Welcome back to The B1G Time, where we look around the Big Ten and give the lowdown on what's goin on with our frienemies around the conference. 

Before we get to the team-by-team looks, don't forget yours truly represented this site over at Saturday Edge as we played Q&A with other sites as well. The latest Q&A was on the Most Improved & Most Overrated teams in the conference, my answers both came within the Leaders Division, but you'll have to read it to find out just which team was what.

The biggest story since we last left comes out of Columbus where they have a huge issue at running back after star senior RB Jordan Hall tore a tendon in his foot and is already out for the start of the season, if not more. According to the article Meyer is in a somewhat stage of panic... I thought the Buckeyes dind't replace, just reload? Huh, who knew.. 

Our annual end of the football season opponents, Penn State, have also been in the headlines once again because of the Jerry Sandusky mess that is only getting worse and could include a cover-up all the way down to Joe Paterno and I emphasize COULD. 

This is such a difficult situation because there's two very different ways of looking at this issue, one is the moral side of things - where I think we can all agree Paterno failed the moral obligation to stop kids from being abused. If you have any shred of evidence this is going on you have an obligation to stop it no matter what. Now, sure he met his legal obligation by going to his bosses. So the question is a very personal one - are you looking at this legally or morally and which one matters to you in the end? 

more after the jump... 

The 4th of July is all about cookouts, fireworks, and good times with friends and family. Well the Minnesota Wild produced their own fireworks yesterday as they added former Badger Ryan Suter along with fellow prized free agent Zach Parise. They inked Suter to a 13 year $98 million contract announced yesterday.

Suter and Parise were the two biggest free agents on the market and with both joining the Wild they hope to become instant contenders. For Suter the decision was all about family and a little less about money, but the $98 million doesn't hurt.

According to reports the top two free agents and top American players worked together on their contracts, wanting to play on the same team going forward. Each will receive a $10 million signing bonus as well.

With the signing of Suter the Wild are hoping to shore up a team that underperformed last season despite spending big money in free agency. 

Suter set a career record for points last season with 46 (7 goals, 39 assists), playing for the Nashville Predators.

He joins forwards Dany Heatly, Tom Gilbert and recent signing Jake Dowell as former Badgers on the Wild roster for 2012-13. So, if you don't have an NHL team it looks like our neighbors to the west could be a good place to look for in NHL rooting interests. 

For more on this historic signing, visit our friends at The State of Hockey News where they have a full breakdown of the signings.

We've already told you to enjoy your 4th of July and if you're a Badger fan you've got a huge reason to celebrate with the news that four star defensive tackle Darius Latham committed to Wisconsin for the class of 2013. His commitment makes it eleven already for Wisconsin and the class is nearly full at this point.

I'm officially a Wisconsin Badger

— Big Business (@BigBusiness_25) July 4, 2012

It's been a heck of summer on the recruiting front for the Badgers and they may have just landed the top of their class in Latham. Either way the defensive side of the ball is where the top of the talent pool of the 2013 class lands with DT Latham and previously committed DE Chikwe Obasih ranking at the top of the commitment list so far. 

Latham held offers from all over, including the likes of Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, Iowa, Michigan State and Indiana. There were many more on the radar, but those were thought to be the top of the list for his services starting in 2013.

ESPN and BadgerNation both think highly of him and see him being a front-runner for playing time out of the gate.

Latham's commit was a great surprise to all of those in the know as he had been taking his time and previously stated he didn't plan on making a decision anytime soon. That all changed with his visit to Wisconsin in June and the way the depth chart looks. No doubt about it, he'll be a key part of the future Badger defensive lines. 

MORE AFTER THE JUMP.... 

Happy Independence Day to all of us here in America. It just wouldn't be right to not start this off with the words that gave this great country life: 

hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Sitting here writing this post and reading those words, it's still an awe inspiring piece of writing and it's words still ring true in the hearts of millions of residents to the United States of America. 

O.k, so on to the Badger and college sports related news here on the 4th of July. 

The folks over at Saturday Edge were kind enough to ask yours truly to help with their B1G Football Breakdown and it got off to a start on Monday as they asked the question "Who will challenge Michigan and Wisconsin as favorites" (remember this is a betting slanted site after all) Yesterday they came back with our Breakout Star picks: hint, I didn't go homer with my picks.

