(No 99 problems joke here, Adeyanju opens our countdown to football season!!)

Mmmmm, the smell of freshly beer soaked brats sizzling on the grill, the sounds of "chug, chug, chug" coming from the homes along Breese Terrace and of course the site of a half empty student section at kickoff.... Yep, football season is nearly here folks.

In fact, it's so close that we're down to single digits. So, welcome to our official countdown to the start of the 2013 Wisconsin football season, as we're just 99 days away....

Excuse me, just James Adeyanju away from the opening kickoff at Camp Randall on August 31st so, let us remind you of just who occupies jersey number 99 for the Badgers in 2013, shall we?

Story so far at Wisconsin:
- 2011 Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year
- Has seen action in just three games so far in his career at UW, making debut as a RS freshman at Purdue, Oct. 13
- Has just one career tackle to his name

History of No. 99 at UW:
Most today automatically go to the name JJ Watt when you associate the No. 99 with a Badger player and it's hard not to, the guy was a freak and his story was/is one of the reasons that makes growing up and playing football in this state so worth it. However, he's not the only one you should think of. Try this name from the past (as in pre-Alvarez era) on for size:

Rick Graf (1983-1986) - Four year starter for the Badgers as a linebacker, ranks 3rd all-time in fumble recoveries w/ 7, drafted in the 2nd round of the 1987 NFL Draft

Join in our Wisconsin Badgers conversation by making sure to follow us on Twitter @MTBadgers and Like us on Facebook. 

One of the biggest reasons Bret Bielema gave for leaving Wisconsin and heading for Razorbacks country was that Wisconsin wasn't paying its assistants enough to keep them around long enough to prevent massive changes every season. 

Consider message received, as we reported earlier this year that UW football assistant salaries took a huge jump. Well, earlier today it became clear that Wisconsin is becoming very competitive inside the Big Ten. Just how competitive? 

According to the ESPN.com report offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig and defensive coordinator Dave Aranda both rank 8th in salary amongst the coordinators in the Big Ten, earning $480,000 this season. That's a massive jump from the fact that UW ranked 2nd to last in coordinator salaries just last season. 

The 2014 Big Ten football schedule is out... Time to get our reaction and thoughts on what it means for you the Badger fan. 

Check out our reaction here: 

The Big Ten released it's 2014 football schedule on Thursday afternoon and Wisconsin will have an interesting mix of games to say the least, but they also dodged a bullet or two as they won't see Michigan, Penn State, or Ohio State out of the East division. 

Instead they will face newcomers Maryland and Rutgers, doing so in back-to-back weeks actually. Additionally the Big Ten has gone all in on the rivalry tip, putting the biggest rivalry games in the final week of the season. For UW that means a date with Minnesota for Paul Bunyan's Axe and the chance at a decade of domination for the Badgers in that rivalry. 

Also of note is that Wisconsin's three biggest games inside the West division come down the stretch as it'll be back-to-back-to-back games against Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. Without the big four schools from the East on the schedule that stretch should get the juices flowing, regardless of how good or bad Iowa and Minnesota may be in 2014 - that's three rivalry games in a row and if you as a fan can't get up for that, I'm not sure there's much in the way of help we can offer you.

Here is Wisconsin's full 2014 schedule as it is known now (courtesy of FBSschedules.com):

Over the past few days there was a nice back and forth via the wonderful world of Twitter and it got me to thinking.... thinking about the awesomeness that was the 2010 Badgers running back stable. Why was I thinking about that season? Well, because the 2013 version of the Badgers backfield has enough talent in it to wonder how they'll be used and 2010 could be the blueprint for that season.

What's that... You don't remember that 2010 season? Well, then let me refresh your memory. That backfield featured junior John Clay, sophomore Montee Ball, and freshman James White - names that should sound familiar, right? 

Even more important are the numbers behind that first of three Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl season as it could provide an exact blueprint to what 2013 may look like. In 2010 all three had 156 carries or more on the season with John Clay leading the way in carries with 187. 

Additionally, here are the rushing totals for that season: James White - 1,052; John Clay - 1,012; Montee Ball - 996.

Wisconsin football has long been active in the Madison area community and the state of Wisconsin at large and 99% of the time we hear nothing of it. Whether it's visiting sick kids at the Children's hospital or helping food banks or whatever it may be chances are you and I never will know about it and that's the way it should be most of the time. 

However, on Wednesday one of those rare times where we should know about it will take place as fourteen year old Madison native Darien Moran will have his wish come true courtesy of Wisconsin football, local businesses, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

Darien's wish? It could've been the Super Bowl, a trip to the Rose Bowl, instead he chose to have a room makeover done in a football theme. 

Why the football themed room makeover and the wish being granted?

Darien has always been active on the football field, wrestling mat and soccer field. When he began experiencing hip and leg pain in the summer of 2011, doctors first suspected it was a sports-related injury. After several physical therapy sessions, Darien's symptoms were gradually worsening and his Aunt Terry Soerens noticed he was losing weight. Further testing revealed a far more serious diagnosis; Darien had a rare autoimmune disease called histiocytosis. This was another devastating blow for a kid who had already endured the loss of both his parents by the time he was five years old. Darien began a year of chemotherapy to treat the histiocytic tumor in his hip and pelvic bone. Yet six months later, he was sidelined again with a tumor on his skull and is currently undergoing three consecutive, daily regimens of chemotherapy every 28 days.

"You're only as good as the players around you," those words are often spoken in regards to team sports and team efforts and after finding out he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame those were the first thoughts of honoree Ron Dayne. 

"I don't know. I can't stop smiling," said Dayne when asked about the award on Tuesday. "I'm excited and happy, especially for me and my teammates. We worked on it. We worked on it as a team."

"All the stuff that I'm getting, the stuff that I got, it was from teamwork. It's just great to be able to come back and still get awards."

Dayne, who rushed for over 7,100 yards (including bowl game performances, which weren't counted by the NCAA at the time), has been racking up the awards as of late. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame before the 2012 game and now adds this to his already stellar resume in college football history.