Four Big Ten freshmen named FWAA All-Americans

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

The Football Writers Association of America today announced its freshman All-America team, which included four players from the Big Ten. 

Five of the six BCS conferences –  Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, SEC and Pac-10 — placed four players on the list.

Here are the Big Ten honorees:

• Joel Foreman, guard, Michigan State
• Mike Brewster, center, Ohio State
• Jordan Mabin, cornerback, Northwestern
• Philip Welch, kicker, Wisconsin

All four players played prominent roles this fall.

Brewster, a true freshman, moved into the starting lineup midway through the season. Foreman started on a line that helped Javon Ringer finish third nationally in rushing. Mabin tied for the team lead with three interceptions and added eight pass deflections in his first season as a starter. Welch proved to be an excellent replacement for All-Big Ten kicker Taylor Mehlhaff, converting 17 of 20 field-goal attempts. 

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore got the nod over Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor. I was a little surprised that neither of the Big Ten’s outstanding freshman punters — Chris Hagerup (Indiana) and Brad Nortman (Wisconsin) — made the list.  

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Leaguewide position rankings for the Big Ten

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

After studying the All-Big Ten selections for 2008, it’s clear the Big Ten is much stronger at some positions than others. The fact that it was hard to choose a second-team All-Big Ten quarterback tells you something about the league’s troubles under center. On the flip side, there are 10-15 defensive linemen worthy of All-Big Ten status.

With the regular season wrapped up, here’s a closer look at the Big Ten positions, from strongest to weakest.

Defensive line – The depth at both line positions is astounding and will be reflected in the next few NFL drafts. Beginning with end, you have Penn State’s Aaron Maybin, Minnesota’s Willie VanDeSteeg, Michigan’s Brandon Graham, Northwestern’s Corey Wootton and Indiana’s Jammie Kirlew. Guys like Michigan’s Tim Jamison, Illinois’ Derek Walker, Michigan State’s Trevor Anderson, Wisconsin’s Mike Newkirk, Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan and Penn State’s Josh Gaines would be all-conference in most leagues, but not the Big Ten. The tackle spot might be even more stacked. Iowa’s Mitch King leads the way, but he’s joined by teammate Matt Kroul, Penn State’s Jared Odrick, Michigan’s Terrance Taylor, Northwestern’s John Gill and Ohio State’s Nader Abdallah.

Running back – If not for the overwhelming depth on the D-line, this group would be No. 1 on the list. The Big Ten boasts three of the nation’s top seven rushers in Iowa’s Shonn Greene, Michigan State’s Javon Ringer and Ohio State’s Chris “Beanie” Wells. Penn State’s Evan Royster also had a fabulous year. When guys like Purdue’s Kory Sheets, Wisconsin’s P.J. Hill, Michigan’s Brandon Minor and Northwestern’s Tyrell Sutton aren’t even on the radar for all-conference, you’ve got a pretty solid group.

Linebacker – This was another group that caused some tough choices for first-team all-conference. Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis was a shoo-in, but Illinois’ Brit Miller, Penn State’s Navorro Bowman and Michigan State’s Greg Jones are all in the mix for the other two spots. Iowa’s Pat Angerer and A.J. Edds, Ohio State’s Marcus Freeman, Wisconsin’s DeAndre Levy and Indiana’s Matt Mayberry add depth.

Offensive line (interior) – Three centers were listed on the media’s all-conference team, illustrating the depth there. Penn State center A.Q. Shipley earned Offensive Lineman of the Year honors, and Iowa’s Rob Bruggeman and Illinois’ Ryan McDonald also were recognized. The guard spot might be even stronger with Iowa’s Seth Olsen, Penn State’s Rich Ohrnberger and Stefen Wisniewski, Wisconsin’s Kraig Urbik and Andy Kemp and Michigan State’s Roland Martin.

Punter – This was another group that stirred some debate about All-Big Ten selections. Michigan’s Zoltan Mesko was the obvious choice, but Iowa’s Ryan Donahue, Michigan State’s Aaron Bates and Penn State’s Jeremy Boone also were in the mix. Freshmen Brad Nortman (Wisconsin) and Chris Hagerup (Indiana) had terrific seasons, and I was also very impressed with Ohio State’s A.J. Trapasso, Minnesota’s Justin Kucek and Northwestern’s Stefan Demos.

Cornerback – I didn’t fully grasp how strong the league was at cornerback until reviewing the All-Big Ten lists. Everyone knew about Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins and Illinois’ Vontae Davis, but several other players add depth, namely Wisconsin’s Allen Langford, Iowa’s Amari Spievey and Bradley Fletcher, Minnesota’s Traye Simmons, Northwestern’s Sherrick McManis and Michigan State’s Chris L. Rucker.

