Derek Watt couldn't wait to break the news to his older brother last Sunday. But there was one hang-up. He couldn't get a hold of J.J. Watt. "He's probably busy rehabbing his elbow,'' Derek said.

Probably, since J.J. has been sidelined with a dislocated elbow since early August. The former Wisconsin defensive end is expected to miss the entire preseason with the Houston Texans.

"We'll get in touch,'' Derek promised.

At the time, he was also planning on reaching out to Bradie Ewing, the former UW fullback who blew out his knee in a preseason game with the Atlanta Falcons last week. Ewing has been lost for the year.

"Bradie was one amazing fullback and one amazing person,'' Watt said, "and he changed the outlook for a lot of guys on this team. He was a huge leader and we were pretty good friends.''

Ewing has become an even bigger resource for Watt since last Sunday. That's when Watt agreed to make the move from linebacker to fullback on the suggestion of Badgers head coach Bret Bielema.

"He (Bielema) told me that he thought it would be best for the team and in my best interests,'' said Watt, a redshirt freshman from Pewaukee. "He said that I could take my time to think about it.

"But I didn't want to wait too long. We're already pretty far into camp right now, so I'm already a little behind. They're working on getting me a playbook so I can be ready for practice.''

In high school, Watt was a running back in a Wing-T offense.

"I was a wingback, but I also played some tailback, which is kind of a fullback in the Wing-T,'' he said. "I got a little taste of blocking once in awhile. It's going to be a little different here.''

Before he could answer whether he has missed running the ball, he was advised that he wouldn't be getting the rock here anyway, never mind. "I was just going to say that,'' Watt chuckled.

But, if everything falls into place, he wouldn't rule out contributing in other facets of the position. "Hopefully I'll be able to get out on some routes and catch some passes in the flat,'' he said.

That was the case last season for Ewing, who finished the year without a single carry but had 20 catches for an average of 12.3 yards per grab.

Last fall, Watt and Jake Keefer, another redshirt freshman, were taking most of the reps at linebacker on the scout team. Keefer is now wearing No. 93 and practicing with the defensive line.

"They're trying to experiment with guys in new places, especially during camp,'' Watt said. "I'm just one of those guys. Coach B has said that he's going to put guys in position to get on the field.

"I feel like if I do things the right way I can make it happen.''

At linebacker, Watt and Marcus Trotter were competing for time behind Chris Borland.

"I was splitting reps with Marcus and I wasn't getting as many reps as some of the other guys,'' Watt said. "I was watching a lot of film and taking mental reps when Chris and Marcus were in there.

"It was just the way the chips fell. I'm going to try and embrace playing fullback.''

Bielema is optimistic about Watt making a successful transition to offense, which would be a nice twist to the storyline since J.J. Watt came to Wisconsin as a tight end before moving to D-end.

"I used to hear all the time when I was a young coach,'' Bielema said, "that every fullback should play linebacker and every linebacker should play fullback.

"That's just an old-school way of thinking and it's not necessarily true. But just from watching him, Derek might be a better offensive player ... I just think he's wired in that way.''

Bielema cited the example of former Iowa linebacker-slash-tight end Dallas Clark.

"I'm not drawing any comparisons,'' cautioned Bielema, qualifying his remarks. "But when I was a linebacker coach, Dallas was a linebacker for me for two years and I couldn't get him on the field.

"He moves to tight end and becomes the highest paid tight end in the NFL (with the Indianapolis Colts) because he just fit better offensively. Hopefully that same thing holds true for Derek.''

The 224-pound Watt isn't sure whether he will be asked to add weight, or take it off. A teammate kidded that he was in good shape for the move since he has a fullback number, No. 34.

"Right now with the switch,'' Watt said, "I'm trying to learn everything I can at fullback and I'm also trying to get on the field with special teams to make an immediate impact. That's my main goal.''

BTN's Big Ten Football Preview Tour rolled into Madison on Monday, with the on-air crew of Dave Revsine, Howard Griffith and Gerry DiNardo joined by BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart.

The crew took in UW's practice session and then conducted interviews for their special on the Badgers, which will air at 9 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday.

Here's a look at the tour stop via Storify, collecting the tweets, photos and videos of the BTN staff and UWBadgers.com.

Media days can be monotonous for players because of the repetitive nature of the questioning.

