B5Q Blogopean Union: yes, we’ve seen the rumors too! No, we don’t know anything.

Good morning! This is going to be a daily(ish) post that discusses the goings on of the rest of the Big Ten Conference, and the country as needed. Much like the European Union, the Big Ten is a loosely confederated group of entities that sometimes have the same goals (like free movement of people between countries or not winning national titles in football or basketball) and sometimes accept new members that they later regret (Estonia or Nebraska).

We hope that you will use this post to comment on things happening around the conference and also as a sort of daily open thread to discuss breaking news or argue about Spotted Cow (which we NO LONGER DO).

• We will have a recap of the game up later, but it is DEFINITELY worth mentioning more than once: the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team won a conference game! The Badgers scrapped and clawed their way to a win at Rutgers on Sunday and, quite frankly, that’s a huge accomplishment for Marisa Moseley’s squad in her first year at the helm.

• Dana Rettke has landed in Italy!

• If any of you are heading south for the men’s hoops game on Tuesday, here is some important info about attending events at Northwestern.

• The Steelers may have gotten plastered on Sunday night, but it was through no fault of T.J. Watt who scored the first touchdown of the game.

• Abby Roque and Team USA are ready to kick some ass at the Olympics.

• The country is starting to take notice of the UW wrestling team.

• Badgers softball starts in just under a month!

• So, as usual, I will respect the sanctity of the paywall...but there is starting to be enough rumblings outside the paywall about Oklahoma transfer QB Caleb Williams and Wisconsin that it is worth mentioning.

You can search on Twitter and find more rumors about this, but the one thing I’ll say is that while there is definitely SOMETHING here, I wouldn’t have anyone start writing up a commitment post yet. It would be really cool for the Badgers to get him on campus at least and, for what it’s worth, we have reached out to Williams about his intentions.

• Maryland women’s hoops was considered a Final Four contender before the season started, and they still probably are, but after losing to the Wolverines, Michigan needs to be considered too.
• A review of Wisconsin’s sweep against Michigan State in hockey from a Spartans’ point of view.
• While his twin brother has received most of the hype this season, Kris Murray is a pretty danged good player himself.
• Purdue women’s basketball could not hang on and upset Indiana on Sunday.
• Northwestern men’s hoops stunned Michigan State this weekend and may have saved their season in the process.
• Rutgers wrestling falls to top-ranked Penn State.

Men’s basketball results from Saturday/Sunday

Northwestern 64 - No. 10 Michigan State 62
Rutgers 70 - Maryland 59
Penn State 56 - No. 16 Ohio State
Iowa 81 - Minnesota 71

Women’s basketball results from Saturday/Sunday

Ohio State 83 - Minnesota 75
No. 6 Indiana 73 - Purdue 68, OT
No. 11 Michigan 69 - No. 8 Maryland 49
Northwestern 46 - Michigan State 65
Illinois 72 - Penn State 90
Nebraska 83 - Iowa 93