Loyal blog readers out there know where I'm headed with several of these picks, though I had some tough decisions in the end. It's not easy to condense so many defensive standouts into 11 slots, while there's certainly more wiggle room on the offensive side.

For your reference, my preseason All-Big Ten team and the Big Ten's official all-conference squads.

OFFENSE

QB: Daryll Clark, Penn State

RB: John Clay, Wisconsin

RB: Evan Royster, Penn State

WR: Keith Smith, Purdue

WR: Blair White, Michigan State

TE: Garrett Graham, Wisconsin

C: Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State

OL: Justin Boren, Ohio State

OL: Bryan Bulaga, Iowa

OL: Dace Richardson, Iowa

OL: Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin

DEFENSE

DL: Brandon Graham, Michigan

DL: Jared Odrick, Penn State

DL: O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin

DL: Adrian Clayborn, Iowa

LB: Greg Jones, Michigan State

LB: Pat Angerer, Iowa

LB: Navorro Bowman, Penn State

CB: Donovan Warren, Michigan

CB: Sherrick McManis, Northwestern

S: Kurt Coleman, Ohio State

S: Tyler Sash, Iowa

SPECIALISTS

P: Zoltan Mesko, Michigan

K: Brett Swenson, Michigan State

KR: Ray Fisher, Indiana

PR: Ray Small, Ohio State

All-Big Ten selections by team: Penn State (5), Iowa (5), Wisconsin (4), Ohio State (3), Michigan State (3), Michigan (3), Northwestern (1), Purdue (1), Indiana (1)

There were 16 selections who also made the preseason All-Big Ten squad: Clark, Royster, Clay, Bulaga, Wisniewski, Boren, Garrett Graham, Brandon Graham, Odrick, Jones, Bowman, Angerer, Coleman, Mesko, Swenson and Small.