Mostly it's a harmless fluff-and- flash (bulb) exercise; one lost hour out of the day -- unless you're Wisconsin linebacker Ethan Armstrong, who was actually looking forward to Sunday's media day at Camp Randall Stadium from the perspective of "I was sure hoping I would see'' another one.

"I don't want to take anything for granted,'' he said.

That's because the last time the Badgers played a home game -- Nov. 26, 2011 against Penn State -- Armstrong was taken off the field in an ambulance after being injured while covering a second-quarter kickoff. The worst-case scenario was that he had dislocated both hips, so there was added precaution. But it wasn't as bad as it initially looked, he said; only a partial dislocation of his right hip.

Only?

"It was probably scarier for my parents than it was for me,'' Armstrong said. "They weren't at the game, so they had to watch it on TV. I'm sure it was a frightening experience. I don't really remember all that I was thinking (during the ambulance ride to the hospital). I was just really disappointed and hoping my teammates would continue to play well and get that victory.''

That was the good news: the Badgers closed out the regular season by crushing Penn State, 45-7, and advancing to the inaugural Big Ten championship game. The bad news was that Armstrong's season was over. Some might have viewed his college football career in the same light. Addressing the number of people who likely counted him out, he said, "There was probably more than I want to know.''

That's why his presence at Sunday's media day was so meaningful. "I love the game, I love this place, I love playing here -- I couldn't ever see myself doing anything else,'' said Armstrong, a redshirt junior from Ottawa, Ill., who's battling to be the No. 3 linebacker on defense alongside Mike Taylor and Chris Borland. In this sense, Armstrong said that he has to prove to himself that "I can do it, that I can come back and be the same player and play at the same level that I was before the injury.''

Armstrong had surgery on one hip in December, and the other hip in January.

"Physically, I'm as healthy as I'm going to get,'' he said.

Before he could continue, he was interrupted and asked, "What does that mean?''

You're as healthy as you're going to get?

"It means I'm feeling good,'' said Armstrong, who missed spring practice while he was recovering from surgery. "I'm full-go, I'm 100 percent. Obviously, there's going to be a little soreness, a little bit of tightness from day to day. But it's about maintaining and staying as healthy as I can.''

Armstrong is 21. Does he ever feel like he's 61 when he gets up in the morning?

"As long as I wake up with the right mindset I'm good to go,'' he said, smiling.

That's a pretty refreshing attitude which he also applies to his walk-on status.

"That's probably been harder on my folks than me,'' he said. "They've given me a great opportunity -- the chance to come here and play -- and they've been amazing to me. They've done nothing but support me since Day One, so it's been harder on them to pay tuition, especially out of state tuition.

"But they haven't said anything about it. They want me to do what I want to do.''

Having endured so many setbacks -- including shoulder and finger surgery -- Armstrong just wants to prove that he can be a steady contributor. "I've tried to stay as positive as I could, but it has been tough, any injury is,'' he said, adding that at least he knows what to expect from rehab; a kind of "been there, done that'' mentality.

"You know the kind of hurdles you're going to have to jump and the trials that you're going to face coming back from it,'' he said.

When he has played, he has been productive.

"But I have a lot to prove; I have to prove that I can be that guy, that starter,'' said Armstrong, noting that he has to prove his worthiness to his coaches and teammates. "Frankly, I have to prove to the whole Wisconsin nation that I'm good enough to play with those guys, good enough to be a scholarship athlete and good enough to earn my way on this team.''

Armstrong is so gung-ho about getting back to work that he's excited by the prospect of two-a-days practice, normally the bane of every player. "That's just because I want to be here so bad,'' Armstrong said. "It's not as much of a grind as everyone says ... (for me) it's definitely making sure that my body can keep up with what my mind and my heart wants it to do.''

The crew from SiriuxXM College Sports Nation (that's Ch. 91 for those with subscriptions) made a stop in Madison Friday as part of their College Football Camp Tour.

Host Mark Packer and his crew conducted their three-hour live show from Camp Randall Stadium, interviewing director of athletics Barry Alvarez, head coach Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Matt Canada and defensive coordinator Chris Ash.

Six Badgers also spoke with Packer about their thoughts on the upcoming season, what it's like to play in front of a 80,000-plus at Camp Randall and, most notably, how to properly consume a Scrambler from Mickey's Dairy Bar.

Have a listen to some of what the Badgers had to say:

Last week's trip to Chicago for the annual Big Ten Football Media Days meant supplying the media members in attendance with plenty of info on what the Badgers will bring to the table in 2012.

