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Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver.

Tate was the pick over Jordan Shipley of Texas and Freddie Barnes of Bowling Green for the award.

Tate is the first Notre Dame receiver to win the award.

It will be like Oscar night around my house this evening.

For good reason, I might add. Most of college football's biggest awards will be presented tonight at The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards show.

The festivities will begin at 7 p.m. ET, meaning you still have plenty of time to get together with your friends and start your pools.

Here are the Big 12 nominees and their legitimate chances of toting home the hardware from Disney World this evening.

Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player)

Big 12 nominee: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska.

Chances of winning: Outstanding. Anybody who saw Suh's game against Texas should see he's a pretty deserving candidate.

Biletnikoff Award (best receiver)

Big 12 nominee: Jordan Shipley, Texas.

Chances of winning: Poor. Shipley might not have even been the most deserving candidate from the conference, considering the late charge by Missouri's Danario Alexander.

Maxwell Award (best all-around player)

Big 12 nominee: Colt McCoy, Texas.

Chances of winning: Fair. Mark Ingram might get the nod here in what should be tight balloting.

Davey O'Brien Award (best quarterback)

Big 12 nominee: Colt McCoy, Texas.

Chances of winning: Good. McCoy's lifetime statistics should boost him past finalists Tim Tebow and Case Keenum.

Outland Trophy (best lineman)

Big 12 nominees: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska; Russell Okung, Oklahoma State.

Chances of winning: Outstanding. Look for Suh to win this award, although Okung would be a strong selection as well.

Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back)

Big 12 nominee: Earl Thomas, Texas.

Chances of winning: Fair. Eric Berry is the favorite and he played more of the season as a hybrid linebacker/safety. Thomas has eight interceptions this season, but not Berry's career achievements.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Big 12 led the nation with seven players who were named earlier this week on the preliminary Biletnikoff Award watch list for the nation's top receiver.

Big 12 nominees included Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier of Kansas, Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant, Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles, Texas' Jordan Shipley, Texas Tech's Detron Lewis and Kansas State's Brandon Banks,

Kansas is the only team nationally with two players on the list of the nation's top 37 receivers.

Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference each had five players on the list and the Southeastern Conference had four players.

The award is presented annually by The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.

The Big 12 has claimed the Biletnikoff Award in each of the last two seasons. Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree became the first back-to-back winner in the history of the award in 2007 and 2008.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Big 12 had a good night at the Home Depot/ESPNU College Football Awards Show, featuring seven players and coaches who claimed eight different awards.

Here's a list of the Big 12's winners, some whom were recognized on the stage and others who weren't.

• Sam Bradford, Oklahoma quarterback, Davey O'Brien Award.
• Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech wide receiver, Biletnikoff Award.
• Colt McCoy, Texas quarterback, Walter Camp Player of the Year.
• Matt Fodge, Oklahoma State punter, Ray Guy Award.
• Chase Coffman, Missouri tight end, John Mackey Award.
• Brian Orakpo, Texas defensive end, Nagurski Award and Rotary Lombardi Award.
• Kevin Wilson, Oklahoma offensive coordinator, Frank Broyles Award.

The Big 12 was shut out in the final presentation of the evening when Florida quarterback Tim Tebow nosed past Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell and McCoy for the Maxwell Award.

All of these awards serve as a prelude to the Heisman Trophy and a mere appetizer for Saturday's presentation in New York City. I can't wait for the main course.