Big Ten Media Days 2013: Winners and Losers from Day 2

The curtain has closed on another year of Big Ten Media Days, as a day of player and coach roundtable interviews concluded in the Chicago Hilton.

Next stop, the college football season. Why yes, that works just fine, thank you.

Before officially closing the book on the two-day event, however, it’s time to address winners and those not as fortunate.

Who was the best dressed? Who came away with the most intriguing sound bites? Who was notably absent? And what coach wanted to join the Secret Service?

Oh, now that's a teaser, and the answer is included.

Winner: Michigan's Taylor Lewan

The award for best-dressed player on Day 2 goes to the Michigan left tackle, who also happens to be the best lineman in the country. Oh, the spoils.

Lewan went for a throwback look of sorts, and the matching tie and suspenders clearly worked. The perfectly combed hair tied it all together with a nice bow.

Even Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner was impressed, praising his teammate's attire and also providing one of the best sound bites of the day with, "That's a very large suit."

Yes. Yes, it is.

The award for best dressed player goes to the Michigan left tackle, who also happens to be the best lineman in the country. Oh, the spoils.

Lewan went for a throwback look of sorts, and the matching tie and suspenders clearly worked. The perfectly manicured hair tied it altogether with a bow, and even Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner was impressed.

Garner praised his teammates attire and also provided one of the best soundbites of the day describing the man tasked with keeping him upright this season.

“That’s a very large suit.”

Yes, yes it is.

Loser: Ohio State's Bradley Roby

The star Ohio State cornerback didn’t say anything on Day 2, and that’s exactly the problem.

Roby, who was originally scheduled to come to Chicago, stayed behind after he was arrested following an alleged altercation in a Bloomington, Indiana, bar last weekend. 

Although his status for the team’s Week 1 game is still in question, his availability for Big Ten Media Days was decided early on in the week.

There are, of course, more important things than being absent for your conference’s media day—like being ready and eligible to play for the start of the season—but missing out on an event that celebrates your team, your conference and the season ahead is a bummer.

It’s an honor to be invited and included, but given the uncertainty, Urban Meyer made the right call leaving him home.

Winner: Bo Pelini (Again)

After being crowned a winner on Day 1—he must be honored, I’m sure—Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini again delivered the goods a day later.

One of the few coaches to speak out regarding the new targeting rule, Pelini again took issue with some of the chatter that has started to surface. More specifically, he targeted the notion that South Carolina defensive end/freak of nature Jadeveon Clowney would have been ejected for his hit that you've seen at least 1,000 times by now.

"If they're going to throw people out for the Clowney hit, we should find another sport,” Pelini told USA Today’s Dan Wolken. 

Well played, coach. And quite frankly, it’s difficult to add anything to that. It somehow says it all.

Loser: Nebraska's Taylor Martinez

Taylor Martinez should absolutely be discussed when running down the list of legitimate Heisman contenders.

He was a much-improved player last year, the offense returns a handful of key pieces—including a couple of talented wide receivers—and the sky is the limit for the Nebraska offense.

According to Steven Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star, though, Martinez pumped himself up as “probably the fastest player” in college football on Thursday. He also threw serious praise towards his brother, which I have no problem with. What a nice older bro.

But the talk of speed was, well, unexpected. The confidence is appreciated, although I’ll politely disagree and kick it over to Oregon’s De’Anthony Thomas to offer up a rebuttal.

Winner: Indiana's New Helmet

I finally got a chance to witness Indiana's unique candy-cane helmet design in Chicago. It may cause blindness in the sun, but it wasn't a problem here.

I can’t exactly put my finger on why I like this thing so much, but I do. With that said, I wonder how an HD television will handle such glare once Kevin Wilson’s team finally wears these Christmas concoctions for the first time.

Not a fan of the chromed look? I hate to be the one to break it to you, but this style isn’t going away. Expect to see more of these wacky attempts soon, and your television to weep slowly because of it.

In person, however, it gets a thumbs up.

Loser: The Secret Service (Yes, That Secret Service)

Hear me out on this one, and trust me, the connection will surprise you. At least if you don't know this, because apparently, it has surfaced before.

While hitting on a variety of football-related topics, Michigan head coach Brady Hoke took a trip down memory lane, discussing some of his past coaching stops. This trip in the way-back machine went a little deeper, and Hoke soon revealed one of his original career plans before a handful of stops.

According to Kyle Rowland of Eleven Warriors, Hoke thought about joining the United States Secret Service before he really got into this whole football thing—which is looking like a solid decision.

If there is a Secret Service recruiter reading a college football website for some reason, all I have to say is that Hoke is ours now. You missed out, and you can’t have him.