I love Phil Steele’s magazine more than any other.  I reference it all year long, and I reference the previous issues each year.  No, we are not compensated by Phil Steele to say that, but hey, since I have full control over advertising inventory and rates now, he’s on my list of people to call!

Steele came out with his Mid-season All Big Ten Teams, three team’s worth!  You gotta love Phil.

Here is his first team offense:

QB Daryll Clark, Penn St

RB John Clay, Wisconsin (2^nd Adam Robinson),

RB Evan Royster, Penn St

WR Eric Decker, Minnesota

WR Keith Smith, Purdue

WR Tandon Doss, Indiana

TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin (2^nd Tony Moeaki)

C Mike Brewster, Ohio St (2^nd Rafael Eubanks)

OG Justin Boren, Ohio St

OG Dace Richardson, Iowa

OT Kyle Calloway, Iowa

OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin (2^nd Bryan Bulaga)

If someone would have told you that Iowa would have two first team All Big Ten offensive linemen at the beginning of the year, that would not have been a stretch.  But to say that Bulaga wouldn’t have been one of them, there’s your stretch.  Bulaga still has more than a good shot at getting there before the end of the year; Iowa plays five more conference games.  Also interesting is Steele’s choice as the 2^nd team center; Eubanks.  He has played the best football of the season, but perhaps I unfairly judge him against Rob Bruggeman’s season from 2008; which in my opinion was the best season a center has had for Iowa under Ferentz.  A-Rob as a second teamer is a big accomplishment, too.

Now for the defense:

DE O’Brien Schofield, Wisconsin

DT Jared Odrick, Penn St

DT Jerel Worthy, Michigan St (2^nd Karl Klug)

DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio St (2^nd Adrian Clayborn)

LB Greg Jones, Michigan St

LB Jason Werner, Purdue

LB Nate Triplett, Minnesota

LB Pat Angerer, Iowa (3^rd, AJ Edds)

CB Amari Spievey, Iowa

CB Donovan Warren, Michigan

SS Tyler Sash, Iowa

FS Kurt Coleman, Ohio St (2^nd, Brett Greenwood)

If Adrian Clayborn is a second teamer, whew!  I cannot argue with Schofield #1, but Clayborn means far more to Iowa than Heyward does to Ohio State.  Nice to see Klug get noticed, as well as Brett Greenwood at free safety.  Spievey, Angerer and Sash are no brainers.

Ryan Donahue was not listed on Steele’s first, second or third teams.  There are some really good punters in the Big Ten this year, but it’s tough to imagine many being more important to his team and as consistent as Donahue.  Zoltan Mesco of Michigan is #1, with Aaron Bates of Michigan State #2.

Tags: All Big Ten, hawkeye football, Iowa football, Pihl Steele