ESPN College Football

We've reached the final game in the first round of our Big Ten Champions Tournament, pitting eight of the best teams from the league over the past 15 years. Since these two teams are seeded closely, this might be our closest matchup of the first round.

Get ready to cast your votes for ...

No. 4 seed 2006 Ohio State vs. No. 5 seed 1998 Ohio State

This is our second all-Buckeyes matchup of the first round, which was hard to avoid since Ohio State has won so many Big Ten titles in the past 15 years. This one ought to be interesting.

The 2006 team was close to becoming an all-time great. It went undefeated in the regular season, beating then-No. 2 Michigan in a classic thriller in the finale, and quarterback Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy. Alas, the Buckeyes flopped in the BCS title game against Florida, losing 41-14 in an embarrassing blowout. Still, that shouldn't totally take away from a terrific season and a strong roster that included Smith, Antonio Pittman, Chris Wells, Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez on offense and Bronko Nagurski winner James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins on defense.

The 1998 team finished the season ranked No. 2 in both polls. Those Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 most of the season before getting upset at home by Michigan State on Nov. 7. They went on to beat Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl. Stars included wideout David Boston and linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer, and the team was led by steady senior quarterback Joe Germaine. That team won every game by double digits except the Michigan State shocker. The 1998 season would prove to be the last real highlight of the John Cooper era.

Vote in our poll for the winner of this matchup. And if you want, drop me a line about why you voted the way you did and break down this game. I'll post the best responses when we announce the victor on Monday.

The Final Four of this tournament will be coming your way next week.

Some notes and nuggets from around the Big Ten to make you smarter as you head out to the games this weekend.

• If Michigan QB Denard Robinson earns Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors this fall, he would become just the second player to do so in back-to-back seasons, joining former Indiana tailback Anthony Thompson (1988-89). Including Thompson, just four players have successfully defended their Player of the Year awards. Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis (2007-2008), Northwestern linebacker Pat Fitzgerald (1996-1997 and Illinois linebacker Dana Howard (1993-1994).
• Nebraska enters the season opener with victories in each of its past 25 season openers. The Huskers' streak leads the nation, bettering Florida's 21 straight wins. Nebraska's last loss in a season opener was a 17-13 setback against Florida State at Memorial Stadium in 1985.
• With Caleb TerBush poised to be the starter against Middle Tennessee, the Boilermakers will have a different quarterback under center to begin a season in four consecutive years, and TerBush will be the fifth Boiler QB to garner a start in less than a calendar year (Robert Marve, Rob Henry, Sean Robinson, Justin Siller, TerBush).
• Iowa's defense has ranked among the national leaders in forcing turnovers in recent seasons. Over the last three seasons Iowa has collected 63 interceptions, a total that ranks second in the nation over that span (Florida leads with 68). In addition, in each of the last four seasons, Iowa has had more interceptions than touchdown passes allowed.
• Illinois opens the season at home for the first time since 2006 has have eight home games on the schedule in 2011 for the first time in the Memorial Stadium era and for the first time since 1903, when Illinois played nine home games.
• Penn State has a 64-14 (.821) record in non-conference games overall since starting Big Ten play in 1993. The Nittany Lions have won 18 of their last 21 nonconference games, with the lone losses coming to USC in the 2009 Rose Bowl, at Alabama (2010) and to Florida in the 2011 Outback Bowl.
• Michigan State fifth-year senior receiver B.J. Cunningham needs just 10 more catches to become the team's all-time leader in receptions (record: 148 by Matt Trannon, 2003-06). The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Cunningham already ranks among the school’s career leaders in catches (third at 139), touchdown receptions (tied for 10th with 13) and receiving yards (1,780).
• Minnesota enters the season only carrying 41 upperclassmen on the roster.
  Here's the full breakdown of each class for the Gophers: freshmen -- 53; sophomores -- 25; juniors -- 21; seniors -- 20.
• The last 20 Ohio State coaches are 19-0-1 in their debuts. The last Ohio State coach to lose his debut was Jack Ryder, who suffered a 40-4 loss at Oberlin in 1892. No pressure, Luke Fickell.
• Northwestern boasts 31 offensive and defensive players who have made a combined 378 career starts. That is a significant jump from last season, when 30 players with starting experience combined for 276 starts at the start of the season.
• Indiana allowed just 12 sacks last season, the 11th fewest total in the nation. The offensive line surrendered one sack per 42.8 pass attempts, which led the Big Ten. All five of this season’s projected starters are in at least their fourth year with the program.

Michigan State senior linebacker Greg Jones has been named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker.

Jones is the only Big Ten representative among the 15 semifinalists, and he's one of three repeat semifinalists from 2009. The Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 is on pace for another All-America type season, recording 60 tackles, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, five tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries and a sack.

Butkus Award finalists will be named Nov. 23, and the winner will be announced Dec. 8. Ohio State's James Laurinaitis was the last Big Ten recipient, in 2007.

If Eric Gordon played for any other team, he'd probably be a household name.