You can peruse the entire notes package, but here are some of the most interesting nuggets on UW heading into the season...

The Basics
- The Badgers return just 11 of 22 starters (five on offense, six on defense). However, UW has 19 players on the roster that have started at least one game in their career.

- Wisconsin's 115-player roster breaks down like this: 49 freshmen, 30 sophomores, 27 juniors, 9 seniors. UW's eight scholarship seniors are tied for second-fewest among FBS teams.

- Eight returning Badgers have earned all-conference honors at some point during their careers (six offensive players and two defensive players).

This Fall Belongs to Ball
- After tying Barry Sanders' FBS record with 39 touchdowns last season, senior RB Montee Ball has 61 for his career and needs 18 TDs to break the NCAA career record for total TDs.

- Ball led the nation with 1,923 rushing yards and 2,229 yards from scrimmage last year, while his 39 touchdowns were more than 42 FBS teams scored in all of 2011. His 33 rushing touchdowns were more than 104 FBS teams tallied last season.

- Ball has started just 18 games in his career but is averaging 142.9 rushing yards and has scored 51 touchdowns in those games.

- Ball has not lost a fumble in his career, spanning 617 touches (568 carries, 49 receptions).

Bowling with the Badgers
- The Badgers have made four appearances in the Rose Bowl during the BCS era (since 1998). That is the second-most in the country during that span, trailing only USC's five appearances.

- UW has appeared in a bowl game in 10 straight seasons, tied for the ninth-longest active streak in the country. It is second only to Ohio State's streak of 12-straight bowl games among Big Ten teams.

At the Top
- Wisconsin is one of just six teams in the country to win at least 10 games in each of the last three seasons. The others are Alabama, Boise State, Oregon, Virginia Tech and TCU.

- The Badgers own a 32-8 record over the past three seasons, and only five teams boast more wins than UW since the start of the 2009 season: Boise State (38), TCU (36), Alabama (36), Oregon (34) and LSU (33).

-Wisconsin went undefeated at home for the second-straight season and has won 16 consecutive home games, the second-longest active streak in the country. UW's 50-4 record at Camp Randall Stadium since 2004 is third-best in the country and the Badgers' 50 home wins in that span is tied with LSU for most in the nation.

- Wisconsin was the only team in the country to finish among the top 15 in the final NCAA stats in both total offense and total defense in 2011.

- Since the 2002-03 school year, the Badgers have played in a bowl game every year while also qualifying for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. That streak of 10 straight years with both is by far the longest in the country. BYU and Michigan State are tied for second on that list at five consecutive years.

CHICAGO -- Wisconsin linebacker Mike Taylor knows that someone is "watching.'' But that doesn't mean he's losing sleep over showing up on the preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Lombardi Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

He's not tossing and turning, either, over his name somehow being left off the Butkus Award list, which is 51 deep and includes Badgers teammate Chris Borland.

"Some people made a big deal out of it, but I don't think it's a big deal at all; it has nothing to do with football at all,'' said Taylor, the pragmatic senior from Ashwaubenon, Wis., and the leading tackler in the Big Ten last season. "All I can control is what I do on the field and helping the team win.''

Only two players in college football had more tackles than Taylor in 2011: Boston College's Luke Kuechly, a first-round NFL draft pick of the Carolina Panthers, had 191; and Tulsa's Curnelius Arnick had 159. Taylor had 150, seven more than Borland. Moreover, Ohio State's Etienne Sabino started only five games last year, two in the Big Ten, and finished with 62 tackles, yet Sabino is on the 2012 Butkus list.

Go figure. Taylor isn't about to try.

Overall, the Badgers have eight different players on preseason watch lists, ranging from wide receiver Jared Abbrederis on the Biletnikoff Award list to tailback James White on the Doak Walker Award list. Center Travis Frederick is on three lists, while left tackle Ricky Wagner is on the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award lists.

Abbrederis and Wagner are both former walk-ons from Wisconsin high schools.

"It's an honor to be on some of those watch lists,'' said Wagner, a 6-foot-6, 322-pound senior from West Allis (Nathan Hale). "But I really can't be focusing on that during the year. If I start thinking like I have to win the Outland, I don't think I'll have a good year.''

You can understand why Wagner might think that way since his UW predecessors at left tackle -- Joe Thomas and Gabe Carimi -- each won the Outland Trophy. "They're great resources to have, obviously,'' Wagner said. "You can go to the tape room at any time and watch these great players.''