There will be more from them the rest of this week, so make sure you check them out for questions 3 through 5. 

MORE AFTER THE JUMP... 

Earlier today we gave you one of the most heated intra-state college football rivalries in "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate" and now, we give you one of college footballs classic bowl games. It's the 2nd BCS bowl game to appear on our list (the Orange Bowl was first).

No. 53: Sugarl Bowl (FBS Football): 

Today the Sugar Bowl is simply one of the classic games on the college football and the United States sports calendar, however it was a game that nearly never was. 

I'm guessing the names Colonel James M. Thomson and Fred Digby aren't commonly known but they should be celebrated names in college football circles as the Sugar Bowl was their creation - an idea that started in 1927 and pushed by the Publisher & Editor of the New Orleans Item. 

The game itself didn't begin until 1935 (the same year as the Orange and Sun Bowls btw) at Tulane Stadium where none other than Tulane beat Temple 20-14 to start another New Years Day Tradition. 

One of the most interesting things about this game is it's had it's controversial moments, none more so than the 1956 matchup between Pitt and Georgia Tech. Pitt featured star fullback and linebacker Bobby Grier, who happened to be black, and Georgia was in the midst of the deep south's opposition to anything integration. If it weren't for the the students of Georgia Tech and the outpouring of the community Grier wouldn't have even played in the game. 

As it turned out that wasn't the end of the controversy for Grier, as he was called for a pass interference penalty on a Pitt touchdown that would've given them a 7-0 lead in the contest against the Yellow Jackets. However, the call was clearly incorrect as the game film showed and instead GT went on to win it 7-0. 

We're inching ever so close to the halfway point in the summer long MTB College Sports Bucket List and today we're back to the world of FBS football. It's simply one of the single best rivalry names of all-time... You can't get better than "Clean Old-Fashioned Hate."

No. 54 - Georgia vs. Georgia Tech (FBS Football): 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well the picture below from just this offseason should tell you all you need to know about the rivalry that is Georgia vs. Georgia Tech.  At least from the Yellowjackets side of things.

I mean, seriously... that's a pretty extreme level of hate if you ask me. Going to the lengths of making your wedding cake about hating your college sports rival, ya that's a bit much. But I guess welcome to the south where college football is king and seemingly just about anything goes when it comes to pissing off your rivals.

But back to the game at hand, Clean Old-Fashioned Hate got it's start off the field before a game was even played. It was a battle for the school colors as Georgia Tech and Georgia both originally used Old Gold and Black in their school colors. 

Georgia's head football coach hated yellow, saying it symbolized "cowardice" and soon after the first game, in 1893, the color disappeared from the uniform as Georgia Tech kept the Old Gold along with White as school colors. 

more after the jump.... 

As we reported yesterday it looks like Atlanta will be the hotbed for Badgers playing in the pro's as Devin Harris was traded to the Atlanta Hawks & Jordan Taylor along with Brian Butch will be playing their summer ball for the Hawks. Don't forget the trio of Badgers playing for the Falcons right now as well. Look out Houston you have some competition after all.

Sticking on the basketball side of things Fox Sports points out what we all should agree with: Josh Gasser is going to be one important piece to the 2012-13 Badger basketball team. Seeing him progress along with an emerging George Marshall at point guard is going to be huge.

Back to free agency, the NHL is having it's own FA bonanza as we speak and Justin Schultz isn't the only former Badger defenseman making a switch as Adam Burish swaps Dallas for Silicon Valley and the San Jose Sharks. He landed a nice four-year deal with a Sharks team that has seemingly annually disappointed in the playoffs and could be a major piece to their success in 2012-13 and beyond. He joins fellow Badger Joe Pavelski in a Sharks uniform as well.

more after the break.... 

As the madness sports fans call NBA free agency starts to thicken, a couple of Badgers have been part of the buzz. Here we look at some of the changes of address and deals the Wisconsin Alumni have made the past few days.

Jordan Taylor and Brian Butch

Former Badgers' stars Taylor and Butch will be teaming up on the Atlanta Hawks' summer league team. The 2007 UW graduate Butch had a breakout year last season playing in the NBA development league with the Bakersfield Jam. He averaged 15.3 points and 9.8 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game. Butch had an incredible playoffs, where he averaged an astonishing 13.3 rebounds a game. In a league where centers are coveted, Butch will likely find his way on to an NBA roster, whether it's the Hawks or someone else.