He'd likely have a few more awards listed below his mug shot in the media guide. Who knows, he might even have his own promotional Web site, like this one.

Gordon easily could be the Greg Jones of another team. But he's much happier being Jones' teammate at Michigan State, which is ranked No. 7 in the BCS standings and off to its first 7-0 start since 1966.

"Greg deserves everything he's gotten," Gordon said. "He's a great player and he makes awesome plays and flies around. I guess you could say I do wish I would be in his position, but I love the position I'm in. I’ve been doing the best I possibly can and he's doing the same. He just gets a few more tackles than me."

When told that Jones gets a few more tackles than just about everyone in college football, Gordon laughs and says, "Yeah, just a few more."

Gordon is the latest Big Ten linebacker to flourish a role previously occupied by players like Ohio State's Marcus Freeman and Penn State's Brandon Short. Both Freeman and Short were outstanding linebackers who played in the shadows of more decorated teammates: James Laurinaitis in Freeman's case, LaVar Arrington in Short's. Neither Freeman nor Short fully got the credit they deserved, but their accomplishments didn't go unnoticed.

The same holds true for Gordon, who has started 43 of his 45 career games for the Spartans, including each of the past 34 contests, a streak that ties him with Jones for the longest on the team. "Gordo," as he's known on the team, ranks 18th among active FBS players with 285 career tackles and has recorded 26 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 8 pass breakups.

"He’s been around a long time," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said of the 6-foot, 232-pound fifth-year senior. "He's been an extremely productive player for us. He has great speed and great power and great ball skills."

Gordon's career tackles total ranks second among active Big Ten players.

Take a wild guess at who ranks first.

No one has had a better view for Jones' evolution than Gordon, who has played next to No. 53 for three plus seasons. Gordon considers Jones one of his best friends, and they both know how far they've come from the 2007 season.

"We always laugh whenever we see film of us," Gordon said. "We weren’t the smartest guys on the field. We just kind of lined up. We watch it and we ask each other, ‘What the hell we were doing?’"

It's certainly not the case any more, as Jones and Gordon are two of the more assignment-sound linebackers in college football. Jones gets most of the accolades -- consensus All-America honors, 2009 Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year, 2009 and 2010 Big Ten preseason Defensive Player of the Year -- but Gordon is right by his side.

"He's so consistent, he's instinctual and physical, he can run sideline to sideline," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "He's been such a good player because of how consistent he's been."

Fitzgerald was the Greg Jones of Northwestern in the mid-1990s, although he'll never admit it. "Comparing my athleticism to Greg Jones is an insult to Greg," Fitzgerald said Monday. As a two-time National Defensive Player of the year, Fitzgerald garnered most of the attention, while Northwestern's other good linebackers like Danny Sutter -- "One heck of a player for us," Fitzgerald said -- were overlooked.

"[Jones] gets talked about a lot and he should because he’s a great player, but I enjoy watching Eric Gordon, too," Fitzgerald said. "He's one heck of a football player. Those two guys have been side by side now for a number of years, and they just do a tremendous job of playing the position."

Dantonio sees Gordon as the perfect complement to Jones, both as a blitzer and as another sure tackler in space.

"We've been together since Day 1 of actually playing," Gordon said. "He's always been next to me. Our communication is great. We understand each other and I just think we work together great. It's been an honor.

"I've learned so much from him. I hope he's learned a little from me."

Most coaches would take one look at Brian Rolle and think strong safety or running back.

A 5-foot-11, 218-pound middle linebacker? Maybe in the Sun Belt, but never at Ohio State, a program rich in linebacker tradition that can hand pick the players to put in the center of its defense.

This is the team that produced Chris Spielman, Andy Katzenmoyer, James Laurinaitis and other prototype middle linebackers. Why would the Buckeyes settle for less?

Because Rolle isn't less.

"I suppose if you plug him into the computer, Brian Rolle doesn't fit," Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel said. "But he sure can play football."

Rolle's résumé speaks for itself. After two seasons as a special-teams standout, Rolle stepped into a starting role in 2009 and recorded 94 tackles, seven for loss, with an interception, a fumble recovery and a rare defensive PAT after picking off a pass on a two-point conversion attempt and racing 98 yards to the end zone.

He opened his senior season with a bang Thursday night, recording his first career pick-six, a 30-yard interception return to the end zone in a 45-7 rout of Marshall.

Rolle might lack ideal middle-linebacker size, but he has all the other tools to excel at the position.

Let's start with his voice, which can be heard just about any time on the practice field or during a game.

"Most people think I'm talkative, but it's just if I have something to say to somebody, I'll say it," said Rolle, one of six co-captains for the Buckeyes this fall. "I’m the quarterback of the defense, so I feel like I'm obligated to make all the calls and tell guys where they need to be and where they line up.

'There's more weight on my shoulders to do things right, and as a senior, I know I'm going to have guys looking up to me even more."

Rolle's loquacious personality stands in stark contrast to the man flanking him on most plays. Ohio State standout outside linebacker Ross Homan is more of a silent assassin, and Rolle jokes that those who don't know Homan well "would think he was a mute or something."

