One thing that hasn't happened much so far in the journey through the best that college sports has to offer in the MTB College Sports Bucket List is a lot of Wisconsin.  Sure we've featured MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering), but that seems so long ago (No. 99). Well, that changes a bit today as we feature a public university from the home state today. 

Before we move on, don't forget to check out No. 83 from yesterday - Michigan vs. Michigan State in Hockey!

On to the task at hand though....

No. 82 - Wisconsin-Whitewater vs. Mount Union: 

I'm guessing you never thought you'd see this game on the list because it's not guaranteed every year.  Well, the way these two teams have been clipping off national championship game appearances in the past decade it's understandable as to how this one made it on the list and pretty high up there for a DIII game.

The UWW Warhawks and Mount Union Purple Raiders have never met anywhwere but in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl (D3 Championship game) for the last seven years in a row.  Yes, that's not a mis-print, SEVEN YEARS in a row.  So far this century they've combined to make 18 of a possible 22 appearances in the Stagg Bowl and that's just a ridiculous amount of dominance on a national level.  In fact, the dominance is such that before they met for the past seven seasons not a single pair of teams had even met in back to back seasons in the Stagg Bowl.

It's not just that they've met for that many years straight or that they've done something no other pairs of schools have done that makes this a must see game, it's the quality of the on the field product and the fact that the games have been slug fests to say the least.  Going into last years meeting the largest margin of victory between the two schools was just 19 points and belonged to Mount Union in the 2006 national championship game.  

Right now Wisconsin-Whitewater holds a three game winning streak and thus is a three time defending national champion.  Overall UWW has won the 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 titles and Mount Union has the 2005, 2006, and 2008 titles.  However, Mount Union has a bit more history with the national championship than the Warhawks.  They are the winners of 10 national championships in school history (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002 are the others).

You can't really beat seeing two of the best teams in their division playing against each other year in and year out to see who really is the best.  It's what makes the NCAA football playoffs attractive to true leatherheads out there and why seeing these two go at it in Salem, VA is a must see for any true college football fan out there.

Badger football will once again tangle with Nebraska under the lights and on national television. It was announced Tuesday that the game at Memorial Stadium on September 29 will be at 7 p.m. and televised on ABC.

Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema is one of the top-three Big Ten coaching villains according to a poll conducted by ESPN. He joins Ohio State's Urban Meyer and Michigan State's Mark Dantonio atop the list.

In brighter football news, running back Montee Ball was named the top returning Big Ten Player by ESPN's Brian Bennett. Linebacker Chris Borland comes in at No. 8.

Moving to the hardwood, it was reported Tuesday the Jordan Taylor was not one of the 60 players invited to the NBA Draft Combine July7-8 in Chicago. This is a serious blow to Taylor's draft chances. 

As many Wisconsin residents can attest, summer is construction season. The UW campus is no exception. Work is well underway on two major projects that affect the athletic department. Camp Randall Stadium is getting a new playing surface for the 2012 season while the floor is being installed in the new La Bahn Arena.

According to Chuck Schwartz of Bucky's 5th Quarter. Wisconsin an Penn State will face off in a non-conference hockey series next season. However, due to the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament, the series will be played on Sunday and Monday (February 24-25) instead of the usual Friday/Saturday format. The full men's hockey schedule is expected to be released tomorrow.

Two Badgers will have a chance to make their mark on the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Former Wisconsin rowers Grant and Ross James will represent the United States in the men's eight after winning the event at the 2012 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland on Tuesday. 2012 will mark the 12th-consecutive time that Badger rowers have qualified for the Olympics.

When Big Ten Hockey drops the puck for its inaugural season in 2013, Michigan and Michigan State will be bringing the tenacity of one of college hockey's most stories rivalries to a new venue.

For years, the schools have been the primary road block on the other's path to a Central Collegiate Hockey Association Championship. The two programs have combined for an unprecedented 20 CCHA Tournament titles and an additional 18 regular season championships.

On top of that, Sparty and Big Blue mix it up annually at the Great Lakes Invitational, one of the most prestigious holiday tournaments in the nation. Michigan has won the event a record 15 times. State is a close second with 12 first place finishes.

The Spartans and the Wolverines have faced off 284 times. Michigan currently owns the all-time series with a 141-124-19 mark.

Last year, the Wolverines took the season series 3-1-1. The five games were decided by a combined four goals and three of the contests went to overtime.

Close games are not the only reason that the battles between these two in-state foes have risen to national prominence. The programs have combined to win 12 national titles and currently boast 36 alumni who are playing in the NHL.