Offensive tackle — There weren’t any off-the-charts performances here, but it’s a solid group overall. Penn State’s Gerald Cadogan moved past Ohio State’s Alex Boone as the league’s premier tackle. Boone didn’t have the dominant year many expected, but he wasn’t the main problem on Ohio State’s underachieving line. Add in players like Iowa’s Bryan Bulaga, Illinois’ Xavier Fulton and Wisconsin’s Eric Vanden Heuvel, and it’s a decent group.

Safety – Michigan State’s Otis Wiley might be the only surefire NFL draft pick from this crop, but several other players turned in strong performances. Ohio State’s Kurt Coleman should have been second-team All-Big Ten for both the media and coaches, and Northwestern’s Brad Phillips has a major beef for being left off the list. Other standouts include Iowa’s Brent Greenwood, Wisconsin’s Jay Valai and Minnesota tandem Kyle Theret and Tramaine Brock.

Kicker – A decent group overall, led by Penn State’s Kevin Kelly and Michigan State’s Brett Swenson, both of whom should have been Lou Groza Award semifinalists. Wisconsin’s Philip Welch quietly had a very solid season (17-for-20), and Northwestern’s Amado Villarreal also performed well.

Tight end – Not the best season for tight ends, though it didn’t help that Wisconsin All-American Travis Beckum was hurt for most of the fall. His replacement Garrett Graham had a nice year, as did Iowa’s Brandon Myers, Michigan State’s Charlie Gantt, Minnesota’s Jack Simmons and Illinois’ Michael Hoomanawanui, but it wasn’t a great group overall.

Wide recever – Minnesota’s Eric Decker and Illinois’ Arrelious Benn will be solid NFL players, and Penn State’s Derrick Williams also will get to the next level. But quarterbacks and wide receivers are intertwined, and neither position sizzled this season. Penn State’s three seniors (Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood) performed well, as did Purdue’s Greg Orton and Wisconsin’s David Gilreath. But not much depth here.

Quarterback – This was the worst quarterback crop in recent memory. Penn State’s Daryll Clark was fabulous in his first season as the starter, and both Illinois’ Juice Williams and Minnesota’s Adam Weber showed growth at times. But it was legitimately difficult to choose a second-team all-league quarterback. Several fifth-year seniors struggled this fall, though there’s hope for next year with players like Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor and Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi.

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Wisconsin Football: A Roller Coaster Season For The Badgers

Well, the regular season is finally over for Bret Bielema and his Wisconsin Badgers, and what an exciting roller coaster ride it was. Let’s quickly look at how the Badgers got to be where they ended up being.

The ride began on a very high note.

Wisconsin won its first three games in two different Badger fashions. They easily beat Akron and Marshall at home, pounding the ball down the opposition’s throat via the run. Then they hung at Fresno State to go 3-0 and started to get people talking.

There seemed to be malfunctions of some sort on the ride in the following weeks.

Wisconsin opened Big Ten play with four straight losses. The people were no longer talking, and Badger fans were drinking (just more than usual).

It began with a complete meltdown in Ann Arbor, and carried over against the Buckeyes at home. The Badgers were then handed their worst loss at home in quite awhile by Penn State. Iowa used a steady dose of Shonn Greene to beat Wisconsin in Iowa City.

0-4 in the conference and 3-4 overall now had fans wondering if a ”bowl season” was even possible for these Badgers.

Wisconsin finally won its first Big Ten game against Illinois at home and the conference goose egg was no more.

The Badgers were then unable to hold off a late surge by Michigan State in East Lansing and lost 25-24 to “Sparty.”

Then out of nowhere, the ride started to become exciting again, as the Badgers won their last three games.

Indiana was the unlucky victim of the Badgers’ pay back from the horrible performance against MSU, as they got crushed by Bucky 55-20. Wisconsin reeled off over 600 yards of total offense on the Hoosiers.

The next week, and last conference game was huge (understatement) for Wisconsin. Not only did they retain Paul Bunyan’s Axe yet again, but by using a fourth quarter comeback against the Gophers, Wisconsin became bowl eligible.

Granted, a 3-5 conference record and being 6-5 overall usually isn’t something to celebrate, but after the previous 10 weeks of Badgers football, just ‘going bowling’ is reason to be happy.

The Badgers closed out their season with a 36-35 overtime win over Cal Poly, thanks to the Mustangs kicker missing three PAT’s (including his costly error in OT).

Everybody can now catch their breaths for a moment, as the ride will not continue until December is some obscure bowl I’m sure.

