2002 Team
2001 Team
2000 Team
1999 Team
Official 1998 Team
Official 1995 Team
2002 Badgermaniac's All-Big Ten
(Let me preface my comments by saying that I did not see as much Big Ten football this season as I usually do. So, take my picks with even more of a "for entertainment purposes only" than normal.)
Offense
QB:
COMMENT: A no-brainer for 1st team, as Banks will probably wind up being the Big Ten MVP. Mills gets the nod at second team QB due to his leadership and versatility. The QB spot was not especially strong this year. I would probably say that Navarre was the top runner up as QBs like Krenzel, Bollinger, Abdul-Khaliq, etc. all had too many warts to get serious consideration.
TB:
COMMENT:A very deep position. Clarett narrowly takes 2nd team honors over a host of competitors in Fred Russell, Terry Jackson, Antonio Harris, and Anthony Davis. I believe that Clarett was the most important to his team, which is why he got the nod.
FB:
COMMENT: Askew is the most versatile fullback in the conference. After Askew, I am just taking a stab in the dark so I'll leave it void.
WR:
COMMENT: Lloyd and Rogers were easy choices at the top. Jenkins was a clutch receiver for OSU with numerous big time grabs. Standeford's numbers are too hard to ignore. Runners ups were Roby, Bryant Johnson, and Walter Young.
OT:
COMMENT: Pashos isn't much to look at, but was very physical. Gallery was a rock on the left side of the Iowa line. Kuppe takes the last spot on the basis of Minnesota's impressive running game. Ben Johnson was the next runner up, but simply did not dominate as his resume would suggest. Others were Olivea, and DeMar.
OG:
COMMENT: One of those hard positions to evaluate when you don't see guys much, so consider my picks a guess.
OC:
COMMENT:Hard to pick between Nelson and Johnson, but I'll go with the player from the leage champ. A very strong position with Stepanovich and King in reserve.
TE:
COMMENT: Three very good receiving tight ends when Joppru of Michigan is included. I would take any of the three on my team.
K:
COMMENT: Another virtual tossup as both kickers were nearly perfect. Kaeding gets the nod as Nugent missed two FGs yesterday in a near loss to Illinois. Dan Nystrom would have made mention in a typical year.
Defense
DE:
COMMENT:A very deep position with Rumishek, Phillips, Orr, Roth, and Howard all in the ballpark. Hayes was the best pass rusher in the year, while Strong was the most consistent end I saw. Hodges was the outside rusher for Iowa while Sprague had a great year for the Badgers.
DT:
COMMENT: Kennedy and Cole were no-brainers in my book. Cole in particular is one of the underrated players in the B10. Runner up was Anthony Adams.
LB:
COMMENTS: Not a very deep group after the top 5 or so.
CB:
COMMENTS: Gamble was the big name, but Jackson and Wilson were there all year for their teams. Nelson is a weak choice at #2, though he was hurt by a lack of strength at DL for MSU. Not a terribly strong position.
S:
COMMENT:A very deep position with Schweigert, June, Drake, and Leonard on the outside looking in. Pagel is my favorite non-Badger in the league. Mayer had a terrific season as well.
P:
COMMENT: Groom was an easy choice..
2001 Badgermaniac's All-Big Ten
Official All-Big Ten Selections
-BigTen.org
Offense
QB:
COMMENT: Not a terribly strong Big Ten QB class this year. However, Kittner was the unquestioned leader of the Big Ten
champion Illini and led the conference in passing yards. Randle-El still is not a terribly great thrower, but was probably
the hardest player in the league to defend and ran for over 100 yards per game in conference play. The only other QB to seriously
be considered for honors was Zak Kustok of Northwestern.
TB:
COMMENT: Williams was the leading rusher in conference play and averaged an amazing 7 yards per carry while scoring 16 TD's in 8 conference contests to narrowly
outdistance the consistent Anthony Davis. TJ Duckett and Jonathan Wells were the runner ups here.