Added Rolle: "The only thing I really hear him say during the game is, 'B-Rolle, what's the call?'"

Despite their differences, Rolle and Homan mesh well together. Both were preseason All-Big Ten selections by most media outlets.

And after playing behind Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman for several years, Rolle and Homan have a vision for their own legacy.

"We saw how great James and Marcus worked together," Rolle said. "I was thinking, me and Ross, if we continue to do what we're doing and we go in with our heads on right and lead like seniors are supposed to, in the years to come, the coaches will be able to talk to the young guys about how great we were our senior year in leading this team hopefully to a national championship."

The next step toward that goal arrives Saturday, as No. 2 Ohio State hosts No. 12 Miami (ESPN, 3:40 p.m. ET).

For Rolle, this one's "personal."

He grew up in Immokalee, Fla., a football hotbed in South Florida. His cousin Antrel Rolle was an All-American cornerback for Miami who played in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.

Needless to say, Brian Rolle was all about the U.

"Growing up, that was the only thing that mattered in college football," he said. "Being from South Florida, you either were a Gator fan or a Cane fan, and I was a Cane fan. Miami was my first love."

As Rolle moved up through the high school ranks, he pictured himself wearing a Miami jersey.

"There was no doubt in my mind," he said. "My sophomore to senior year, I just knew I was going to play at Miami. But I didn't get that offer I wanted."

Miami went through a coaching transition during Rolle's senior year. Despite numerous overtures to the program, Rolle never got a chance to be a Cane.

"I took a lot of unofficial visits there, went up to a bunch of games, talked to a bunch of coaches," he said. "In the end, I was sad about it, but now I'm at Ohio State, it's my senior season, and I feel blessed to be here now."

The Buckeyes feel blessed to have Rolle directing their defense -- all 5-11, 218 pounds of him.

"Brian is unique," Tressel said. "He's probably not as big as some of the guys we've had, but he's got tremendous instincts and fabulous leadership skills. He's an excellent tackler, he plays the pass very well, loves the game, loves to prepare for the game.

"Glad he's on our side."

William Gholston and Max Bullough aren't typical freshmen, so Michigan State sees no point in treating them that way.

While a large portion of Spartans freshman can be penciled in as redshirts for 2010, head coach Mark Dantonio has made it clear that neither Gholston nor Bullough will sit out this fall. Michigan State boasts excellent depth at linebacker, led by All-American Greg Jones, but barring a snag between now and Sept. 4, both Bullough and Gholston will be part of the mix.

"We want to make sure that we put them into situations where they can contribute on a consistent basis because you don't want to just take away a guy's year [of eligibility]," Dantonio said after a scrimmage earlier this week. "Those guys can play and have an impact."

Dantonio's words resonate with the two freshmen.

"It's an indescribable feeling to know that I have the opportunity to play as a freshman," Gholston told me Wednesday. "That's very seldom. It was rare for a freshman to play five, six years ago, so to have an opportunity, it’s great."

Why are the expectations so high for these two?

Both were decorated high school prospects with advanced physical skills and good family history. Bullough's father and two uncles played for Michigan State, and his grandfather, Hank, played for the Spartans and later served as the teams defensive coordinator. His other grandfather and another uncle played for Notre Dame. Gholston's cousin is New York Jets defensive end Vernon Gholston, the former Ohio State star who visited him this summer and provided a pass-rushing tutorial.

Gholston arrives at Michigan State as the Big Ten's highest-rated recruit, according to ESPN Recruiting, which listed him as the nation's No. 3 defensive end in the 2010 class.

A unique physical specimen who can play both end and linebacker, Gholston stands 6-foot-7 and has increased his weight to around 255 pounds in camp. He even got above 260 for a portion of practice, a major change after being listed at 237 on National Signing Day.

"I was at 265, didn’t know it and I ran like an ox," Gholston said, laughing.

The 6-3, 235-pound Bullough also drew strong reviews in high school -- ESPN Recruiting rated him as the nation's No. 4 inside linebacker in 2010 -- and helped himself by enrolling this spring and going through practice.

"In the spring, everything comes faster because it's mostly veterans out there," Bullough said. "Every day, I'd be thinking, 'What do I do here? What do I do on this play?' Now everything comes second nature to me. I'm trying to learn to play fast, play more aggressive, play meaner."

The mean part shouldn't be a problem, as classmate Tony Lippett found out in a recent practice.

Gholston didn't practice this spring, but he was a fixture at the football complex, attending almost all of the team's 15 workouts. The many trips from Detroit to East Lansing helped him absorb the defense, which will incorporate more 3-4 elements this fall.

"It's fun having Will out here finally," Bullough said. "I feel like I've been here forever, waiting for Will to get here. We're trying to work together and teach each other."

Added Gholston: "Most of the learning, I grasp that part. It’s just applying what I learned. I've got little spurts where I do the right thing. I need to do the right thing every single time."

