: Northwestern

8. Iowa at Virginia Tech, Tuesday November 27th

Iowa is losing their best player in Matt Gatens, but they're still a young talented team on the rise. Virginia Tech on the other hand had an awful season last year and probably won't be too great next year either. Look for Iowa to go in and steal a road win for the Big Ten.

Prediction: Iowa

7. Purdue at Clemson, Wednesday Nov 28th

Purdue is yet another team losing a key senior, Robbie Hummel. However they are still a solid team with a lot of great perimeter shooters. Clemson is also losing a few key seniors, but they have 5 high rated reqruits coming in. The Tigers will be a rising team in the ACC the next few years and Purdue will not beat that on this night.

Prediction: Clemson

6. No. 9 Michigan State at Miami, Wednesday Nov 28th

Michigan State is losing their star in Draymond Green, but the Spartans are still one of the country's most talented teams. Miami is a program that hasn't seen a whole lot of sunlight these past few years. However, Miami just missed the NCAA tourney last year and won a game in the NIT. I call this game an upset alert for MSU. Miami is going to give them all they can handle on their home floor. However Michigan State's talent will prevail in the end. 

Prediction: Michigan State

5. Virginia at No. 22 Wisconsin, Wednesday Nov 28th

These are two defensive minded teams that run slow offensive styles. Virginia had a bounce-back year last season finishing 4th in the ACC and making the NCAA tournament. We all know Wisconsin will be losing their floor general Jordan Taylor and that could have a big effect early in the season. Last time the Badger's hosted a B1G-ACC challenge game the Kohl Center crowd was rushing the floor after an upset over Duke. You would think this would be a easy win for the Badger's, but with last years performances at home, you can never be too sure.

Prediction: Wisconsin

4. No. 25 Minnesota at Florida State, Tuesday November 27th

This game is my sleeper matchup. Florida State, coming off their ACC Championship last season, is a team that loves to run and gun and shoot the three. Minnesota returns Center Trevor Mbakwe, who had a dominant start to last year before having a season ending injury. This will be an exciting, fast paced game between two well coached teams. In the end, I think Minnesota's big men will be too much for the guard heavy Seminoles.

Prediction: Minnesota

3. No. 8 Ohio State at No. 15 Duke, Wednesday Nov 28th

Both teams are losing star underclassmen to the draft this year (Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and Duke's Austin Rivers), but both are still very good teams. Last year's matchup between these two teams was OSU blowing out the Blue Devils in Columbus. But this year will surely be a different story. Duke always has a good chance to win when they're playing in front of the Cameron Indoor Stadium crowd. OSU will have all it can handle, and I can't see them pulling this one out.

Prediction: Duke

2. No. 6 NC State at No. 5 Michigan, Tuesday November 27th

NC State, who this past season landed 3 four star reqruits, will be a very young explosive squad next year. The three freshman they have coming in- SG Rodney Purvis, SF TJ Warren, and PG Tyler Lewis- gave the experts enough reason to give NC State a #6 pre-season ranking. Michigan, who is coming off a share of the regular season B1G title, is led by Sophomore Trey Burke who had a sensational Freshman season, winning co-freshman of the year. This will be a huge test for the young Wolfpack squad, as they'll have to face a talented Michigan team and a hostile crowd. I think the Wolfpack will surprise a lot of people by coming in and getting a huge victory in Ann Arbor.

Prediction: NC State 

1. No. 13 North Carolina at No. 1 Indiana, Tuesday November 27th

This game is definately the most intruiging to me. This is a UNC squad lost four starters- Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Kendall Marshall- this past year to the draft. Indiana is the complete opposite having all but one of their starters returning. Indiana, a team on the uprise, is expected to be national championship contenders next season-hence their #1 preseason ranking. In front of a hostile Assembly Hall crowd, the young North Carolina squad will have to show a lot of heart to win this game. It's also going to be a big test for the Hoosiers. This game will likely show if they're ready to be an elite squad once again. I'm not going to bet against them at Assembly Hall.

Prediction: Indiana

So there you have it, in my WAY too early predictions, the Big Ten will win the Challenge 7-5. A much closer race then previous years, but I do have a feeling this will come down to just a few games. Now all we can do is wait for basketball season and see how ridiculous some of these predictions actually turn out to be. Either way the 2012 Big Ten-ACC challenge is guarenteed to be exciting, especially with some of the super-power teams facing off this year. November 27th couldn't come sooner, could it?