Badgers’ key offensive stats through 12 games this year:

PASSING

Allan Evridge - 71-132 for 949 yards, 5 TD and 5 INT

Dustin Sherer - 95-175 for 1257 yards, 5 TD and 5 INT

RUSHING

P.J. Hill – 211 carries for 1049 yards and 13 TD; (5 yards/carry)

John Clay – 144 carries for 852 yards and 9 TD; (5.9 yards/carry)

 

RECEIVING

Garrett Graham - 37 catches for 458 yards and 5 TD

David Gilreath - 30 catches for 515 yards and 3 TD; two rushing touchdowns

 

Wisconsin averaged 28 points per game, and usually when you can score four touchdowns a game, your record is better than 7-5. The Badgers gained over 200 yards rushing per game and allowed 133 per game.

The offense scored points on 85 percent of its red-zone appearances, with 60 percent of them going for six.

Philip Welsh was 18-for-22 on field goals and missed just one of his 35 PATs. Freshman Brad Nortman had 60 punts and only averaged around 41 yards a kick; the weakest part of Wisconsin’s game, outside the defense.

Niles Brinkley led the defense with four interceptions, but that Badger ”D” definitely had its share of problems throughout the entire season.

Wisconsin, with the 7-5 record, will now wait and see which bowl calls its number. 

But wait, doesn’t a roller coaster ride usually end with someone throwing up?  

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Blame Tressel For Lack Of Ohio State Offense

COLUMBUS, Ohio — What’s brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes …

BUCKEYES BUZZ: Scoring points has never exactly been a specialty of Jim Tressel-coached teams.

The Buckeyes have not scored an offensive touchdown in nine of his 98 games as head coach of the Buckeyes. In other words, a little more often than once a season Ohio State fails to score an offensive touchdown.

This becomes even more obvious when you consider that the Buckeyes have failed to score a touchdown on offense in three of their last seven games (USC, Purdue, Penn State).

Who calls the plays for the Buckeyes? Tressel does. Even though Jim Bollman, the line coach, has the title of offensive coordinator, there is no dispute that Tressel really calls the shots on offense.

So if you don’t like the play-calling or personnel when the Buckeyes have the ball, don’t go putting “For Sale” signs in Bollman’s front yard. The offense is Tressel’s baby.

BIG TEN HONORS: Taking Big Ten player of the week honors on Monday were …

Michigan State QB Brian Hoyer (from North Olmstead), who completed 17-of-29 passes (58.6 pct.) for 282 yards and a season-high three TDs to lead Michigan State to its first win at Michigan since 1990. The senior quarterback added a 24-yard reception and surpassed 200 passing yards for the third time this season and the 11th time in his career.

Penn State LB Mark Rubin, who had a career-high 11 tackles and made the play of the game when he forced a fumble in the fourth quarter, which the Nittany Lions turned into the game-winning scoring drive to remain undefeated and stand alone atop the Big Ten standings. Rubin is a senior safety who had nine solo tackles.

Wisconsin P Brad Nortman, who averaged 51.7 yards per punt and placed three kicks inside the 20-yard line in a victory over Illinois.

STAT OF THE WEEK: The six points by Ohio State in the loss to Penn State was its fewest in a home game since 1982.

NO OSU HONORS: Ohio State’s coaches usually select their players of the game each Monday. There were no selections by Monday evening. A team spokesman said perhaps the honorees would be released on Tuesday.

GENTRY NOMINATED: Injured Ohio State walk-on P/WR Tyson Gentry has been nominated for the FedEx Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season.

Gentry, a senior from Sandusky suffered partial paralysis after he was injured during a spring practice in April 2006, but he has remained a valued member of the team.

He was asked to help out as a receiver on the scout team. During a scrimmage, he suffered a broken C-4 vertebrae in his neck after catching a pass.

“I remember catching the ball and going a few steps to turn up field, and the ball started to slip,” Gentry remembered. “And I think I looked down to go to grab it, and just the way I was dragged to the ground – it wasn’t even a hit, just throwing me down to the ground. I think the way my head went down, it kind of went to the side and that’s pretty much how it happened.”

After several surgeries, Gentry has movement in his head and shoulders, and partial movement in his arms.

He continues a rigorous therapy regimen and has seen progress, regaining some feeling in different areas. Using a motorized wheelchair, Gentry continues as a member of the team, attending meetings, practices and games. He is still listed on the team roster.

Gentry, whose father also played at Ohio State, will be honored along with other Buckeyes seniors at the final home game against Michigan on Nov. 22. He is on track to graduate with a degree in speech and hearing science next spring. His goal is to earn a master’s degree and become a speech therapist.

The Courage Award was created by ESPN The Magazine’s senior writer Gene Wojciechowski, also a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Writers from the FWAA vote on the winner each year. The requirements for nomination include displaying courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship.

MOVING ALONG: ESPN’s College GameDay, which was on hand in Columbus on Saturday, will move on to Lubbock, Texas, this week for No. 1 Texas at No. 6 Texas Tech.

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