Although they're in the same class, Bullough is doing most of the teaching so far.

"Max is a very smart player, very physical and very tough," Gholston said. "I've never seen a freshman, a football player the same age as me, have so much knowledge about the game and be so consistent in everything he does."

The Big Ten has had its share of outstanding linebacker tandems in recent years: Ohio State's James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman, Penn State's Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor and Iowa's Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge, to name a few.

Michigan State hopes Gholston and Bullough mold a similar legacy together. The first steps begin this fall.

Bullough isn't taking the opportunity for granted.

"It is nice to hear," he said. "It’s all based on assuming -- I can only speak for myself -- I keep getting better each and every day. It's on my shoulders right now."

The Big Ten preseason player rankings, based on past performance and 2010 potential, continue with ...

No. 12: Ross Homan, LB, Ohio State, Sr., 6-0, 227

2009 numbers: Led Ohio State and tied for second in the Big Ten with five interceptions; finished eighth in the league in tackles per game (8.3) and tied for fifth in total tackles (108); led Ohio State with 10 passes defended and recorded a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Most recent ranking: Unranked in the 2009 postseason player rankings.

Making the case for Homan: If Homan played in any other league, he would have been a slam dunk for first-team all-conference honors at linebacker last season. He shouldn't be overshadowed this fall and likely will push Michigan State's Greg Jones for the title of Big Ten's top linebacker. Homan boosted an opportunistic Ohio State defense by recording five interceptions, including a pick in four of the Buckeyes' final five games. The veteran plays the pass extremely well (team-high 10 passes defended in 2009) and is no slouch against the run, as he showed in the Rose Bowl against Oregon. Homan has played alongside more celebrated Ohio State linebackers like James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman. This fall, Homan has a chance to put his name among the Buckeyes' elite and try to lead Ohio State to its first national title since 2002.

The rundown

• No. 25: Wisconsin DE J.J. Watt
• No. 24: Illinois RB Mikel LeShoure
• No. 23: Iowa DT Karl Klug
• No. 22: Northwestern LB Quentin Davie
• No. 21: Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins
• No. 20: Ohio State LB Brian Rolle
• No. 19: Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien
• No. 18: Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi
• No. 17: Ohio State WR DeVier Posey
• No. 16: Wisconsin LB Chris Borland
• No. 15: Wisconsin G/C John Moffitt
• No. 14: Indiana WR Tandon Doss
• No. 13: Purdue WR Keith Smith

Six Big Ten defenders have been named to the watch list for the Lott Trophy, an award that recognizes both on-field performance and off-field character attributes.

The watch list includes 42 players, and here are the six from the Big Ten:

• Purdue senior defensive end Ryan Kerrigan
• Iowa junior safety Tyler Sash
• Michigan State senior linebacker Greg Jones
• Ohio State senior defensive lineman Cameron Heyward
• Ohio State senior linebacker Ross Homan
• Wisconsin junior defensive end J.J. Watt

Can't argue with any of those choices.

The Lott Trophy winner receives $25,000 for his school's general scholarship fund, while three runners-up each receive $5,000 for their schools' scholarship funds. The winner will be announced Dec. 12 in Newport Beach, Calif.

Only one Big Ten players has won the Lott Trophy in the award's six-year history, as Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis took home the hardware in 2008.

Ohio State opened spring drills Thursday, and for the Buckeyes' defense, it's business as usual. Though the defense loses six starters, it remains one of the nation's elite units, thanks in large part to coordinator Jim Heacock. Ohio State has ranked among the nation's top-15 defenses in each of Heacock's five seasons as coordinator. The defense has recorded three top-5 finishes during the span, including a fifth-place finish in 2009. Standout defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and linebackers Ross Homan and Brian Rolle lead the 2010 version.

Heacock took some time this week to discuss the outlook for Ohio State's defense entering the spring.

Defensively, you really ended 2009 on a high note, and the 'no names' motto really seemed to work well. Is that still the motto for this unit, even though you have guys like Cam and Ross and Brian, who are more well known?

Jim Heacock: I don't necessarily know for sure. Each defense takes on a little bit of an identity. Last year, those terms really fit our defense. There just wasn't anybody that had the big name. We had lost [James] Laurinaitis and [Malcolm] Jenkins and those guys, so it just seemed like [the motto] came together. This year, I assume that we'll have a different identity. We'll have some guys who have played a little bit more and probably have more guys on the field who played last year. So I'm not sure there will be much carryover on that.

I know building depth is always a goal in spring. Are there areas where you will spend more of your time during these practices?

JH: The depth on the defensive line is going to be a little bit of a factor. We've got some guys that have played quite a bit, but depth-wise, we lost some seniors. That area is a place where we've got to find some guys to step up and fill in the gaps. Losing two safeties [Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell] obviously opens up some holes there. Those two areas are going to be critical. Coming out of spring, you always hope you can identify your top-22 players that you feel like you can go to battle with next year.

Players like [John] Simon up front, are those the kind of guys who you'll be looking to for that next step?