Wagner wasn't limiting his "great players'' reference to just Thomas and Carimi -- citing the positive influences of Kevin Zeitler, Peter Konz, John Moffitt and Bill Nagy, among others.  A couple of years ago, when NFL players were locked out of training camp, Thomas did much of his training in Madison and left quite an impression on Wagner.  "It was great talking to a legend like Joe,'' he said.

It went beyond hero worship, though, because Wagner listened and learned from Thomas. "I really respect Joe's workmanlike mentality,'' he said. "You have to think about what you're doing as a job -- even in college -- and you've got to go to work every day, take care of business and go home.''

Carimi impacted Wagner in a different way. And it wasn't so much about the way he trained during the off-season as much as it was about the way he gained an edge on opponents on the playing field.  

"I like Gabe's physical aspect,'' Wagner said. "He had an attitude on the field; he got really mean. That was something I really respected about Gabe. And I've got to improve on that.''

Wagner is among the most soft-spoken players on the team. That's his demeanor. This is not to suggest that he never loses his temper; never shows a mean streak. But he is understated compared to more demonstrative teammates. "I've not been a very vocal guy; I lead more by example,'' he said.

The Badgers took three players to Big Ten Media Days and Wagner was one of them, joining Taylor and tailback Montee Ball. While conceding "it takes awhile for me to get comfortable'' speaking to outsiders, Wagner also said the Chicago exposure "was kind of a unique experience.''

Regarding shouldering more responsibilities as a team leader, Wagner said, "I try to work hard on the field and show the younger guys how to practice. I never take practice for granted because that's where games are won.

"If something needs to be said, I'll step up and say something.''

That has been Taylor's approach. "I want to be a leader and I see myself as a leader,'' Taylor said. "Just because maybe I don't talk as much as I should -- or talk as much as people think I should -- it doesn't mean that I don't lead by example. When I do say something, it comes from the heart.''

Taylor would rather talk with his pads, an old school cliché that's still true today.

"I've played sports my whole life and I was never really a big talker,'' said Taylor. "But my teammates would see the way I conducted myself and they would follow. You don't have to talk to get other people motivated. You can be a leader by just doing things the right way.''

Apparently that's not good enough for the Butkus watch list. Nine players from the Big Ten made the cut, but Taylor, the league's defensive player of the week three times last season, is snubbed.

Guess he will just have to play his way on to the list, which would be his preference anyway.

CHICAGO -- Resplendent in a purple shirt, purple vest and purple bow tie, Wisconsin tailback Montee Ball wasn't necessarily trying to make a fashion statement here Thursday at the Big Ten football media assembly; nor was he showing his solidarity for Northwestern with his color selection and coordination.

It just looked that way, much to his dismay.

"No matter which color I picked, it was going to be somebody else's,'' he said.

Originally he was planning on going with a scarlet shirt. But he decided that matching scarlet with his grey suit -- Ohio State colors -- would have constituted more of a wardrobe malfunction. So he went with the purple and the bow tie, a personal first.

"I looked at it (a bow tie) and I said, 'Why not try it?''' he explained.

That might also be the best explanation for his name change.

Ball would prefer to be Mon-TAY instead of Mon-TEE.

"That's the actual pronunciation of my name,'' he pointed out.

Ball revealed his preference prior to last year's Heisman Trophy ceremonies in New York City.

But he backed off it then, and he didn't make a big deal out of it.

As far as he's concerned, it still isn't a big deal.

"I guess some reporters asked how I wanted to be called and I was thinking to myself since that's my actual name, let's go with Mon-TAY,'' he said.

None of his teammates have gotten into the habit yet of calling him Mon-TAY.

"But my girlfriend calls me Mon-TAY and now so do all of her friends,'' Ball said.

What does his mom call him?

"Junior,'' he said.

That eliminates any potential for some household confusion since he was named after his dad, Montee, Sr. That aside, there's no issue with calling him a Heisman finalist since he was one last season. Plus, he also ranks as one of one this season's Heisman frontrunners, since he's the leading returning vote-getter.

ESPN's Desmond Howard, who won the 1991 Heisman at Michigan, fielded some questions on Ball here Thursday. What's the best advice he could give to Ball going into his senior year?

"Take it game by game and don't pay attention to the hype,'' Howard said. "I think the best thing for Montee is that he went through it last year, so he kind of understands what the hype is all about.''

Howard has a high regard for Ball's make-up.