FB:
COMMENT: A hard position to honor considering so few teams use true fullbacks these days. Martin however gets the honor due to greater versatility than Kuhns.
WR:
COMMENT: A tremendously deep group of receivers. Both Evans and Walker lead the league in catches per game and were 1st and 3rd in receiving yards per game respectively.
Johnson was his usual consistent self while Rogers came on late in the year to become perhaps the most feared receier in the league, barely outdistancing Brandon Lloyd.
OT:
COMMENT: A very down year for tackles in the Big Ten this year. Walter returned from injury to post a steady season and a veteran presence to the Bucks, while Brockmeier was more a less
a de facto choice for the final spot. Myler was an anchor on an outstanding rushing offense while Johnson cleared the way for many of Anthony Davis' outside bursts.
OG:
COMMENT: A fairly solid group here. Goodwin is probably the most athletic, while Nelson is a throwback tough guy. Enoch DeMar at IU also could have been named here.
OC:
COMMENT: Virtually a toss up here between Bentley, Butkus, and Al Johnson of Wisconsin. I went with Bentley and Butkus based on more team success, as well as the fact that most of Wisconsin's
rushing yardage came outside the tackles.
TE:
COMMENT: Baker was the best combination tight end in the league this year. Stratton had a down year with the loss of Brees, but still gained my recognition based on
his career. Dallas Clark of Iowa, Darnell Sanders of Ohio State, and Mark Anelli of Wisconsin were also quality tight ends.
K:
COMMENT: Again, a down year for kickers. Dorsch is the runaway choice here, providing the best combination of accuracy, length, and clutch performance. Epstein is the default #2 guy. Illinois' kickers had
super years, but it was a job by committee.
Defense
DE:
COMMENT: Ayodele was the best pass rusher in the Big Ten despite missing time with injuries while Labinjo was more of a combo run stopper/rusher who really came on
late in the season. Phillips is a young star in waiting while Rumishek outdistanced teammate Shante Orr and Minnesota's Greg White based on his versatility.
DT:
COMMENT: Braynt was a no brainer as he was the one constant on a ravaged defensive line, leading the Big Ten in sacks. Kampmann was a steady force for the tough Hawkeyes, finishing among the league
leaders in sacks and TFL's. Shaw probably would have been on the 1st team if not for his season ending injury. Kennedy was a disruptive force all season long for the Nits. Matt Mitrione and Mike Collins also
would have been valid choices.
LB:
COMMENT: Foote is simply the biggest impact LB in the conference, leading the league in TFL's. Schumacher edged out Silva and Bentley at NW, and Matt Wilhelm at OSU based on his playmaking for the league champs.
CB:
COMMENT: Echols led a pedestrian group of corners, forcing teams to throw away from him all season long. Ross led the league in picks and was a playmaker all year long. Nelson stepped up and played well when injuries
set the Spartans back, while Wilson was also steady. Morton (ILL), Todd Howard (UM) and Sapp (IA) also could have been named.
S:
COMMENT: Another pretty strong position. Doss and Schweigert were the leaders of very good defensive backfields and are more versatile than Sanders, the best run stuffing safety in the league. Jackson got the narrow nod over
teammate Muhammad Abudullah and Jack Brewer of Minnesota.
P:
COMMENT: Dorch did not do all the pooch punting so his numbers need to be taken in context, but he still gets my nod. Fitts barely beats Buddy Groom of Ohio State and Craig Jarrett of MSU.
Here was the actual 2000 All-Big Ten team.
2000 Badgermaniac's All-Big Ten
Offense
QB:
COMMENT: A no brainer again this year for first team honors. Brees delivers it all in terms of a collegiate QB. Second team was a tough choice. Kustok deserves mention for his raw numbers and leadership. Randle-El means more to his team than any other QB. Henson is the most talented. Kittner has had a down year, but is still pretty good. I went with Henson by virtue of his 13-3 TD/INT ratio and 61% completion rate.