Jordan Taylor's uphill battle towards the NBA continues with a victory in finding himself with a place to play. Taylor declined an offer from the hometown Milwaukee Bucks and jumped on the opportunity to play for the Hawks. Atlanta seemed like a good destination earlier this morning, when they only had one Point Guard on the books for next season. But a veteran Point Guard- and familiar face to Badger nation- was acquired by the Hawks this afternoon. With veterans Jeff Teague and Devin Harris on the Hawks' roster, Taylor will really have to play well to get a spot on the team. If he doesn't make it, he'll likely have more suitors, as many teams were interested in his services.

***more after the jump****

We've had a bit of a break in our countdown, but don't worry this week the revealing will come at you fast and furious. Don't forget that last we were in the MTB College Sports Bucket List we were enjoying one of the more interesting football rivalries in the midwest - Michigan State vs. Notre Dame, so check that out if you want to get updated, or just hit the Bucket List button on the menu and you'll see all of our posts so far!

No. 55: Maine vs. New Hampshire (D1 Hockey): 

When you think college hockey you can't help but think about the teams out east. They have some of the oldest and most bitter history between them. Well, Main and New Hampshire are no exception to this rule. They've been playing each other since December 15, 1979 and the Black Bears of Maine hold a 57-46-5 series advantage over the Wildcats of New Hampshire.

This may not have the cache that BC vs. BU has in Hockey East and general college hockey circles, but the schools are just 165 miles apart and the fan bases tend to live and work together quite often. In fact UNH has a hard time with the fact that so many Maine fans attend the games at their home arena because of the proximity to southern Maine, which is closer to the Wildcat campus than Maine's in Orono. 

This is a series that's seen it's fair share of domination by one team or another, but the 1990's was probably the worst of it as Main won 18 of 19 games at one point in the decade. UNH has been able to slightly return the favor in recent years and at one point early in the 2000's they put on a six game winning streak of their own. 1999 is a season that neither fan base will soon forget and is probably the high point in the rivalry. 

Known as "The Border War", these two faced each other to end the 1998-99 season with UNH having to win both games in the series to earn the regular season championship and the top seed in the playoffs. They did the sweep over their rivals at home and earned the top seed. It wasn't over there though as both teams would meet up again in the 1999 National Championship game with Maine taking the title.

The writing has been on the wall since the end of the Wisconsin men’s hockey season.

Though it was far from a done deal at the time, it appeared likely that two-time Hobey Baker finalist, defenseman, Justin Schultz was going to leave Madison a year early to pursue his professional career.

The Schultz saga came to on official conclusion Sunday when the defenseman from Kelowna, British Columbia inked his deal with the Edmonton Oilers. The two-year, entry level deal, will be worth $925,000 per year. Schultz also received a $92,500 signing bonus.

Edmonton’s pitch reportedly included the promise of immediate playing time and phone calls from Paul Coffey and Wayne Gretzke.

At the press conference on Saturday to announce his signing Schultz gave his thinking on making the choice to join Edmonton. "A little overwhelming at times. I didn't expect to get this much attention," said Schultz. "I think Edmonton was always in the back of my mind with all the young talent they have here."

Schultz will be a major piece to the puzzle for a franchise that is looking to put some troubled years behind it.

"I made it very clear.... that [guaranteed ice time] was never, ever the case. I know I have to earn my ice time," he said.

The Oilers racked up just 32 wins a season ago, a mark that was third worst in the NHL. In a league where over half of all teams qualify for the playoffs, Edmonton has not been among them since the 2007-08 season when they made the Stanley Cup Finals as the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Though the Oilers have assembled a promising group of young forwards, there is no denying that they will need some help on the back end. In terms of plus-minus, Edmonton’s nine defensemen were a combined minus 37. Only two defensemen, Ladislav Smid and Andy Sutton, were in the positive.

There is a chance that Schultz will be afforded the opportunity to work with one of the better power play units in the league. As much as the Oilers struggled last season, special teams were a bright spot. Edmonton converted 20 percent of its power plays which made them the third best unit in the NHL.

During his three years in cardinal and white, Schultz made a historic impact. He was two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and the first UW defenseman ever to lead a team in scoring.