A pair of the most respected coaches have also made their mark on this rivalry. Ron Mason paced the bunch for the Spartans from 1979-2002. During his tenure he posted a 635-270-69 record. He received the Spencer Penrose Award as the nation's top college coach in 1972. He retired college hockey's all-time winningest coach with 924 wins throughout his 36 seasons.

Wolverines head man Red Berenson has also compiled an impressive list of superlatives. In 28 seasons he has led Michigan to 22 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and a pair of National Championships. His 752 wins are good enough for fifth place on the all-time coaching wins list. He is one of only six coaches to have eclipsed the 700 win plateau.

It is no wonder that these games draw record breaking crowds. Michigan's Yost Arena has been in use as a hockey facility since 1973 and both the pre and post rennovation attendance records were set in games against Michigan State. The pre-rennovation record of 8.411 was set back on January 29, 1988. The post-rennovation record crowd of 6.986 came out on January 19, 2002.

The spectacle also draws a crowd in East Lansing. The Munn Ice Arena opened in 1974, seven of the top-10 most highly attended games have featured Michigan. This includes the single-game record crowd of 7,121 back on March 1, 2001. This pales in comparison to the outdoor endeavours that the teams have undertaken. 74,554 saw MSU and U of M skate to a 3-3 draw at Spartan Stadium in the first ever outdoor game on October 6, 2001.

In an effort to up the ante, Michigan hosted the "Big Chill in the Big House" on December 11, 2010. The event drew 104,173 people, a new world record. The Wolverines took the contest by a final count of 5-0.

Regardless of the venue, the atmosphere that these two teams create when the hit the rink together is a sight to behold for any college sports fan.

In a release from the Big Ten offices this morning we now know what the 2015 & 2016 conference schedules will look like for Bucky.  It's always fun to look down the road and see what's ahead of us, so with that let's take a look at what's in store for the Badgers in those years.

2015 SCHEDULE:

A quick look at the 2015 schedule shows Wisconsin has about as hard a pair of cross over games in 2015 & 2016 as they possibly could having to travel to Michigan and hosting Nebraska.  While it may prove to be that Nebraska might not be the super game depending on where this team goes in it's first few years in the conference, it's still a team with national cache at this point.  The four game stretch of @ Michigan, @ Illinois, vs. Nebraska, and @ Ohio State is very brutal and will be the key to the 2015 season in my book.

2016 SCHEDULE:

This schedule isn't quite as worrisome despite getting Michigan and Ohio State in 2 out of 3 weeks.  I say it's not as worrisome because the Badgers get both at home along with Illinois and the Gophers.  Call me crazy, but this schedule just doesn't jump out to you in the same way that 2015 does as being very difficult inside the conference.

The one thing that will be really interesting to see is where Nebraska and Michigan are in terms of the conference and national picture when these games come around.  They replace Iowa and Northwestern who appear on the schedules of 2013 and 2014 so it will be interesting to see if we are replacing those schools with more difficult ones, about the same level of competition, or more difficult.  If it's the last one, which I happen to think will be the case (at least for Michigan) these two years become a lot more difficult for the Badgers.

It's a two-for-one deal in our next step on the MTB College Sports Bucket List as we move from the Orange Bowl (No. 86) to the heartland of America.  The state of Indiana plays host to the two-for-one special we're giving you today in the world of college football. 

No. 85: DePauw vs. Wabash (DIII Football): 

This game is simply one of the best and longest standing games in all of college sports.  Every year the co-ed DePauw and the all-male Wabash square off for the Monon Bell in a game that was even voted as the best rivalry in the state of Indiana.  Yep, not Purdue vs. Indiana or even Notre Dame vs. Purdue, but a DIII rivalry best known as the Battle for the Monon Bell.

But why?  Well, the two schools are separated by just 27 miles and in most cases family members and good high school friends have been on opposite sides of the field from each other.  

Also, they've been playing each other since 1890 and have met 118 times since then, 11 in a row.  They didn't start playing for the trophy, which is a 300 pound Monon Railroad bell, until 1930.  What really makes this game one of the best in all of college sports is the fact that it's not slanted one way or another in any big fashion.  Wabash currently leads 56-53-9, but since the 1930 introduction of the trophy it's a dead heat at 37-37-6.  That's what a true rivalry should be about, long term competitiveness.  

This game is also the oldest college football rivalry west of the Allegheny mountains and has an interesting history of ties as the overall record shows.  Up until the introduction of overtime in college football in 1996 in the event of a tie the team that won the game last retained possession of the bell.  

One of the more famous incidents in this series happened because of this rule.  In 

Off the field this game has a rich history of pranks and attempted heists of the Monon Bell.  None are as famous as 1965's "Operation Frijoles" where a Wabash student claimed to be a member of the United States Information Service in Mexico City that was looking to take a meeting with DePauw's Dean.  He got the meeting, got the Dean to offer two scholarships for Mexican students and then got him to reveal the location of the Monon Bell because the impostor student wanted to take a picture with it to "seal the deal."  Of course that information went back to Wabash and the Monon Bell was promptly stolen by fellow Wabash students.  