JH: Simon is a guy who proved his worth last year, and played a lot of reps for us, got a lot of downs, made some big plays, made some good strides, had a good bowl game. So he's a guy we're counting on to go in there and play in the fall. Nate Williams is another guy who's been getting a lot of reps. He's backed up Thaddeus Gibson for two years now. He didn't start, but he's gotten an awful lot of reps and made a lot of plays for us, so he's a guy who's got to step up as a starter-type guy. And then we've got a couple guys, Dexter Larimore and Cameron Heyward, that have been around for a while. They've got to be the leaders of the group. And then some young guys have got to come on: Solomon Thomas and Garrett Goebel and Keith Wells. It'll be a fun year for the front, just to get a lot of competition going and see who can step up.

With Cameron, you know what he can do. He talked to me about wanting to be dominant every game. What things does he need to do to get to that point?

JH: You take a guy like Cameron, and you know he can play football, and you know he's got heart, he's tough and he's got all those intangibles you don't need to worry about. He can really improve on technique. He can take his game to another level, just with a lot of technique work, a lot of individual work, a lot of pass-rush techniques, a lot of run-defense techniques, just zeroing in on the little things. Any type of improvement in those little areas is going to help him become a little bit more dominant of a player, the player he wants to be.

How good can he be?

JH: He can be an outstanding player.We've had different types of players, Will Smith, who was a great player, and some guys that could come off the edge that were great players. Cameron is a very physical player. His strength comes from dominating the man across from him and playing a physical brand of football and getting a push on the pocket. From that standpoint, he's pretty good.

In Part II: the competition at safety, expectations for leadership on defense

It's no secret that the Big Ten is typically a defense-oriented league, a theme that starts at the top and trickles down.

Penn State's sports information department took a look at defensive statistics from 2004 to 2009 and found that only two teams rank among the top 5 nationally in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense (cumulative averages). The teams? Ohio State and Penn State, which have combined for seven Big Ten championships since 2004.

Both teams have boasted outstanding defensive players during the span, including national award winners like Paul Posluszny, James Laurinaitis, A.J. Hawk, Malcolm Jenkins and Dan Connor. Both teams also are always solid up front, no matter if they generate a lot of sacks or not.

The continuity of coordinators and position coaches like Tom Bradley (Penn State), Larry Johnson (Penn State) and Jim Heacock (Ohio State) also plays a major role.

We'll start off with some of your thoughts on Michigan State's new proposed logo, and move on from there.

Adam from Baltimore writes: Hey Adam,Love the blog! As a life-long Spartan fan, just figured I'd respond about the new logo. It looks as though the new logo is trying very hard to replicate the look of the helmets in "300," which was kind of an inspiration during the '07 football season if I remember correctly. Maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I like the old logo better and it just doesn't seem right change a logo essentially for the sake of change. The helmets look cool in the movie, but as a 2D green and white version, it loses its appeal, in my opinion.

Brent from Westland, Mich., writes: Hey Adam,Spartan logo comment - I do not like the new one. For what Nike could do, or what MSU could do if they were that set on a new logo, this is embarrassing. It does not look like a professionally done design to me, just a sketch - it doesn't look finished. hopefully, it's not. I can wait until April, but for MSU to change to the logo that is circling the web is just ridiculous. Of course, I guess this is what happens when you sign on with Nike - you give them power to do what they want! It is shaping up to MSU being the next team they bring their Combat line too... Maybe they will do something cool like they did to TCU's uni's, but we will have to wait and see!! Thanks for all the info you keep posting, Adam!

Dustin from Clive, Iowa, writes: On the subject of the new MSU logo, maybe Nike legally needed a new logo before they could pursue the whole uniform upgrade and what-not. With such minor tweaks to the logo, it seems like it was done for legal reasons (new patent) rather than trying to "upgrade the logo" itself. Unless there is some sort of underlying meaning behind the subtle changes to the logo, this is the only scenario that makes any sense to me.

Ryan from Marion, Iowa, writes: Great Blog- don't know what I'd do at work without it.Obviously, the intent of the new MSU helmet design is to look more realistic. When I compare the two designs, the first thing I noticed was the realism/practicality upgrade in the eye shield. The old helmet has the appearance of being one piece with impact vibrations spreading throughout the apparatus and most likely disabling the Spartan for a considerable amount of fighting time. The eye shield on the new helmet has the look of an "add-on" that would isolate and contain the vibrations to that single piece, thus limiting injury. So this is my question: Is it MSU's real intent to accept and address the problem that they will ALWAYS be getting hit in the face?

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks for the great responses, guys, especially Ryan from Iowa. Very funny stuff. There's obviously much more to Michigan State's presentation (I hope!), and we'll learn a lot more about it in April. As I wrote earlier, I'm a fan of the current Spartans logo, which is one of the better ones in the Big Ten. I'm struck by how much power Nike has in college sports, as teams are bucking tradition (Ohio State) and changing logos in collaboration with The Swoosh. Pretty soon I'll be dressed head-to-toe in Nike apparel for my video posts.

