Big 12 All-Conference Team: An Early Look at What It Should Be

With the 2010 season winding down to it's exciting finish, it is time to give commendations to this year's best performers.

Let's start with the defensive side of the football.

DEFENSE

Defensive Line

DE:  Jeremy Beal:  Oklahoma:  The senior for the Sooners forfeits his NFL possibilities in hopes that he would have a bust out senior year to rocket up draft boards.  Mr. Beal has had a very productive year having 16 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks thus far.  Both are league leaders in this category,and Beal is still one of the best in the league at getting up the field off the edge.  An easy selection up front in the Big 12.

DE:  Sam Acho: Texas:  In a disastrous year for the Longhorns, there are some bright spots.  Sam Acho has been one of them.  After all, Texas is still one of the best defenses in the entire country, and Mr. Acho leads them up front.  Only Beal has been more productive up front in tackles for loss and sacks.

DT:  Jared Crick: Nebraska:  The Junior is feeling a bit of the sting of losing Suh, but is still putting up strong numbers without his counterpart.  Facing constant double teams and game-planned offenses, Crick has still racked up 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.  Best in the conference for a DT.

DT:  Kheeston Randle: Texas:  Yep, another Texas guy up front.  Even for a bottom-feeding team.  Hard to argue with Texas having a solid front seven, and Randle is the heart of their front four. 

Linebackers

LB:  Orie Lemon: Okie State:  The guy makes a ton of tackles in every game.  He is where he should be on every play, and can hit like a truck.  Most underrated LB in the entire country.  At the next level, he may well play as a DE in a 4-3 type defense.

LB:  Lavonte David: Nebraska:  All over the field.  Has a 19 tackle performance to his name and has become one of the best coverage LB's in the Big 12 in a short period of time.

LB:  Keenan Robinson: Texas:  How can I have this many Texas players?  Well, they are good defensively.  Especially in the front seven.  When you consider their back seven was supposed to be the strength, the front seven at Texas has been great.  Everything else?

Secondary

CB:  Prince Amukamara: Nebraska:  Best lock-down corner in the Big 12.  Yes, he had a poor performance against Justin Blackmon, but who hasn't this year?

CB:  Carl Gettis:  Missouri:  Maybe the best combination run game passing game corner in the entire country.  Gettis is a special athlete that can cover your best WR as well as coming up and making a huge play in the run game.  Could be an easy argument that Gettis has been the Big 12's defensive player of the year.  Doesn't hurt that he is also a dangerous return man either.

S:  David Sims: Iowa State:  The hammer for the Cyclones secondary is Sims.  Only solid LB AJ Klein (who I barely left off of this list) is ahead of Sims in tackles for the Cyclones.  With his solid play this year, Sims has vaulted his talents up the NFL draft boards and should be recognized as the best safety in the conference.

S:  DeJon Gomes: Nebraska:  Yes, a bit of a homer pick here, but Gomes is playing a bit out of position as an almost pure nickel guy.  Can he cover?  Yep.  Can he come up and make the solid tackle?  Absolutely.  Maybe the most talented guy in the secondary for an impressive Husker back seven.

OFFENSE

Offensive Line

T:  Dan Hoch: Missouri:  This guy is physical and very solid in his technique.  Easily one of the best OL in the entire Big 12.

T:  Kelechi Osemele: Iowa State:  He'll be sky-rocketing up draft boards this year, and is a OT that could come out early.  At 6'5" and 335 pounds, this guy is pure man and aggression.  One of the best OT's in the entire country.  Has another year to get better.

OG:  Keith Williams: Nebraska:  Very physical, and has some fleet feet for such a big guy.  At 6'5" and 310 he is built like a rock from top to bottom.  One of the fiercest pulling guards in all the land.  The Huskers aren't leading the league in rushing offense with nobody up front.

OG:  Stephen Good; Oklahoma:  As good and technical as you can get, along with a bit of nastiness himself.  This junior is a rising star.

C:  Tim Barnes:  Missouri:  I don't think there is any doubt that Tim Barnes is the best Center in the entire Big 12.  May be the best lineman in the entire Big 12 at the same time.

Quarterback:

QB: Robert Griffin : Baylor: Tough choice.  Very touch choice with Weeden and Jones in the Sooner State and Gabbert playing so well in Missouri.  But I have to hand it to Griffin.  Leading the currently ranked No. 96 team in the country in total defense, Griffin has made Baylor so competitive that they are in route to an eight win season, and first bowl bid since 1994.  Maybe the most amazing talent in the entire league.

Running Back

RB: Kendall Hunter: Oklahoma State:  Great to see him rebound from the injury to lead the conference in rushing this year.  An absolute no-brainer right now.

RB: Daniel Thomas: Kansas State: Was there any doubt?  The single player that means more to his team than any other in the league is Thomas.  Other than Griffin, it might not even be close.

Wide Receiver

WR: Justin Blackmon: Oklahoma State: Big 12 Player of the Year.  Nothing more needs to be said.

WR: Jeff Fuller: Texas A&M: Tough call to put him in over Ryan Broyles from Oklahoma, but Fuller is the man.  Flip a coin on the two, they are both fantastic.

TE

TE:  Michael Egnew: MIssouri:  Following in the footsteps of Rucker and Coffman, the Tigers have the best pass-catching TE in the entire Big 12.  And it isn't even close.