Big stage, big characters

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Big Ten struck out on the blueblood schools.

No Ohio State, which remains in suspended NCAA animation pending ruling on violations. No Nebraska, even though most of Lincoln bought tickets for Saturday's championship game.

No big blue, literally, with that being Michigan. And no other blue, with Penn State trying to sort out what it will be both now and beyond.

What the Big Ten got is its best teams into its inaugural championship game (7 p.m. Saturday on FOX at Lucas Oil Stadium).

The Wisconsin Badgers (10-2) will try for a measure of revenge against Michigan State (10-2), which beat Wisconsin on a Hail Mary heave on the last play of their 37-31 meeting on Oct. 22.

And the Big Ten got two of its biggest characters in Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema and MSU's Mark Dantonio.

The two took questions Friday afternoon on a stage beneath the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. They wore sweatsuits. They cracked smiles. Saturday, they'll be at each other's throats, and do not think they won't.

Consider their history.

Shortly after demolishing Minnesota in 2007, Bielema announced, "You want a rivalry, you got one."

As Iowa people you know all about Bielema, a "walk-on to captain" during his playing days as a Hawkeye (1989-92). Yes, he has a Tiger Hawk tattoo on a calf muscle. And, oh yeah, he told former ISU coach Jim Walden what he thought of him.

"Coach, you've been a real [expletive] the last five years, I've enjoyed beating you."

That mentality never seems very far away.

The Badgers are driven this season by quarterback Russell Wilson, who graduated after three years at North Carolina State and then transferred to a graduate program at the UW. Wisconsin scooped up as close as it comes to a free agent in college football. Wilson was all-Big Ten after accounting for 33 touchdowns this season.

This opened the door for a humble brag Friday.

"Because of the success of Russell Wilson," he said, "I've been contacted by almost 10 players who want to talk about the opportunity to transfer in to the University of Wisconsin."

As Iowa people, you've already developed a "best of" with Dantonio. You've witnessed strained handshakes and an argument with officials while an opposing player laid motionless not 5 yards away from him (Iowa wide receiver Colin Sandeman in 2009). You saw the double-reverse pass and fake field goal late in the Spartans' 37-21 victory at Kinnick Stadium this season.

And of course, there were the questions that surrounded the injuries that sent MSU players to the turf when the Hawkeyes had a whiff of rhythm in that game.

The winner Saturday night secures the Big Ten's automatic BCS berth and this season that means a trip to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

It's been a long time for the Spartans, since the 1987 season, in fact, so Dantonio, who's engaged Michigan in a passive-aggressive war of words since he arrived at MSU in '07, has left hints around the East Lansing complex, including a single rose was left in the locker of each player this week.

"We've always had subliminal messages to our players, I guess," he said. "We've got Rose Bowl things up around our facility. We felt it was something we should do this week to put a rose in everyone's locker to continually remind them about what we're trying to accomplish."

Dantonio told a story of offensive line coach Mark Staten, who recruited in California earlier this year. When Staten returned, he had rocks from the Rose Bowl.

"So we broke them all up and gave everybody a little rock," Dantonio said. "We'll do whatever it takes to keep that focus in front of them."

This UW-MSU thing is starting to feel rivalry. After the Spartans' shocking victory in October, a few of the MSU players made Wisconsin's "W" with a hand gesture, something that Bielema occasionally throws out there.

"I think both of our football teams are going to be on top for a while," Dantonio said.

With that, it's on, Big Ten.

The Big Ten didn't get its bluebloods here. It got pit fighters born with chips on both shoulders.

And it's on.

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