Tag: All-Big Ten teams

2014 All-Big Ten teams announced

Jake Ryan

A few All-Big Ten teams have been announced. As you might expect from a 5-7 team with several players who underperformed, Michigan doesn’t have many representatives.

COACHES
1st team: Jake Ryan, LB
2nd team: Devin Funchess, WR

MEDIA
1st team: Jake Ryan, LB

BTN.COM
Jake Ryan, LB

Honorable Mention
Brennen Beyer, DE
Blake Countess, CB
Will Hagerup, P
Raymon Taylor, CB

I am completely behind the selection of #47. During the regular season, Jake Ryan was #2 in the conference in tackles (112) and tackles per game (9.33); he was also #4 in tackles for loss (14.0) and #5 in tackles for loss per game (1.17). He also had 2 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, and 5 quarterback hurries.

I am less convinced by the selection of Devin Funchess. He was #3 in receptions (62), #5 in yardage (733), #24 in yards/catch (11.82), and tied for #12 in touchdowns (4). Congratulations to him, but here’s a list of players I would rank above him:

Tony Lippett, Michigan State: 60 catches, 1124 yards, 11 touchdowns
Leonte Carroo, Rutgers: 53 catches, 1043 yards, 10 touchdowns
Kenny Allen, Nebraska: 40 catches, 717 yards, 5 touchdowns
Devin Smith, Ohio State: 26 catches, 662 yards, 8 touchdowns
Michael Thomas, Ohio State: 40 catches, 639 yards, 8 touchdowns
Stefon Diggs, Maryland: 52 catches, 654 yards, 5 touchdowns

As for the guys named Honorable Mention, Blake Countess has no business being on that team. He had a very rough season, made 24 tackles, and broke up 3 passes. No interceptions, no big plays, and he got picked on rather often. Beyer had a decent year (35 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks), but the best defensive lineman on the team was Frank Clark, who may not have been included since he was kicked off the team. Taylor had 0 interceptions and 6 pass breakups; not a terrible season, but nothing special, either. Hagerup averaged 42.9 yards/kick (#3 in the conference) and pinned teams deep fairly often.

The biggest exclusion I see is sophomore cornerback Jourdan Lewis (39 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 6 pass breakups), who was the best player in the secondary for Michigan. I wouldn’t have minded seeing junior linebacker Joe Bolden selected for Honorable Mention, either; he ended the year with 102 tackles (#11 in the conference), 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 pass breakup.

Phil Steele’s 2014 All-Big Ten team released

Devin Funchess

Phil Steele released his 2014 All-Big Ten team, and there are several Michigan players on the list.

FIRST TEAM
WR Devin Funchess
LB Jake Ryan
CB Blake Countess

SECOND TEAM
DE Frank Clark
LB Desmond Morgan

THIRD TEAM
P Will Hagerup

FOURTH TEAM
QB Devin Gardner
LB James Ross III

Many of these are interesting picks for various reasons. First of all, Devin Funchess is going into his first year as a full-time wideout, and he will also be without a proven commodity taking attention away from him in the form of Jeremy Gallon. Ryan is switching positions from strongside outside linebacker to middle linebacker in a new base defense. Countess has been rumored to be relegated to a backup role behind sophomore Jourdan Lewis, though Countess will start at slot corner. Morgan is another guy who changes positions, albeit slightly (middle linebacker to weakside linebacker). Gardner might be the most physically talented quarterback in the conference, but he’s behind Braxton Miller (understandable due to winning and good talent), Connor Cook (who came out of nowhere last year), and Christian Hackenberg (who will be without his stud receiver, Allen Robinson). I think there’s a decent chance that Gardner is a First Team or Second Team all-conference quarterback by year’s end. Meanwhile, Ross is in a battle for his position with up-and-comer Royce Jenkins-Stone.

Michigan certainly has a lot of question marks going into 2014, but that’s what happens when you go 8-5 and 7-6 in consecutive years.

2013 All-Big Ten Awards announced

Taylor Lewan

The Big Ten released its all-conference players and award winners on Monday. The Michigan representatives are as follows:

Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year: Devin Funchess
Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year: Taylor Lewan

COACHES
First Team: OT Taylor Lewan
Second Team: WR Jeremy Gallon, TE Devin Funchess, DE Frank Clark, CB Blake Countess
Honorable Mention: OT Michael Schofield, DT Jibreel Black
Sportsmanship: CB Courtney Avery

MEDIA
First Team: OT Taylor Lewan, TE Devin Funchess, CB Blake Countess
Second Team: WR Jeremy Gallon
Honorable Mention: QB Devin Gardner, DE Frank Clark, DT Jibreel Black, CB Raymon Taylor, K Brendan Gibbons

First Annual All-Big Ten Teams

2012 All-Big Ten teams announced

Taylor Lewan is First Team All-Big Ten

The All-Big Ten teams were announced on the Big Ten Network this evening, and there were some . . . interesting decisions.  Here are the Michigan players on the teams:

FIRST TEAM (Coaches):
Patrick Omameh, OG – 12 starts
Taylor Lewan, OT – 12 starts

SECOND TEAM (Coaches):
Craig Roh, DE – 36 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks
Jordan Kovacs, S – 65 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 2 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble

HONORABLE MENTION (Coaches):
J.T. Floyd, CB – 48 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 5 pass breakups
Jeremy Gallon, WR – 40 catches, 684 yards, 2 touchdowns; 11 carries, 67 yards; 12 punt returns, 66 yards
Brendan Gibbons, K – 14/16 field goals, long of 52; 44/44 extra points
Will Hagerup, P – 33 punts, 1486 yards, 45.0 yards/punt
Roy Roundtree, WR – 28 catches, 553 yards, 3 touchdowns
Jake Ryan, LB – 84 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 3 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles

FIRST TEAM (Media):
Taylor Lewan, OT
Will Hagerup, P

SECOND TEAM (Media):
Jake Ryan, LB

HONORABLE MENTION (Media):
William Campbell, DT – 44 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack
J.T. Floyd, CB
Devin Funchess, TE – 14 catches, 230 yards, 5 touchdowns
Jeremy Gallon, WR
Brendan Gibbons, K
Jordan Kovacs, S
Patrick Omameh, OG
Denard Robinson, QB – 89/166 (53.6%), 1319 yards, 9 touchdowns, 9 interceptions; 154 carries, 1166 yards, 7 touchdowns
Craig Roh, DE
Roy Roundtree, WR

I’m not too upset with these picks, because nobody on Michigan’s team really had an outstanding season.  The only choice (or non-choice) that bugs me a bit is the lack of Jake Ryan on the coaches’ team; Ryan should have been selected ahead of Nebraska linebacker Will Compton for second team honors.  But then again, the selection of Patrick Omameh to the first team on the coaches’ team means you win some, you lose some.

Based on his last couple seasons, the absence of Denard Robinson from these lists is almost shocking.  He is one of the most exciting players in the entire country, but he missed too much time due to injury and threw the ball poorly in the first half of the year.  I can’t argue that he deserves to be any higher, but I have to admit his performance was a little bit of a letdown after being in the Heisman discussion at various points throughout the past three years.  I hoped for better, and yet, he is what he’s always been – an excellent runner and a poor passer.