A record breaking season was not enough to vault the Badgers' softball team to an NCAA Tournament berth. Conference champion Michigan and Northwestern were the only two Big Ten teams selected to participate in the 64-team tournament that is set to begin Friday.

The Badgers finished the season 34-19 overall and 13-10 in the Big Ten. The 34 wins tied the school record for wins in a season and the 13 conference victories were the most in school history.

Big Ten hockey made a significant stride Tuesday as they tabbed Steve Piotrowski as supervisor for officials. Piotrowski currently holds the same position with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. He will assume his position with the Big Ten in time for its inagural season in 2013.

Former men's hockey forward Craig Smith recorded an assist for Team USA in their 5-0 win over Finland on Sunday in the IIHF World Championships. The Americans are currently 3-1 and in thrid place in Group H. The top four teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals. Team USA takes on Switzerland tomorrow in their final game of the preliminary round.

Wisconsin and Minnesota have long been football and hockey rivals, but in the past 8 years the two have competed in the Border Battle with an updated points system that includes all sports both teams compete in, even if they aren't in direct competion (ie swimming, track, cross-country).  Unfortunately the University of East Dakota has taken the title in the majority of the 8 years, going into this year leading 4-3 and having won the Border Battle each of the last 3 years.  

Thanks to the results at the Big Ten Track & Field Championships where the Badger men won the conference crown the Badgers have taken back the Border Battle, winning this season 455 to 425. (sports are given 40 points total and are divided by 10 per time they meet during the season).  

With the conference crown last weekend along with a higher finish in rowing and Women's Track & Field the Badgers claimed the Border Battle Title.

Here are the results this season and the all time Border Battle Standings for you:

2011-12 Sport by Sport Results: 

(courtesy our friend at Gopherhole.com)

 All-Time Results (since 2004 when Cup was introduced): 

As you can see it's been a very close competition every year the Badgers have won it and that's got a lot to do with Women's sports and the non-revenue generating sports in general.  Wisconsin will go in to next season hoping to retain the Border Battle title for the 2nd year in a row, tying the most times it's consecutively held the crown, if they do it.

In an announcement earlier this afternoon ESPN gave their full lineup for the 2012 Big Ten/ACC Challenge and Wisconsin drew hosting duties against the University of Virginia.  The game will take place on November 28th at a time and on a channel to be determined at the moment.

Wisconsin returns home after a few years of road games in the challenge, most recent of which was the narrow loss to North Carolina last season.  Overall the Badgers have a 6-7 record in the challenge, which is 3rd best amongst the Big Ten participants, trailing only Ohio State (6-5) and Michigan State (6-6).  

Virginia has a 7-5 record in the Challenge which puts them just 5th on the ACC side of the ledger. Boston College leads the way with a 5-1 record while Duke sports an 11-2 record for 2nd best and is followed by Wake Forest at 10-2 and finally Maryland at 6-4, ahead of Virginia.

The most interesting part of this matchup is that Wisconsin will be facing off against a team that's molded pretty much in the same manner as itself, with a bit of an offensive twist or two though.  You want good fundamental basketball that won't be played at a fast break pace, this is the one to watch for sure.

It's also Bo Ryan vs. Tony Bennett in what could be one of the best coach vs. coach matchups in the challenge.  Tony is of course the son of former Badger head coach Dick Bennett and was an assistant on his staff at Wisconsin as well as under Brad Soderberg and Bo before leaving to assist his dad when he took over at Washington State.  

Overall the Badgers and Cavaliers have only met twice before, both on neutral floors with UVa winning in 1974 and Wisconsin taking the latest matchup in 1998.  For the third time in last four seasons the Badgers opponent will be coming off of an NCAA tournament appearance of their own.

Last season the Cavaliers finished 22-10 (and made the NCAA tournament where they lost 71-45 to Flordia in their opening matchup.  We'll be breaking this game down a ton and look for us to be featuring the work of our fellow Bloguin brothers over at Lambeth Field for the UVa perspective on this game.

We'll also be breaking down the full field with early-reactions from our resident basketball reporter, Cole Brown, later today, so check back often for updates!