Big Ten Football Morning Coffee: Montee Ball Wants a Big Piece of the Buckeyes

Rise and shine, friends. Here's what's going down in the Big Ten today.

Wisconsin RB Montee Ball told reporters that while Wisconsin is the team everyone's gunning for in the Leaders Division, Ohio State is "the team to beat for sure." You might be wondering why Ball's setting his sights on a team that can't challenge Wisconsin for the division—this year. It's basically "Beat Penn State and you get to go to Indianapolis" for the Badgers—but remember, there's only one team in the Leaders Division that beat Wisconsin last year. How'd that go again?

Safety Jordan Kovacs said that the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry will "take that next step" now that Urban Meyer is in charge in Columbus. What Kovacs is saying is basically correct, and Meyer's going to be a boon for the rivalry's standing in college football, but it's not as if (last year aside) Ohio State was the school not holding up its end of the bargain over the last 10 years or so.

Ohio State is upgrading its scoreboard and adding "ribbon" boards around the south end zone. In a vacuum, these upgrades are cool and add value to the stadium and its capabilities, but OSU fans can be excused for thinking of these types of things as distractions to the game on the field. Nowhere in sport would a purist rather dwell than college football. Except maybe golf.

A man from upstate New York is facing felony charges in trial over his alleged burglary of the "Paternoville" sign from Beaver Stadium. The evidence against him includes surveillance footage of his car trying to drive through the stadium gates and him taking the sign away, as well as the sign being recovered at his home. Well, now I can't wait to hear his defense.

Bo Pelini isn't showing off much of the playbook at Nebraska's spring game on Saturday, because he is like every other coach in the nation. But the true mark of greatness is when your opponent knows what's coming and still can't stop it, is it not? So show 'em all what's coming, Bo! Be great! Sincerely, every other defensive coordinator on Nebraska's schedule.

Lastly, totally unrelated to football, but I've just been informed it's National Grilled Cheese Day. Adjust plans accordingly.