Bloggers Know: Preseason First Team All-Big Ten

After herding us all into submitting ballots for the expected order of finish in the Big Ten, LTP has followed up with the results of our All-Big Ten Team. Ohio State lead all schools with eight players on the first team. Penn State had four players on the first team (though one was a punter), while Wisconsin, Purdue and Indiana (two special teamers) placed three players on the first team. Most satisfyingly for Buckeye fans, the Wolverines only had one representative.

	Big Ten Bloggers	11W Ballot
QB	Curtis Painter, Purdue	Curtis Painter, Purdue
RB	Beanie Wells, Ohio State	Beanie Wells, Ohio State
RB	Javon Ringer, Michigan State	Javon Ringer, Michigan State
WR	Brian Robiskie, Ohio State	Brian Robiskie, Ohio State
WR	Arrelious Benn, Illinois	Arrelious Benn, Illinois
WR	Greg Orton, Purdue	–
TE	Travis Beckum, Wisconsin	Travis Beckum, Wisconsin
OT	Alex Boone, Ohio State	Alex Boone, Ohio State
OG	Steve Rehring, Ohio State	Rich Ohrnberger, Penn State
C	AQ Shipley, Penn State	AQ Shipley, Penn State
OG	Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin	Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin
OT	Eric Vanden Heuvel, Wisconsin	Xavier Fulton, Illinois

The 1st Team Offense is shown to the right with differences in our ballot highlighted in yellow. Beanie, Boone and Robiskie were locks from our perspective, but we had Penn State’s Rich Ohrnberger in over Rehring. The interior of the Buckeye offensive line still has a little something to prove and perhaps we were a little conscious of not packing our ballot with Buckeyes.

We wrestled with some of our selections. Ringer, Sutton or Hill for that 2nd running back slot? You can make a pretty solid case for each of them. What about Boeckman over Painter at quarterback? It may sound crazy, but outside of Beckum (who’s damn good), Boeckman has more tools at his disposable. You don’t think Beanie helps a quarterback’s numbers?

We’re not going to lie and say we broke down tapes of Wisconsin’s Eric Vanden Heuvel and Xavier Fulton of Illinois to determine which tackle was better. Fulton has a (slightly) cooler name.

No real suprises on the defensive side of the ball. The ends are solid, but we had to resist throwing Heyward or Wilson on our ballot. They haven’t earned the nod yet, but you can’t be shocked if one of them makes this team at the end of the season.

	Big Ten Bloggers	11W Ballot
DE	Greg Middleton, Indiana	Greg Middleton, Indiana
DT	Terrance Taylor, Michigan	Terrance Taylor, Michigan
DT	Mitch King, Iowa	Mitch King, Iowa
DE	Maurice Evans, Penn State	Maurice Evans, Penn State
LB	James Laurinaitis, Ohio State	James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
LB	Marcus Freeman, Ohio State	Marcus Freeman, Ohio State
LB	Anthony Heygood, Purdue	Martez Wilson, Illiniois
CB	Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State	Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
CB	Vontae Davis, Illinois	Vontae Davis, Illinois
S	Anthony Scirrotto, Penn State	Anthony Scirrotto, Penn State
S	Anderson Russell, Ohio State	Anderson Russell, Ohio State

Animal and Freeman aren’t surprises, though we did think Martez Wilson deserved the other spot over Anthony Heygood. Even if he thinks the conference is slow, he is freakishly large and quick.

Scirrotto was named first team all-conference after his sophomore year of 2006 when he lead the Big Ten in interceptions with 6. Four months before the start of his junior season, he decided to get his brawl-on and was slapped with a felony. The folony was reduced and he plead to get back on the field where his level of play clearly declined. He is good enough for this team, but Coleman is in his rear-view mirror.

We briefly flirted with Iowa’s Brett Greenwood at free safety before deciding on Russell. Again, trying not to pack the ballot and there’s a suspicion that Russell may be benefiting from playing with superior talent and the press that comes with that. Don’t get us wrong, he’s great. But there remains doubt about whether he is the top free safety in the league.

	Big Ten Bloggers	11W Ballot
K	Austin Starr, Indiana	Austin Starr, Indiana
P	Jeremy Boone, Penn State	Jeremy Boone, Penn State
PR	Marcus Thigpen, Indiana	–

The all-conference special team members clearly illustrate the fact that if the entire season was played on fourth down only, the Hoosiers would go 12-0. Thigpen is solid, but there’s a hope that a young Buckeye will make a name for himself in the return game this season. Going from Ginn to what Ohio State had last season was like trading your Boxster in for a moped.

So, who did we overlook? Is someone getting a little too much love? What young Buckeye could challenge to land on one of this team?