---

Steve from Fort Wayne, Ind., writes: What's this nonsense about Tressel retiring this decade???? Say it ain't so....

Adam Rittenberg: It's certainly possible that Jim Tressel will be coaching Ohio State in 2020, but he doesn't strike me as a guy who wants to do this another 10 years. Tressel just turned 58, yet I don't see him coaching that far into his sixties. The guy clearly has other interests and could pursue politics or athletics administration. I could see him doing some of the things Tony Dungy does these days when he's through at Ohio State. Again, it's just a prediction, but I think you'll see someone else on the sideline at The Shoe in 10 years.

---

Eric from Newport Beach, Calif., writes: Adam,How do you leave Drew Brees off the All Decade Team. His last season was 2000 and you said players with one outstanding season made the list. He is the best QB the Big Ten has ever seen and with one game to win you would rather have Troy Smith on your team?

Adam Rittenberg: Tough call on Brees, but I'm not going to vote Smith as the No. 1 player in the Big Ten for the decade and then leave him off of the all-decade team. That doesn't make any sense. Brees won the Maxwell Award in 2000, but he had arguably a better season in 1999 and went nuts statistically in 1998. He's still a guy I'd associate more with the 1990s. It's funny how Smith and Michigan's Mike Hart created by far the most negative backlash from you folks. Smith was pretty darn good in 2005 and 2006, and Hart really had tremendous career numbers, despite some struggles in big games. I don't think Hart is a guy you just write off as overrated because you hate Michigan guys.

---

Craig from Des Moines, Iowa, writes: I understand that in putting together an all-decade team and things of that sort it is impossible to not leave people out, but with that said:Chad Greenway>>Paul Posluzsny>James Laurinaitis>>>A.J. HawkHawk is clearly being exposed in the NFL while Greenway is standing out.

Adam Rittenberg: Unlike others, I didn't base my All-Big Ten lists on how a guy did at the next level. While Greenway was a great player, those other guys all accomplished a little bit more in college. The Big Ten was absolutely stacked at the linebacker position this decade, so it's very hard to narrow it down to only three guys.

---

Brian from Goshen, Ind., writes: I've been enjoying your Top 10 of the decade lists. As you begin looking towards the next decade, which of your bottom six teams (Purdue, NW, Minn, MSU, IL, IU) if any, do you see being in the top tier for the 10's? Which of the Top 5 do you see moving down? Obviously a lot of unknowns but that's why its fun.

Adam Rittenberg: Northwestern and Michigan State are the likeliest candidates to move up, Brian. Northwestern has been on the edge of the top tier in each of the last two seasons, finishing fourth in the Big Ten. Michigan State had a third-place finish in 2008 before slipping a bit this fall. Both of those programs look extremely stable with their coaching staffs as well. Illinois and Indiana are already at the bottom, while Minnesota seems to be slipping a bit. Purdue is also a team I could see making a jump up to the top tier. As for who will move down from the upper tier, Michigan is already declining.

I hope you enjoyed the decade recap series. We had a lot of fun researching and putting it together. Not surprisingly, my top players list generated a ton of feedback -- mostly negative, but that's cool -- from the Big Ten faithful.

Because there were so many deserving players left off the list, I decided to put together an all-decade team to recognize some of the other standouts in the Big Ten from 2000-09. I made the offensive line a bit more general to acknowledge the best players there.

Unlike the top 10, I was a bit more lenient about players who had only one outstanding season during this decade.

Enjoy.

OFFENSE

QB: Troy Smith, Ohio State
RB: Mike Hart, Michigan
RB: Larry Johnson, Penn State
WR: Braylon Edwards, Michigan
WR: Charles Rogers, Michigan State
TE: Dallas Clark, Iowa
C: Greg Eslinger, Minnesota
OL: Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
OL: Robert Gallery, Iowa
OL: Jake Long, Michigan
OL: Eric Steinbach, Iowa

DEFENSE

DE: LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
DT: Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin
DT: Jared Odrick, Penn State
DE: Tamba Hali, Penn State
LB: Paul Posluzsny, Penn State
LB: A.J. Hawk, Ohio Sate
LB: James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
CB: Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin
CB: Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
S: Bob Sanders, Iowa
S: Mike Doss, Ohio State

SPECIALISTS

K: Mike Nugent, Ohio State
P: Travis Dorsch, Purdue
Returners: Ted Ginn Jr., Ohio State and Steve Breaston, Michigan

Our decade recap continues with a look at the top players in the Big Ten from 2000-09. The league produced just one Heisman Trophy winner, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith in 2006, but many other national award recipients on both sides of the ball.

We saw outstanding one-year performances from players like Brad Banks (2002), Larry Johnson (2002), James Hardy (2007) and Shonn Greene (2008), and impressive four-year career efforts from Paul Posluszny, James Laurinaitis, Mike Hart, Javon Ringer, Taylor Stubblefield and others.

The league produced solid linemen and linebackers the entire decade, while star quarterbacks and running backs were sprinkled throughout.