"His mentality is what has made him who he is today -- just the fact that he lost the weight and came back in better shape because he wanted to be the best he could be,'' he said. "That's what starts to separate good and great players, the mentality; not just the physical attributes but where you are mentally.''

During the morning media session, Ball got the chance to do a radio interview with another former Heisman winner, Ohio State's Eddie George, who won the award in 1995. "That was neat, that was shocking,'' Ball said. "Just looking at him and listening to him, I was thinking about all the things that he's done. It was incredible to be around him.''

Ball has tried to keep his own Heisman candidacy in perspective.

"It feels great being one of the leading candidates for the Heisman,'' he said. "But I'm just really looking forward to having another great season with the team because without the team's success I'm not going to be there (in the Heisman running).

"So I just have to make sure we practice hard and play hard and win our games so I can get my own personal goals; but most importantly we can win another Big Ten championship.''

Is there more pressure given the Heisman expectations?

"Actually, no,'' said Ball who paused and admitted, "Yeah to be honest there's a little bit (of pressure). But it's nothing that I'm too worried about because I know what I'm capable of doing if I stay healthy.

"I know I have the right mindset to go out there and practice as hard as I can and play as hard as I can. That's the only things that I can control.''

Ball estimated that about 50 percent of the questions that he received during the television interviews Thursday were about the pronunciation of his first name; the other 50 percent were about his decision to return for his senior year at Wisconsin.

"I was taught to never regret my decisions,'' he said. "I still support the decision that I made and I'm really grateful and happy that I came back because I'm enjoying myself. This is my last year in college football and I'm going to make sure that I have a really great year.''

Camp Randall Stadium's new FieldTurf surface is more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and physically forgiving to the legs than the old rug, which was first installed nine years ago. But on a blazing hot day -- when the temperature is soaring above 100 degrees -- it can still radiate heat like a griddle.

Not that UW football strength coach Ben Herbert minds.

"I think the heat is a great thing,'' he said Thursday with a mischievous grin.

The summer conditioning phase of Wisconsin's out-of-season program began on June 4 in what turned out to be an unseasonably hot and dry month. July has brought more of the same -- more heat and more humidity (and little or no rain). Madison has registered nine straight days in which the temperature has reached 90 or above, including the last two days, which have topped 100.

"Your radar is obviously on high alert to make sure you're really dialed in,'' Herbert said. "We're always like that, but you just want to make sure because of the heat. Our Sports Medicine staffers, Mike (Moll) and Patrick (Whitley), do a great job of watching the guys and seeing where they're at. At any point, if they need to step aside and take a breather, they fully understand that's what they need to do.''

Herbert likes to talk about athletes "being comfortable when you're uncomfortable'' during training. But there are limits, and his approach reflects that on a daily basis. "There are always times where you have to give some external motivation to really bring the best out of them,'' he said. "But if a guy is having trouble tolerating something, we don't approach it as, 'You're soft, you're mentally weak.'''

Herbert believes in building up players.

"Our guys have a clear understanding,'' he said, "that if there's something they're exposed to, and it makes them feel a certain way -- just something is not right -- they need to take the needed steps to get right mentally and physically. Be smart with how you feel and understand where you're at.''

The Badgers have been in a very good spot -- to Herbert's thinking -- since early June.

"Our guys came back ready to work from Day One and they're excited,'' Herbert said.

Last weekend marked the halfway point of the eight-week summer phase.

Reflecting on the results, Herbert said, "We really did hit the ground running.''

The Fourth of July, in this context, was significant to Herbert for only one reason.

"We treated it as a normal training day,'' he said.

That meant four different groups trained at 6:30 a.m. and 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.

"For being as hot as it was, they tolerated it extremely well,'' Herbert said.

Besides a weight room session, there was over an hour of sprint work on the new turf.

"The guys love it,'' Herbert said. "It looks great and it feels good to their body and legs.''

An impish grin reappeared on his face.

"Because of the softer surface,'' he said, "the (blocking) sleds are a little heavier (to push).

"They don't slide quite as easily as they did before -- which I don't mind.''

After one more sizzling hot day, the temperature is expected to drop into the 80s this weekend.

"We address it as needed,'' Herbert said, "and we've had no guys with issues.''

If someone is struggling, he stressed, "We put him in the best situation health-wise.''

Speaking to the bottom line, Herbert went on, "We're going to get the work in we need.''

But everybody is going to be smart about it.

