Badger Bits: Pre-season predictions starting to roll in

Don't Forget: This Tuesday at 1 p.m. we will start breaking down the Badgers' schedule in our 2009 Schedule Tour on The 5th Quarter Radio Show. We start the tour by analyzing the Badgers' first opponent, Northern Illinois, with Mad.Mike who runs Red and Black Attack, SBNations NIU blog.

As we get further into June we start ask a few questions. Why are the NBA and NHL playoffs still going on? Are the Washington Nationals mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet? And why are there magazines telling me where the Badgers are going to finish in the Big Ten when summer workouts haven't even started yet?

All are very valid questions. But nonetheless, a few pre-season predictions are already out on the table. Lindy's has the Badgers finishing sixth in the Big Ten, while The Sporting News and Athlon Sports both have UW seventh.

More links:

• Ranking the Big Ten: Two Badgers make Rittenberg's list
  ESPN.com's Big Ten Blogger Adam Rittenberg has been ranking the Top 30 players in the Big Ten and coming on top was Illinois WR Arrelious Benn. Two Badgers made the list as John Clay was listed at No. 16 while Garrett Graham was No. 17.

• The Leaf-Chronicle: Austin Peay could be on Badgers' 2010 schedule
  More bad news when it comes to scheduling, it looks like Austin Peay will be the Badgers "cupcake opponent" in 2010. At least The Leaf Chronicle referred to Wisconsin as "a Big 10 power."

• MVictors.com: Minnesota AD confirms talk of 2009, 2010 Michigan games
  This is hard to believe, but Michigan and Minnesota recently had talks about scheduling a non-conference series in 2009 and 2010 when the two teams don't play each other in conference play.

• BadgerBeat.com - Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: Another walk-on & Egwu update
  As we reported last month, Dan Fahey will join the UW men's basketball team as a walk-on and BadgerBeat.com adds an update on Fahey's former teammate, Nnanna Egwu.

• BadgerBeat.com - Wisconsin Badgers football: Purdue fighting to keep Notre Dame on its schedule
  It appears the folks at Purdue aren't too pleased about speculation that the Notre Dame will drop the Boilermakers from their schedule.

• BadgerBeat.com - Wisconsin Badgers football: Another 11 a.m. start for Homecoming
  And if you missed it, for the fourth straight year -- and sixth in the last eight -- the Wisconsin Badgers football team will have an 11 a.m. kickoff for its Homecoming game.