The Big Ten announced the 2007 All-Conference football teams and individual award winners last night as selected by the coaches and a media panel.

After leading Ohio State to a third straight conference title for the first time since 1977, linebacker James Laurinaitis was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year by both the coaches and media, while defensive end Vernon Gholston was honored as the Defensive Lineman of the Year by the coaches.

After earning consensus All-America honors last season, Laurinaitis returned to Columbus to spearhead a Buckeyes defense which led the Big Ten in total, rushing, passing and scoring defense during conference play.

The Big Ten’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year boosted the Buckeyes to a third straight championship for the first time since the 1977 season and back-to-back outright titles for the first time since 1954 and 1955.

In all games, the junior linebacker led Ohio State with 103 tackles while also collecting 8.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in 12 games. Laurinaitis is the third Buckeye in the past five years to be named Defensive Player of the Year by both the coaches and the media along with A.J. Hawk in 2005 and Will Smith in 2003.

Laurinaitis, the reigning Nagurski Trophy winner as the nation’s top defender, is a finalist for the Butkus Award and Nagurski Trophy and a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Bednarik and Lombardi Awards.

Gholston led the Big Ten with 10.0 sacks during conference play to become the fifth Buckeye to nab Defensive Lineman of the Year laurels and the first since Smith was honored in 2003.

In all games, the junior defensive end ranked second in the conference and sixth nationally with 13.0 sacks to equal the school single-season record set by Mike Vrabel in 1995, when he won the first of two straight Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year awards.

Gholston was part of a pass-rushing unit which tied for second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally with 42 sacks on the season.

OSU currently tops the country in all games by allowing only 10.7 points, 225.2 yards of total offense and 148.2 yards of passing offense per game while ranking third nationally by giving up only 77.1 rushing yards per outing.

In what could be the most egregious error, Ohio State was voted as a First-Team, All-Big Ten selection by the media, somehow the coaches though that Michigan’s Chad Henne was the best quarterback in the conference. But how?

Boeckman was 176-of-273 passing for 2,171 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also led the Big Ten among starting quarterbacks with an efficiency rating of 150.3.

Henne, meanwhile, played in just nine games and was 137-of-239 passing for 1,565 yards with 14 TDs and seven INTs. He was seventh among starting Big Ten QBs with a 125.8 pass efficiency rating.

Someone got robbed?

Other Buckeyes honored:

Chris “Beanie” Wells was tabbed by both the coaches and the media as a First-Team, All-Big Ten selection at running back. Wells rushed for 1,463 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

Offensive tackle Kirk Barton was a First-Team selection by both panels along with cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, Laurinaitis and Gholston.

Offensive tackle Alex Boone was a unanimous choice on the Second_team bu both the coaches and media.

Linebacker Marcus Freeman was a Second-Team, all-Big Ten selection by the coaches.

Boeckman, along with free safety Kurt Coleman, wide receiver Brian Robiskie, strong safety Anderson Russell, punter A.J. Trapasso, and cornerback Donald Washington were Honorable Mention selections by the coaches.

Kicker Ryan Pretorius, plus Coleman, Freeman, Robiskie, Russell, and Trapasso were Honorable Mention selections by the media.

Wide receiver Brian Hartline garnered a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

A complete listing of the 2007 All-Big Ten Teams and individual honors follows:

Tags: Buckeye Football //