"If there are things they can't tolerate,'' he said, "we'll obviously back off accordingly.''

Despite the record-setting heat, the Badgers have continued to make positive gains.

"That,'' he said of July 4th, "was as good of a day as we've had all summer.''

Training under such conditions has its advantages.

"From a preparation standpoint, this is outstanding,'' said Herbert, a former UW defensive player. "I've been in a couple of training camps that were like dreams -- 60 to 70 degrees. But they're few and far apart. Usually it's between 80 and 85. This year has been unique. August is going to be hot and once they put the pads and helmet on they will be better acclimated to tolerate the heat.''

That's when the players will be forced to make some adjustments.

"When you put that helmet on, it changes everything,'' Herbert said. "The majority of heat that escapes from your body is through the top of your head. When you trap that heat with a plastic shell, it changes the dynamic of how your body must tolerate that heat. From a heat acclimation standpoint, it would be outstanding if we could prepare them with their helmets on (in June and July).''

Regarding changes in NCAA legislation, he conceded, "I fully understand and agree why it is the way it is. But maybe at some point down the line they could understand how it would be beneficial.''

Herbert was speaking Thursday from his new office. The weight room has been relocated from the basement of the McClain Facility to its footprint under the stands in the north end of Camp Randall. For now, Herbert is sharing some space with the makeshift training and equipment rooms.

"I wouldn't even say there has been an adjustment,'' he said of the ongoing construction.

That's noteworthy considering the players have been shuffled to a temporary locker room area in the stadium -- space once used by Badger football teams in the '70s and 80s -- while the old room is being remodeled in McClain. "It has been as smooth as it could possibly be,'' Herbert observed.

"It has been as seamless of a transition as I could have ever hoped for. We're excited about the temporary space and some of the things that we've been able to do. And it excites you that much more knowing what it's going to be like when it's done. It will be unbelievable.''

Give the new weight room some time to evolve, he suggested, and it will develop a personality.

"No doubt,'' Herbert said. "That was one of the things that I realized was going to be different because of all the sweat and sacrifice and just the aura that the old space had in McClain. The guys liked to grind in there.

"The new setup has no frills. It's not the prettiest you've ever seen. But it sets up well and it's very conducive to putting in the work that we need to put in. The guys have responded well.

"It's definitely already taken on an identity of its own.''

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema sounded excited to be a part of college football history with the advent of a four-team playoff that will replace the BCS model beginning with the 2014 season.

Doing the simple math, though, he expressed the one obvious concern that is shared by all of his fraternity brothers in the coaching profession. There is a concern, you ask?

"Yeah, if I'm No. 5,'' he said, grinning. "Everybody used to talk about the No. 3 and No. 4 teams that didn't get to play for the championship. Now they're going to be talking about No. 5 and No. 6.

"I think it's probably legit to say that every year you're going to have teams that can play the excuse game on why they should be there.

"But to have four teams that will have a shot to win it all now is really cool.''

The Rose Bowl will not only be part of the six-bowl rotation for the two semifinal games, but it will be locked into a 4 p.m. (CST) kickoff on Jan. 1 through 2026 (Jan. 2 if New Year's Day is a Sunday).

The Tournament of Roses also announced Thursday that the Rose Bowl would continue to honor a Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup in those years that it's not playing host to a national semifinal.

That type of stability and/or continuity is priceless, Bielema pointed out.

"Of course, we're all a little biased,'' he conceded. "I've been there as a player and a coach. I know the Rose Bowl is a sacred, hallowed ground for college football, especially for the Big Ten.''

The new system will render polls virtually meaningless in their current form, thereby eliminating what has always been a healthy source of debate and controversy for fans, players and coaches alike.

The preseason polls, in particular, were problematic; especially from Bielema's viewpoint. The Badgers were off the radar in 2006, his first season; yet fought all the way back to a No. 5 final ranking.

"I was a new head coach with a new team and people had questions,'' he recalled. "But we finished 12-1 and I felt like we were a BCS (bowl) level team (that had to settle for something less).

"I've always been in favor of ranking teams later in the year because you have a chance then to truly find out who has good teams -- and it's not based on just good projections.''

College football is expected to adopt the NCAA's basketball model for a selection committee, which would include a collection of current athletic directors and league commissioners.

That would eliminate the importance of two BCS staples: the USA Today Coaches Poll and the Harris Poll. There have been reports, too, that the tweaked system will rank teams by tiers; another notable departure from the past.

