And the winner is ...

Each year Big Ten coaches and media organizations select the Big Ten's top individual award winners. This year there are no runaway winners in any category.

Linemen of the year: Plenty of good candidates here, led by tackle Bryan Bulaga (Iowa) and center Stefen Wisniewski (Penn State), along with defensive ends Cameron Heyward (Ohio State), Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue), Adrian Clayborn (Iowa), O'Brien Schofield (Wisconsin) and Brandon Graham (Michigan).

Any of the defensive linemen might win a close vote.

Coach of the year: Few expected Iowa to break out to a 9-0 start, so Kirk Ferentz would seem to have the inside track here. Other possibilities: Wisconsin's Bret Bielema, Ohio State's Jim Tressel.

Freshman of the year: Iowa running back Adam Robinson is fourth in the league in rushing. He will likely get the nod over fellow Hawkeyes running back Brandon Wegher, Indiana kicker Nick Freeland and Wisconsin linebacker LB Chris Borland. Should Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier engineer an upset of No. 9 Ohio State this weekend, he might just sweep by everyone.

Defensive player of the year: Michigan State linebacker Greg Jones (leading Big Ten in tackles), Iowa linebacker Pat Angerer (second in tackles) and Ohio State's Heyward, Purdue's Kerrigan, Iowa's Clayborn, Wisconsin's Schofield and Michigan's Graham lead the way. Any deserve it.

Offensive player of the year: Usually this award is ceded to the QB or leading rusher for the league champion.

But John Clay, the bruising tailback for Wisconsin, is averaging 20 yards rushing more than No. 2 on the list, Penn State's Evan Royster. That gives Clay the edge.

The preseason player of the year was Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor. He has helped his team win a spot in the Rose Bowl and at least a share of its fifth straight Big Ten title.

But Pryor's numbers are average at best: sixth in rushing, 10th in passing and fifth in total offense in the conference.

Asked if Pryor deserved to be the league's player of the year, his coach preferred to talk about more important numbers.

''Oh, gosh, I don't have any idea about that,'' Tressel said. ''But I do know this: We always talk about quarterbacks in terms of where are we in the standings? So with that in mind, I'm sure as you look at your pool of candidates, you can't leave out the ones who have helped guide and lead their team.''

MVP: Clay, Pryor or throw a dart. Like most of the other categories, a case could be made for or against just about anybody.

FERENTZ APPLAUDS: After watching Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz play for overtime with the ball at his own 33 and just under a minute left in the regulation last week at Ohio State, few might believe that Ferentz would support New England coach Bill Belichick's late decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 at his own 28 against Indianapolis on Sunday night.

Neither Ferentz's conservative strategy nor Belichick's risky move worked, as both teams wound up losing. But Ferentz a former assistant under Belichick in Cleveland raised some eyebrows this week by calling Belichick's decision a ''great call.''

''You had two quarterbacks on the field that could basically do anything,'' Ferentz said of the Patriots' Tom Brady and Colts' Peyton Manning. ''He's got confidence in his offensive football team, and with good reason. You know, same thing. If it would have worked, it'd be a great call. It didn't work so, 'Why'd you do that?'''

''If we had Tom Brady I'd probably be considering the other way,'' he said.

GO GREYHOUND: The Minnesota football team is taking about a five-hour bus ride to and from Iowa rather than flying this weekend. The school made the decision to save some money during these difficult economic times.

The Golden Gophers will watch a movie and make a lunch stop about halfway to break up the monotony for a team used to flying the friendly skies to road games.

Seniors will be allowed to pick the movies for the trip. QB Adam Weber says he is lobbying for football-related flicks like ''Remember the Titans'' and ''Rudy.''

''This is our first road trip,'' Weber said. ''I was talking to the hockey team to see how they do it and they have the freshmen pick the movies. I don't know if I trust some of the movie selections they'll pick.''

Coach Tim Brewster cracked, ''I get veto power though.''

LEE'S KNEES: An 11-game schedule with no byes can wear on players who take a pounding each week in the physical Big Ten.

Penn State linebacker Sean Lee feels like he's getting stronger as the season winds down.

Of course, the senior had the benefit of getting three weeks off at midseason after spraining his left knee though Lee would much rather have been playing.

Still, the captain is fresher than many of his teammates. He played well last week against Indiana, finishing with 10 tackles and especially helping out on pass coverage.

''It's probably the best I've felt since my injury,'' Lee said.

The hard-nosed Lee says the aches and pains that nag a player on Sundays and Mondays becomes irrelevant as the week inches toward game day.

''I'm a big believer that by Saturday you're going to feel fresh,'' Lee said. ''By the end of the year is when you're playing your best football.''

LONE STAR: Michigan hasn't had a lot to be proud of this season especially on defense.

Brandon Graham is an exception. The senior DE leads the nation with 21 tackles for losses and is the first Wolverine with at least 20 in consecutive seasons since Mark Messner did it two decades ago. He has had at least one sack in six of the last seven games, giving him 27 1/2 for his career to trail only Messner in school history.

Graham, though, can't take much joy in his success that has improved his stock for the NFL draft because the Wolverines are a loss away from having two straight losing seasons for the first time since 1963.

''We all had a bad year because our goals weren't fulfilled,'' he said. ''It's not about me. It's about the team.''

QUICK-HITTERS: Other games Saturday include Purdue at Indiana for the Old Oaken Bucket and Penn State at Michigan State for the Land Grant Trophy. ... Of course, Iowa and Minnesota square off for the 75th time for the precious pig named Floyd of Rosedale, a bronze, 21-inch long likeness of a porker. ... Players of the week: Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien, Penn State LB Navorro Bowman and Michigan State K Brett Swenson.

AP Sports Writers Luke Meredith in Iowa City, Iowa; Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis; Larry Lage in Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Rick Gano in Chicago; and Associated Press Writer Genaro Armas in State College, Pa., contributed to this report.