TB:
COMMENT: Anderson has been the league MVP in my book. He leads the league in TDs, rushing, YPC, you name it. Second team is Thomas in large part due to his durability and consistency. Michael Bennett would be the 3rd TB (and will make 2nd team on the actual AB10 teams since they generally don't take FBs).
FB:
COMMENT: Kuhns is still the best in the conference by far. The second team was hard to gauge with Minnesota, Purdue, and NW all going to spread offenses and not employing a FB. Hogan has been a reliable performer for IU and is a tough blocker.
WR:
COMMENT: Terrell is the class of the league. Johnson has been a top flight performer despite moderate talent around him. Chambers has been arguably Wisconsin's MVP, while Sutherland's numbers are too good to ignore.
OT:
COMMENT: A very deep position this year. All four of the above are very very good. Others with good seasons have been Brockmeier at NW and Haayer at Minnesota among others. Backus has been a force. Sullivan and McKenzie are pretty equal and if one of their teams had played better, they would have gotten the nod. But, as it was, I flipped a coin and went with McKenzie.
OG:
COMMENT: Hutchinson is an All-American. Most of the rest of the crew are all workmanlike kids that are hard to distinguish from each other. Mason has been a stalwart for a solid MSU OL and thus deserves mention. The Wisconsin duo have played pretty well despite utter chaos around them.
OC:
COMMENT: Hamilton is a no-brainer. Okobi handled the transition from guard very well and has been the anchor of a pretty good OL.
TE:
COMMENT: You can't go wrong with either one. Baker is more explosive, but Stratton gets the nod for consistency. Look out for OSU's Darnell Sanders.
K:
COMMENT: Neither is a dominant kicker, but they top the league in percentage and have hit clutch kicks for their teams.
Defense
DE:
COMMENT: A solid group. Riley is the premier pass rusher in the league while Missouri was a rare bright spot on a suspect NW defense. Wakefield made great strides as a pass rusher while Johnson put up the best numbers on a talented OSU DL.
DT:
COMMENT: It could be argued that Eric Mahlik could deserve mention more than Bryant, though Bryant was game-planned more for. Schlect was tremendous again and made Minnesota stout inside. Mitrione was disruptive. Pickett is right there with Bryant in terms of overall talent, but was consistently more productive.
LB:
COMMENT: Greisen was considered but could not match up experience wise with the group I did choose. TJ Turner was another candidate who was taken off due to injuries. Bentley is my favorite LB in the league, while Thornhill and Hoffman are classic run stuffing LBs. Smith is underrated. Ayodele is a tweener, but is the best pass rusher of the group and probably would have made first team if I had wanted balance.
CB:
COMMENT: Fletcher is the best, period. Clements is also a very talented on the ball defender, though got burned a bit too often to be considered in Fletcher's class. Echols is quiet but really made a lot of big plays this year. Harold Blackmon, James Whitley, Willie Middlebrooks, and David Mitchell all would have been ok picks, but I went with Renaldo Hill of MSU.
S:
COMMENT: Doering would have been here if healthy. Ralph Turner is also a youngster I like, though he will have his day in the sun down the road. Doss is the best blitzer in the league, while Boyd is a Thorpe finalist known as a great run defender. Abdullah slumped at times, but is still solid. Patmon was steady.
P:
COMMENT: Stemke deserves All-American honors. Gruenning game Stemke a run for his money in terms of gross average, though Stemke takes him in net.
1999 Badgermaniac's All-Big Ten Team
Offense
QB:
COMMENT: A no brainer of course for first team. Second team was a tough call between Brady, Burke, and Randle-El. But, I think Brady has been the most consistent of the three, thus grabbing the honor. Bollinger will get some mention as rookie of the year (though I would go with Ayodele if JUCO's are eligible).