Winning a conference title will carry weight with the committee, especially if teams are comparable in other criteria. Strength of schedule will also become a key component in the equation.

Bielema, for one, has long been an advocate of spacing out the non-conference opponents, as opposed to playing all four games at the front of the schedule in advance of Big Ten competition.

Alabama, for example, will open SEC West play the third week of the season: Sept. 15 against Arkansas. The Tide will then go out of conference for Western Carolina on Nov. 17.

"Playing those (FCS) teams is just a fact of life,'' Bielema said. "But I think a conference's strength of schedule is going to be a big part (of the new formula).''

One of football's greatest strengths, he noted, is still the regular season.

"I hear basketball coaches talking all the time about how they've got to win six games at the end of the year to win a national championship,'' he said. "Well, we've got to win 13, sometimes 14.

"I like that element to our sport -- the importance of the regular season -- which is unprecedented in the world of college sports. I like the hype around our college game day.''

By extending the season with a playoff, some questions have been raised about the physical toll that the extra games might take on those players who are involved, however many are exposed.

It might be the greatest argument, in fact, against the potential for an eight- or 16-team playoff. University presidents have addressed these concerns by locking into a four-team playoff for 12 years.

Bielema, the quintessential player's coach, recognizes the risks.

"I think we're at the limit right now,'' he said of the 15 games that the two finalists would play. "We're maxing them out. If we did anything more, we'd have to change the way we train them.''

Added Wisconsin defensive coordinator Chris Ash, "These guys are still 18- to 21-year-old student-athletes and there's already a lot on their plates.''

Even though it will only impact a few teams, Ash was pleased to hear the semifinals will be staged on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day and the championship on the second Monday of January.

"These kids are here all summer and show up for training camp in August,'' Ash said. "They're here all fall. They don't get a Thanksgiving break. They don't get a Christmas break.

"If you were to take away their winter break -- between the first and second semesters (in January) -- it would have been really tough on the student-athlete.''

Ash, like Bielema, is excited to see how the playoff is going to fall into place logistically.

"You knew it was going to come and I'm kind of curious to see how it will all work out once we get to that point,'' Ash said. "Change is good, and it kind of seemed like it was going in that direction.''

Expanding to four teams that will compete for the championship is one thing. "But honestly,'' Ash said, "there are probably only about 20 to 25 teams who have a shot of getting there.''

Wisconsin has definitely put itself in that company. Over the last three years, the Badgers are among the winningest programs in the nation; their overall run includes 10 straight bowl appearances.

UW offensive line coach Mike Markuson believes the playing field nationally is more level than people think, despite the fact that the SEC has won the last six national championships.

Markuson coached at Mississippi and Arkansas, so he has a good frame of reference.

"College football is every changing and a playoff is something that people have been screaming about for awhile,'' Markuson said. "To me, it's going to give somebody a chance that was maybe hovering out there (among the top teams) and thinking, 'Why not us? Why weren't we involved?'''

Given that backdrop, he added, "I'm excited to see what it's all about up here (in the Big Ten).''

When the strikingly bright new FieldTurf was installed in early June, it signaled just the first stage of cosmetic and functional upgrades happening to Camp Randall Stadium this summer.

The next phase, which is currently underway, includes installation of LED ribbon boards on both the East and West facades as well as in the Southeast and Southwest corners above the tunnel entrances.

According to Associate Athletic Director for External Relations Justin Doherty, the digital boards will be used in a similar fashion to Kohl Center, providing information to spectators as well as new display opportunities for sponsors.

With the LED board consuming much of the west facade, the lettering which used to reside in that location needed a new home. A move to the east side of the stadium is part of a larger project to honor Wisconsin's football legacy. In addition to saying "Camp Randall Stadium," the East fascia will now feature commemorate the Badgers':

• 6 retired names and numbers
• 13 Big Ten Championship seasons
• 8 Rose Bowl appearances
  

"We have a strong football tradition at Wisconsin and prior to this summer's project, you could walk into Camp Randall Stadium and not know if we have ever won anything. If we've ever won a championship or been in the Rose Bowl," Doherty explained. "Particularly with winning the Big Ten championship in the last two years, we felt this was a great way to celebrate and honor those achievements."

Application is scheduled to be finished in time for the opening of football practice in August.

Additionally, as part of the Student Athlete Performance Center project at the north end of Camp Randall, both of the stadium's scoreboards are scheduled to be replaced prior to the start of the 2013 season.