All Big Ten Defensive Team: Who Joins Greg Jones

It's no coincidence that the all three ranked Big Ten teams are allowing 15 points per game or less. The Big Ten has traditionally been a conference built on tough defense and not making mistakes on offense. This year is no different with the success of Penn State, Iowa and Ohio State.

We know which teams are having the most success on that side of the ball, but which players are really making a difference?

Here are my picks for the Big Ten's defensive first team.

Defensive Line

[b]Ryan Kerrigan- Purdue[/b]

Ryan has been a pass-rushing terror for the Boilermakers this season. He leads the conference with seven sacks, with three of them coming in their upset of Ohio State. He also has three forced fumbles and 11 tackles for loss.

[b]O'Brien Schofield- Wisconsin[/b]

Schofield has been the biggest playmaker on the Badgers' line. He leads the conference in tackles for loss with a whopping 16.5 in seven games and has also registered 6.5 sacks on the season and has forced two fumbles.

[b]Jammie Kirlew- Indiana[/b]

Indiana's stud defensive end has racked up some impressive stats. He leads the conference with five forced fumbles and also has 12.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

[b]Jared Odrick - Penn State[/b]

Odrick has had the biggest impact of any defensive tackle in the conference by a fairly wide margin and has been an anchor for the best defense in the conference. The senior has five sacks so far this season as well as 8.5 tackles for loss.

Linebackers

[b]Greg Jones- Michigan State[/b]

Jones has been an all-around monster for the Spartans and is my pick for conference defensive player of the year. Jones has already racked up 85 tackles, five sacks, and 8.5 tackles for loss.

[b]Navorro Bowman- Penn State[/b]

Bowman missed most of the Nittany Lion's first three games, but has made a big impact since getting back on the field. He's already racked up eight tackles for loss and returned a fumble 91 yards for a touchdown.

[b]Ross Homan- Ohio State[/b]

Though his stats may not be as impressive as some of the other linebackers, Homan has been a strong contributor for a stout Ohio State defense. He has totalled 51 tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble.

Defensive Backs

[b]Tyler Sash- Iowa[/b]

Tyler has been a beast in the Hawkeyes secondary. Besides his conference-leading five interceptions, he also has 51 tackles, five tackles for loss, four passes defended and a forced fumble.

[b]Brett Greenwood- Iowa[/b]

Greenwood is another standout in an excellent Iowa secondary. He has three interceptions on the year and 5 passes broken up. He also has contributed 44 tackles this season.

[b]Sherrick McManis- Northwestern[/b]

Even though he missed two games and barely played in their opener, McManis has made as many plays as most of the defensive backs in the Big Ten. He has intercepted three passes on the year, broken up five passes and lost a fumble. He has been the past player on the Cats this year in my opinion.

[b]Kurt Coleman- Ohio State[/b]

Coleman has made numerous big plays in the Buckeye secondary. The senior safety has two interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown) and three forced fumbles and also has racked up 48 tackles.

Honorable Mention

Second Team

DL- Brandon Graham, Michigan
DL- Jack Crawford, Penn State
DL- Adrian Clayborn, Iowa
DL- Karl Klug, Iowa
LB- Quentin Davie, Northwestern
LB- Josh Hull, Penn State
LB- Sean Lee, Penn State
DB- Amari Spievey, Iowa
DB- Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State
DB- Brad Phillips, Northwestern
DB- Donovan Warren, Michigan

3rd team (yes, I'm cheating and going 3-4 on this one)

DL- Greg Middleton, Indiana
DL- Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
DL- Mike Neal, Purdue
LB- Pat Angerer, IOWA
LB- Eric Gordon, Michigan State
LB- Jason Werner, Purdue
LB- Lee Campbell, Minnesota
DB- Traye Simmons, Minnesota
DB- Chris Maragos, Wisconsin
DB- Torri Williams, Purdue
DB- Tavon Wilson, Illinois