TB:
COMMENT: Again, a no brainer of course for first team. Hamner has really earned the second team honor this season (as opposed to last year when I thought he made the team due to lack of competition). Hamner will probably be first team All-Conference on the official team since they do not distinguish between FB and TB.
FB:
COMMENT: A very tough call here, with these two candidates head and shoulders above all other FBs in the conference. Shea offers a bit more in the passing game while Kuhns is the better pure blocker. Given the success of the Wisconsin running game, I went with Kuhns.
WR:
COMMENT: Burress is simply the best in the conference while Daniels' numbers are too good to ignore, regardless of his role in the offense. Terrell is going to be better than both of them before he is done (provided he sticks around) and Rambo finally has shown what made him so highly regarded coming out of high school. Chris Chambers has not had a flashy season and did not really come close to getting mention on my ballot.
OT:
COMMENT: I thought McIntosh really needed to step up this year and prove himself a dominant (as opposed to simply a solid) tackle. He has done so in spades. McKenzie is very very talented and has been the anchor of a good offensive line for the Nits. Backus has been a terrific pass blocker.
OG:
COMMENT: After Hutchinson, a tough call as the guards were all fairly workmanlike across the board. Both Ferrario and Costa were close and it wouldn't surprise me to see them get some mention except I just couldn't chose one or the other myself. Ferrario has had the better reputaion, Costa is said to be more talented, while they have flip-flopped in terms of who has played better week to week. Thus, I chose neither.
OC:
COMMENT: A very tough call here as well. We could go either way and not go wrong. I took Hamilton in a flip of the coin.
TE:
COMMENT: Both of these guys are in the pass catching mode of TE, but since those are the ones that usually get recognized, I stuck in that direction. Jay Tant could easily slide in here as well too.
K:
COMMENT: I expect Edinger to get the actual honor, but Pisetsky has been the best kicker in the league in terms of performance this year.
Defense
DE:
COMMENT: A very very solid bunch. Throw in Ogunleye (who would have replaced Smith on my team) and you have a group of great pass rushers as well as guys that play the run pretty well too. Neither Favret nor Kolodziej were close to getting mention here.
DT:
COMMENT: Renes should get mention for defensive player of the year (though he won't). Bryant has better upside than Schlecht, but has not been as consistent. Nugent and Mitrione of Purdue were also very close. Not really being able to distinguish between the two, I took Nugent based purely on production. Surprisingly, Eric Mahlik was close to getting some mention as I think he has played much better than expected this year.
LB:
COMMENT: Probably the deepest position in the Big Ten. Left off were guys like Ghidorzi, Hoffman, Mezzera, Clark, Bentley, and Morrison among others. In a typical year, Ghidorzi gets mention as I think he has deserved it for a super season. However, the talent list ahead of him is just too deep.
CB:
COMMENT: Another tough choice here. I don't think any of them have played better than Fletcher this year, though Macklin has the reputation. Mike Echols has a great shot for mention next year if he continues to improve on the deep balls as well as his tackling.
S:
COMMENT: Carter and Morris have been the two most productive safeties in the league, hence an easy choice. The last pick came down to Doering and Gary Berry of Ohio State. Doering gets the nod due to simple homerism (and Doering's hit on Kustok yesterday). Bobby Myers deserves honorable mention for his solid play.
P:
COMMENT: Stemke has had an off year and I debated what to do with him. Still, he leads the league in net punting and is second in gross punting and he is the one guy I would want punting for me in a pinch. Fitts gets the nod over Jarrett just so I can get a FIB on the team.
