Big Ten Bloggers All-Conference Team: Very Disappointing

Here's your Big Ten Bloggers Preseason All-Conference Team:

First Team All Big Ten Offense

QB - Curtis Painter, Purdue

RB - Beanie Wells, Ohio State

RB - Javon Ringer, Michigan State

WR - Brian Robiskie, Ohio State

WR - Arrelious Benn, Illinois

WR - Greg Orton, Purdue

TE/SB - Travis Beckum, Wisconsin

OT - Alex Boone, Ohio State

OG - Steve Rehring, Michigan

C - A.Q. Shipley, Penn State

OG - Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin

OT - Eric Vanden Heuvel, Wisconsin

First Team All-Big Ten Defense

DE- Greg Middleton, Indiana

DE - Maurice Evans, Penn State

DT - Terrance Taylor, Michigan

DT - Mitch King, Iowa

LB - James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

LB - Marcus Freeman, Ohio State

LB - Anthony Heygood, Purdue

S - Anthony Scirrotto, Penn State

S - Anderson Russell, Ohio State

CB - Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State

CB - Vontae Davis, Illinois

K - Austin Starr, Indiana

PR - Marcus Thigpen, Indiana

P - Jeremy Boone, Penn State

Look familiar? It should, if you've read Phil Steele.

Here are the positions at which the Big Ten Bloggers differ from Mr. Steele: one of two offensive tackles and punt returner.  We really blazed a courageous new trail there, didn't we?

Differing on two positions that are tough to gauge with an expert eye, let alone as the amateurs we are, points to one of two things: (a) we're really damn uncreative, or (b) this is going to be one predictable, boring year for the Big Ten.

I know I haven't posted for some time, and I know that a good number of my picks coincide with Phil's as well.  I'm not singling anybody out here—I'm criticizing the group as a whole.

When the inevitable bloggers-versus-MSM thing arises, it's stuff like this that gets pointed out—that the bloggers are recyclers, rehashers...even plagiarists.  We need to offer something new.

And it's entirely possible that we have.  Maybe, like the BlogPoll, the sum total of these picks winds up looking like the same thing the MSM churns out, but it arises from a wonderful array of differences in opinion.  Not many invididual ballots have been posted yet, so it's impossible to say at the moment.

But do keep in mind, bloggers, that our niche is the original, the minute.  We sate the cravings of those who want to know more.  More than USA Today, more than your local sports section, sometimes even more than your own athletic department is giving away.  Giving away what Steele gave away weeks ago won't cut it.