Believe me, it wasn't easy to get this list down to 10 players, but here goes.

I put more weight on players who had multiple outstanding seasons. Also, players who had most of their production in the 1990s didn't make the cut.

1. Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State: The league's lone Heisman Trophy winner tops the list. Smith took home the Heisman, the Walter Camp and the Big Ten MVP awards in 2006. He also led Ohio State to a Fiesta Bowl championship following the 2005 season.

2. Braylon Edwards, WR, Michigan: The 2004 Biletnikoff Award winner earned consensus All-America honors that year, completing a terrific four-year run in Ann Arbor. Edwards still holds the Big Ten record for career touchdown receptions with 39, two more than fellow Wolverine Anthony Carter.

3. A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State: Hawk was the face of a ferocious Buckeyes defense during the mid part of the decade. The two-time All-American (unanimous in 2005) won the Rotary Lombardi Award and helped Ohio State to a Fiesta Bowl victory.

4. Joe Thomas, T, Wisconsin: The Thomas-Jake Long debate is a good one, but I'm giving the edge to Thomas, the 2006 Outland Trophy winner. Thomas anchored several powerful Wisconsin offensive lines, earned consensus All-America honors in 2006 and twice made the All-Big Ten squad.

5. Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State: Posluszny is one of only two Big Ten players to win the Bednarik Award two times. He also took home the Butkus Award in 2005 and helped restore Penn State after the program had slipped from 2000-04.

6. James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State: Laurinaitis was quite possibly the most decorated Big Ten player of the decade on either side of the ball. He joined select company at Ohio State in earning All-America honors three times (unanimous in 2007). Laurinaitis won the Butkus and Nagurski awards and twice earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors.

7. Greg Eslinger, C, Minnesota: Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III shared the rushing load, but Eslinger was the mainstay who created rushing lanes no matter who had the ball. The 2005 Rimington Trophy winner was Minnesota's only three-time All-Big Ten selection this decade.

8. Bob Sanders, S, Iowa: No player meant more to Iowa's renaissance this decade than Sanders, the team's only three-time All-Big Ten selection in the aughts. Nicknamed "The Hitman," Sanders epitomized a program that got the most from its players for the majority of the decade.

9. Mike Hart, RB, Michigan: We witnessed lot of great one-year performances from Big Ten running backs, but Hart was one of the league's few mainstays this decade. Despite being plagued by injuries as a sophomore, Hart finished fourth on the Big Ten's all-time rushing list (5,040 yards) and had 28 career 100-yard rushing games.

10. Antwaan Randle El, QB, Indiana: Randle El brought a new brand of football to the Big Ten and had a record-setting career despite never reaching a bowl game. The dual-threat star won Big Ten MVP honors in 2001 and ranks fourth on the league's career total offense list with 11,364 yards.

Also considered: Michigan T Jake Long, Michigan State WR Charles Rogers, Michigan State RB Javon Ringer, Iowa QB Brad Banks, Iowa T Robert Gallery, Purdue WR Taylor Stubblefield, Ohio State WR Ted Ginn Jr., Michigan DE LaMarr Woodley, Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall, Penn State QB Michael Robinson, Penn State RB Larry Johnson, Purdue WR Dorien Bryant, Purdue WR John Standeford, Ohio State S Mike Doss, Wisconsin DE Erasmus James, Iowa RB Shonn Greene, Northwestern QB Brett Basanez, Illinois LB J Leman, Penn State LB Dan Connor.

Ohio State won the Big Ten this year, which is nothing new. The Buckeyes have won or shared six league championships since 2002, cementing themselves as the team of the decade in the Big Ten.

But in some ways, this year's title run might be the most satisfying for Jim Tressel and his players.

It was a true team effort, as evidenced by only one consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection (safety Kurt Coleman). Plus, the Buckeyes seemed like an afterthought following an Oct. 17 loss to Purdue, only to produce yet another spotless November. They'll be rewarded with their first trip to Pasadena since Jan. 1, 1997, as they'll face No. 7 Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi (ABC, 4:30 p.m. ET).

Ohio State's defense was the Big Ten's best unit this fall despite losing national award winners James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins from last year's squad. The Buckeyes posted three shutouts and nearly had two more, as the no-name defense translated into no points. A front-seven led by Cameron Heyward, Thaddeus Gibson, Ross Homan and Brian Rolle helped Ohio State rank fifth nationally against the run (83.4 yards per game), while Coleman anchored the secondary.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor struggled early but effectively ran a conservative scheme down the stretch, limiting his mistakes after a four-turnover disaster against Purdue. The much maligned offensive line made strides and running backs Brandon Saine and Dan Herron stepped up as well, giving Ohio State some momentum heading into the Rose Bowl.

Offensive MVP: DeVier Posey. The sophomore developed into a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver this fall, leading Ohio State with 727 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Posey ranked among the Big Ten's top 10 wideouts in both receptions and receiving yards, and his rapport with Pryor certainly shows. Honorable mentions go to Pryor, Saine and Herron.