1st Team: Brad Banks, Iowa
2nd Team: Zack Mills, Penn State
1st Team: Larry Johnson, Penn State
2nd Team: Maurice Clarett, Ohio State
1st Team: BJ Askew, Michigan
2nd Team:
1st Team: Charles Rogers, Michigan State; Brandon Lloyd, Illinois
2nd Team: John Standeford, Purdue; Michael Jenkins, Ohio State
1st Team: Tony Pashos, Illinois; Robert Gallery, Iowa
2nd Team: Tony Pape, Michigan ; Jake Kuppe, Minnesota
1st Team: Eric Steinbach, Iowa; Jeff Roehl, Northwestern
2nd Team: Adrien Clark, Ohio State; Dave Petruziello, Michigan
1st Team: Bruce Nelson, Iowa
2nd Team: Al Johnson, Wisconsin
1st Team: Dallas Clark, Iowa
2nd Team: Ben Utecht, Minnesota
1st Team: Nate Kaeding, Iowa
2nd Team: Mike Nugent, Ohio State
1st Team: Michael Haynes, Penn State; Derek Strong, Illinois
2nd Team: Howard Hodges, Iowa; Jake Sprague, Wisconsin
1st Team: Jimmy Kennedy, Penn State; Colin Cole, Iowa
2nd Team: Tim Anderson, Ohio State; Kris Dielman, Indiana
1st Team: Victor Hobson, Michigan; Fred Barr, Iowa; Matt Wilhelm
2nd Team: Jerry Schumacher, Illinois; Cie Grant, Ohio State; Niko Koutouviedes, Purdue
1st Team: Eugene Wilson, Illinois; Marlin Jackson, Michigan
2nd Team: Broderick Nelson, Michigan State; Chris Gamble, Ohio State
1st Team: Mike Doss, Ohio State; Bob Sanders, Iowa
2nd Team: Derek Pagel, Iowa; Shawn Mayer, Penn State
1st Team: Andy Groom, Ohio State
2nd Team: Adam Finley, Michigan
1st Team: Kurt Kittner, Illinois
2nd Team: Antwaan Randle-El, Indiana
1st Team: Levron Williams, Indiana
2nd Team: Anthony Davis, Wisconsin
1st Team: Jamar Martin, Ohio State
2nd Team: Chad Kuhns, Wisconsin
1st Team: Lee Evans, Wisconsin; Marquise Walker, Michigan
2nd Team: Ron Johnson, Minnesota; Charles Rogers, Michigan State
1st Team: Tyson Walter, Ohio State; Leon Brockmeier, Northwestern
2nd Team: AC Myler, Indiana; Ben Johnson, Wisconsin
1st Team: Jonathan Goodwin, Michigan; Bruce Nelson, Iowa
2nd Team: Jeff Roehl, Northwestern; Gene Mruczkowski, Purdue
1st Team: LeCharles Bentley, Ohio State
2nd Team: Luke Butkus, Illinois
1st Team: Chris Baker, Michigan State
2nd Team: Tim Stratton, Purdue
1st Team: Travis Dorsch, Purdue
2nd Team: Hayden Epstein, Michigan
1st Team: Akin Ayodele, Purdue; Mike Labinjo, Michigan State
2nd Team: Shaun Phillips, Purdue; Dan Rumishek, Michigan
1st Team: Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin; Aaron Kampmann, Iowa
2nd Team: Josh Shaw, Michigan State; Jimmy Kennedy, Penn State
1st Team: Larry Foote, Michigan; Josh Thornhill, Michigan State; Victor Hobson, Michigan
2nd Team: Jerry Schumacher, Illinois; Justin Smith, Indiana; Nick Griesen, Wisconsin
1st Team: Mike Echols, Wisconsin; Derek Ross, Ohio State
2nd Team: Eugene Wilson, Illinois; Broderick Nelson, Michigan State
1st Team: Mike Doss, Ohio State; Stu Schweigert, Purdue
2nd Team: Bobby Jackson, Illinois; Bob Sanders, Iowa
1st Team: Travis Dorsch, Purdue
2nd Team: Steve Fitts, Illinois
1st Team: Drew Brees, Purdue
2nd Team: Drew Henson, Michigan
1st Team: Damien Anderson, Northwestern
