Will Gopher Football Land Anyone on the All-Big Ten Team?

by GopherNation on Nov 28, 2011 4:24 PM CST in Gopher Football

Tonight the Big Ten will announce their All-Big Ten Teams for football.

It is more difficult now than it ever was to earn a spot as one of the 2 best players at your position in the conference (1st and 2nd teams). What once was a 2 out of 11 shot (18.2%) is now 2/12 (16.7%). The Gophers as a team were not good enough to earn any postseason recognition, but were a couple guys good enough to earn some post-season honers?

MarQueis Gray - has a shot, mostly because at times he carried this team. I'm sure that those who saw him in against Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa or Northwestern would consider giving him a vote. His problem is that guys like Russell Wilson, Dan Persa, Kirk Cousins and Denard Robinson are going to garner more votes. 6th in the Big Ten in total yards is nothing to sneeze at. He certainly deserves an honorable mention mention but he will not be a 1st or 2nd teamer (this year).

Kim Royston - led the league in solo tackles, ranked nationally as one of the top 20 tacklers. Royston is a senior who made several big plays during the year. Clearly the leader of the Gopher defense who had a good year and might sneak on to the 2nd team. I wouldn't be shocked but I still think honorable mention is in his future.

Chris Bunders - I didn't think I'd be bringing his name up at the end of the season as being in the running for any awards but Bunders had a very nice season. The Gopher offensive line improved dramatically throughout the season Bunders was one of the guys who was playing his best in the second half of the year. The senior started at guard and move out to RT when injuries started hitting the line. But Bunders was more than durable and acceptable on the outside, he excelled. Like the guys ahead of him I'm not expecting 1st or 2nd team but honorable mention is very possible.

Duane Bennett - 659 yards for the season isn't going to be enough to earn you any awards as a RB in the Big Ten (especially this year). But Bennett did make some huge plays this year including a blocked punt and a kick return for a touchdown. Will that be enough to earn some career achievement respect from around the Big Ten? Not likely but a solid Gopher career from a good guy with a bright future.

Da'Jon McKnight - had a disappointing senior season but it wasn't all that terrible. He still finished 7th in receptions in the Big Ten and I believe 6th in receiving yards. There are a number of more marquee names ahead of him like McNutt, Cunningham, Jenkins and Toon so I'm not anticipating he'll win any awards but it is possible. Maybe if he hadn't dropped a few ball against Illinois to pad his yards and TD totals he'd be in the running.

Gary Tinsley - Not likely to earn any awards but Tinsley had a nice senior season. 2nd on the team, 17th in the Big Ten in tackles but lead the team in sacks (4.0) and tackles for losses (9.0). Not a bad season but he was on a bad team playing MLB, not likely to get more votes than a number of other guys.

I'm not proposing that everyone listed above is going to earn any awards. This is just a list of guys who even have a remote chance. I think Royston has a good chance at landing as a 2nd team selection. Gray and Bunders will earn honorable mention. The other three guys may also earn HM status but I wouldn't hold my breath.

What do you guys think? Anyone who you think is absolutely going to get in? Did I miss anyone?

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Not this year

Gray would have been the only one under consideration, but the quarterback spot in the Big Ten is too deep. We had a lot of guys show great improvement over the year, but the league is full of pretty good players on winning teams.

I’d like to put in a vote for our kicker, who had a 43 and 52 yarder on Saturday. What a great story he is. Maybe an honorable mention.

by rangerrodent on Nov 28, 2011 4:30 PM CST reply actions

While we are talking about kickers

Can someone get Orseske to be a masters level psych experiment? I keep hearing how he can boom punts during practice but as a team the Gophers were 115th out of 120 teams. I’d say that is inexcusable for a Big10 team, but Tennessee and Virginia Tech were surprisingly worse. It has to be a case of the yips.

Either that, or can we get another punter on scholarship? We’ll have three kickers already (Hawthorne, Wettstein and Orseske unless they can convince him to transfer) – I cannot believe we cannot find a walk-on who can punt the ball without hitting it everytime off the side of his foot.

I would argue that punter is high on the list – behind CB, Safety, and WR – as areas needing attention in the offseason. To win close games, the punter must be more consistent.

by mraveling on Nov 28, 2011 10:48 PM CST up reply actions

He can boom them.

I remember in ’09 (his mono year) at the fall scrimmage. He was kicking 50-60 yarders every time pretty much. And all the press folks say he does the same thing, consistently, every week in practice. Heck, he was having a pretty good season through the first 6 games or so. But once it unraveled it really unraveled.

No reason to pull his scholly or convince him to transfer. Just have to keep working with him while working on finding a reliable backup.

by GoAUpher on Nov 29, 2011 7:57 AM CST up reply actions

Nope

’nough said

by amiller92 on Nov 28, 2011 5:17 PM CST reply actions

Royston & Bunders get honorable mention.

Royston from Coaches & Media, Bunders from Media.

Yuck, what a season.

Everyone fails. The successful learn from their failures. I just wish we'd quit giving ourselves so many learning opportunities.

by WhiteSpeedReceiver on Nov 28, 2011 7:37 PM CST reply actions

I wonder why

they don’t wait with these awards until after the conference season is over?? The winnng QB in this case, Wilson/Cousins, would get my vote. I am guessing Wilson will get 1st team but what if Cousins outplays him and MSU upsets them?? I think these awards should come after the championship game.

by Texas Gopher on Nov 28, 2011 7:42 PM CST reply actions

It's only fair

that the players all get judged based on the same body of work – the conference season.

by JG2112 on Nov 28, 2011 9:06 PM CST up reply actions

2112

never thought along those lines, I guess that makes sense. Have you watched the “Time Machine” concert of Rush in Cleveland that just recently came out?? Amazing in my opinion.

by Texas Gopher on Nov 29, 2011 7:16 AM CST reply actions

Michigan State 2012

six defensive players on either 1st or 2nd team (between both polls) who are not seniors. Not sure if they’ll all come back next year or not but their defense could be sick next year.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher

by GopherNation on Nov 29, 2011 9:28 AM CST reply actions