Defensive MVP: Cameron Heyward. He lacked the eye-popping statistics of Brandon Graham, O'Brien Schofield and Ryan Kerrigan, but Heyward had the ability to totally dominate a game. The junior gave Penn State fits in a 24-7 Ohio State victory in Happy Valley, recording 11 tackles. Heyward led Ohio State with 5.5 sacks and projects extremely well to the next level if he chooses to enter the NFL draft. Honorable mentions go to both Coleman and Homan.

Turning point: Ohio State changed the Big Ten landscape by crushing Penn State 24-7 on Nov. 7 at Beaver Stadium. The Buckeyes already had some decent wins under their belt, but their dominating performance against Daryll Clark and the Nittany Lions put them in position for another Big Ten title push.

What's next: The Buckeyes get another opportunity to improve their national reputation on a big stage. A win against Oregon would quiet the Buckeye bashing after three consecutive BCS bowl losses. A loss would only make things worse for Tressel, his team and most likely the league they continue to dominate. But regardless of the result Jan. 1, Ohio State likely will enter 2010 as a top 5 team.

I've had some time to digest this year's All-Big Ten teams and league awards, which, for the most part, accurately reflected the conference this fall. It's always interesting to see the differences in voting between the coaches and the media, as well as the team-by-team breakdown. The media and I saw eye-to-eye on all four awards selections.

Here are a few things that stood out to me.

The Big Surprise

Let me preface this by saying Penn State's Jared Odrick is an outstanding player, the best defensive tackle in the Big Ten and most likely a future star in the NFL. But I was extremely surprised to see the coaches select Odrick as both Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year. I had a similar reaction to seeing the media pick Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor as preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

In what might have been the most competitive Defensive POY race ever, Odrick wasn't on the radar for most people. If the award would go to a Penn State player, linebacker Navorro Bowman appeared to be the No. 1 choice. Bowman was in the mix with linebacker Greg Jones, end Brandon Graham, end O'Brien Schofield, safety Kurt Coleman, linebacker Pat Angerer, end Adrian Clayborn and end Ryan Kerrigan.

Odrick is a great player who commands double teams on almost every play, but how do you ignore Graham, who had 25 tackles for loss on a bad defense? Or Jones, who makes every tackle on the field? Or Coleman, the top playmaker on the league's best defense? And if the coaches think interior line play is underappreciated, they should have voted Iowa defensive tackle Mitch King, not Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis, as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. King was much more of a difference maker than Laurinaitis last fall.

Again, nothing against Odrick, but this pick was a head scratcher.

Other thoughts and notes

• It's not a huge surprise, but Ohio State's lack of representation on the first-team All-Big Ten squads certainly stands out. The Buckeyes had only one player (Coleman) on the coaches' ballot and only two (Coleman and guard Justin Boren) on the media's. This certainly strengthens Jim Tressel's case for Coach of the Year, an award he has never won.
• For the most part, the selections didn't penalize players who missed time because of injuries. Iowa left tackle Bryan Bulaga was a consensus first-team selection and Offensive Lineman of the Year despite missing three games (thyroid). Bulaga's teammate, tight end Tony Moeaki, also made All-Big Ten (first-team coaches, second-team media) despite missing time (ankle). Minnesota wide receiver Eric Decker was a first-team pick by the coaches even though he missed the final four regular-season games. Northwestern cornerback Sherrick McManis, Iowa guard Dace Richardson and Penn State linebacker Sean Lee also earned all-conference honors despite sitting out games.
• Both the coaches and the media identified the top eight defensive linemen in the league for the first and second teams. They also did a nice job with the defensive backs. The second-team linebacker selections were a little curious. I don't know how Ohio State's Brian Rolle or Indiana's Matt Mayberry get left out.
• Iowa's Adam Robinson would have been a good pick for second-team running back, but I don't have a major problem with the selections.
• Northwestern finally got some recognition this year with five All-Big Ten selections. The Wildcats won one more game last year (9-3) but had only one All-Big Ten player (defensive end Corey Wootton).
• The coaches' voting was very close, as three positions (defensive back, center and wide receiver) ended up with ties.
• Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark was the right choice for the first team. It was a very close call between Northwestern's Mike Kafka and Purdue's Joey Elliott for second team, but Kafka led his team to more wins.
• Both the coaches and media got it right with Wisconsin's Chris Borland for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Borland is the first defensive player to win the award since Purdue safety Stuart Schweigert in 2000.
• The selections include 15 members of the first or second team from 2008, including seven first-team selections from last fall who are on this year's first team: Michigan punter Zoltan Mesko, Jones, Decker, Bowman, Clark and Odrick, and Wisconsin tight end Garrett Graham.

All-Big Ten selections by team (first or second team, coaches and media)


Illinois: 1
Indiana: 3
Iowa: 9
Michigan: 3
Michigan State: 4
Minnesota: 1
Northwestern: 5
Ohio State: 6
Penn State: 9
Purdue: 5
Wisconsin: 6