The bell was returned, but Wabash won the game that season to bring it right back home and after the game sombrero wearing students pelted the field with taco shells in response to the victory in celebration of the Little Giants victory over DePauw.

There are many other heists and attempted heists and they are all part of what makes this and other rivalries like it so great.

Heck, they even have their own TV deal for this game as it's played every year on HDNet, with the current contract set to expire after this season's game, so I suggest checking it out or at least DVRing it for a sense of just how important this game is to the two institutions that play it.

No. 84: Indiana vs. Purdue (FBS Football) 

As you can tell, we're staying in the state of Indiana and probably the more famous of the two rivalry games we are featuring here.  Most of you probably think of these two in terms of basketball and while those sets of games are amazing (perhaps they'll even be higher on our list... wink, wink) this game has been entertaining in it's own right.  It's a battle for the Old Oaken Bucket.  

The series started one season later than the DePauw vs. Wabash one, with the Hoosiers and Boilermakers meeting for the first time in 1891.  They didn't start playing for the Old Oaken Bucket until 1925 however.  Purdue leads the series 71-37-6 and had a 10 year winning streak that was broken by a tie and saw the Boilers take the three games following it for a 13-0-1 streak.  Indiana's longest winning streak sits at a whole 4 games.

Truly, this game is the 3rd most important between the two schools, but it's also a trophy that means a lot to the teams as the last few seasons have produced a make or break for the Boilermakers chances of a bowl game appearances and they've actually been more competitive as of late.  

With Kevin Wilson's hire at Indiana and Danny Hope seemingly holding on to his job by the Old Oaken Bucket this game has risen to a new level in terms of importance and for that it lands in the 80's in our countdown.

On this sports heavy Sunday we return with Madtown Badger's College Sports Bucket List. Today we'll be looking at one of the most tradition heavy games in college football.

No. 86 - The Orange Bowl (FBS Football)

Since starting as the "Palm Festival Game" in 1933, the Orange Bowl has grown in to one of College Football's most beloved games. The first "Orange Bowl" was played on January 1st, 1935. Since then, the modern Orange Bowl has been played 78 times, making it College Football's 2nd oldest game. The game has been played annually since the first game in 1935, where Bucknell took down Miami 26-0. 

Since the BCS' birth in 1998, the Orange Bowl has hosted three national championship games, played in 2001, 2005, and 2009. In today's BCS format, the ACC Champion (assuming they're not ranked #1 or #2) faces off against a team with an at-large bid. The game is played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The most recent Orange Bowl was played on January 4th, 2012, when West Virginia defeated Clemson 70-33 in a game which set many records.

Arguably the most memorable Orange Bowl game was the 1965 game between #1 ranked Alabama and Texas. The game was the first ever college bowl game to be played at night and broadcasted on prime-time television. After the Longhorns took a big lead, Alabama put in backup Joe Namath, who led Alabama all the way back to within one score. In the final minute of the game, Texas led Alabama 21-17 with the Crimson Tide in scoring distance. Texas stuffed Alabama on three straight goal-line runs, the last being a Namath QB sneak. Many people believed that Namath was in the end zone, but the refs called him just short, crushing the Crimson Tide's championship season and giving Texas the 21-17 upset victory.

Another one of the greatest Orange Bowl games was the 1984 matchup between the seemingly un-beatable, undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Miami Hurricanes. The upset-minded Hurricanes jumped out to a early 17-0 lead, shocking the football world. The Huskers fought back to bring the score to 17-14 at half. Miami came out strong once again, controlling the game with a 31-17 lead late in the 3rd. The Huskers again fought back and a late touchdown on 4th and 8 made it 31-30 Miami. Nebraska coach Tom Osborne had a decision to make. A tie would virtually guarantee the Huskers the title with the two teams behind them both struggling. Osborne decided to go for two to win the game and complete a undefeated national championship season. With the game on the line, Freshman QB Turner Gill's pass was batted down by Kenny Calhoun, giving Miami the 31-30 victory. Later the Hurricanes would soar in the polls to finish #1 and claim their first Championship.

The Orange Bowl is a game a lot of teams and players dream of playing in. Each year, every ACC team sets a goal to make it to Miami. There's something about the Orange Bowl that makes it so special. Maybe it's the Miami sun, the warm night games, or the lights of Sun Light Stadium. Whatever it is, the Orange Bowl holds special memories in the minds of hardcore college football fans and for that it lands on our bucket lis.

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.