2nd Team: Anthony Thomas, Michigan
1st Team: Chad Kuhns, Wisconsin
2nd Team: De' Wayne Hogan, Indiana
1st Team: David Terrell, Michigan; Ron Johnson, Minnesota
2nd Team: Chris Chambers, Wisconsin; Vinny Sutherland, Purdue
1st Team: Jeff Backus, Michigan; Kareem McKenzie, Penn State
2nd Team: Marques Sullivan, Illinois; Matt Light, Purdue
1st Team: Steve Hutchinson, Michigan; Shaun Mason, Michigan State
2nd Team: Bill Ferrario, Wisconsin; Casey Rabach, Wisconsin
1st Team: Ben Hamilton, Minnesota
2nd Team: Chukky Okobi, Purdue
1st Team: Tim Stratton, Purdue
2nd Team: Chris Baker, Michigan State
1st Team: Dan Stultz, Ohio State
2nd Team: Tim Long, Northwestern
1st Team: Karon Riley, Minnesota; Dwayne Missouri, Northwestern
2nd Team: Fred Wakefield, Illinois; Brent Johnson, Ohio State
1st Team: John Schlecht, Minnesota; Ryan Pickett, Ohio State
2nd Team: Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin; Matt Mitrione, Purdue
1st Team: Kevin Bentley, Northwestern; Josh Thornhill, Michigan State; Sean Hoffman, Minnesota
2nd Team: Justin Smith, Indiana; Ben Mezera, Minnesota; Akin Ayodele, Purdue
1st Team: Nate Clements, Ohio State; Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin
2nd Team: Mike Echols, Wisconsin; Renaldo Hill, Michigan State
1st Team: Mike Doss, Ohio State; James Boyd, Penn State
2nd Team: Muhammad Abdullah, Illinois; DeWayne Patmon, Michigan
1st Team: Kevin Stemke, Wisconsin
2nd Team: Preston Gruenning, Minnesota
1st Team: Drew Brees, Purdue
2nd Team: Tom Brady, Michigan
1st Team: Ron Dayne, Wisconsin
2nd Team: Thomas Hamner, Minnesota
1st Team: Chad Kuhns, Wisconsin
2nd Team: Aaron Shea, Michigan
1st Team: Plaxico Burress, Michigan State; Chris Daniels, Purdue
2nd Team: David Terrell, Michigan; Key-Yon Rambo, Ohio State
1st Team: Chris McIntosh, Wisconsin; Kareem McKenzie, Penn State
2nd Team: Jim Backus, Michigan, Pita Elisara, Indiana
1st Team: Steve Hutchinson, Michigan; Ben Gilbert, Ohio State
2nd Team: Chukky Okobi, Purdue; Pat Hau, Minnesota
1st Team: Ben Hamilton, Minnesota
2nd Team: Casey Rabach, Wisconsin
1st Team: Chris Baker, Michigan State
2nd Team: Tim Stratton, Purdue
1st Team: Vitaly Pisetsky, Wisconsin
2nd Team: Paul Edinger, Michigan State
1st Team: Courtney Brown, Penn State; Karon Riley, Minnesota
2nd Team: Robaire Smith, Michigan State; Akin Ayodele, Purdue
1st Team: Rob Renes, Michigan; John Schlecht, Minnesota
2nd Team: Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin; David Nugent, Purdue
1st Team: LeVar Arrington, Penn State; Na'il Diggs, Ohio State; Brandon Short, Penn State
2nd Team: Julian Peterson, Michigan State; Dhani Jones, Michigan; Ian Gold, Michigan
1st Team: David Macklin, Penn State; Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin
2nd Team: Ahmed Plummer, Ohio State; Anthony King, Penn State
1st Team: Tyrone Carter, Minnesota; Aric Morris, Michigan State
2nd Team: Tommy Hendricks, Michigan; Jason Doering, Wisconsin
1st Team: Kevin Stemke, Wisconsin
2nd Team: Steve Fitts, Illinois