Big Ten stars all over 12th annual Herbie Awards

Former Ohio State quarterback and current ESPN lead football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his 12th annual Herbie Awards on Tuesday morning. The Big Ten, as expected, is well-represented in the popular piece. Herbstreit ranks the nation's top 5 players/coaches/teams in 25 categories, and the Big Ten received four No. 1 selections. See all of Herbie's Big Ten honorees in this post.

[ESPN.com: 12th annual Herbie Awards]

Best Running Backs
2. Montee Ball, Wisconsin

Quarterbacks: Dual Threat
3. Denard Robinson, Michigan
5. Braxton Miller, Ohio State

Tight Ends: Best In The Biz
2. Jake Stoneburner, Ohio State

End Game: Defensive Ends
3. William Gholston, Michigan State
11. John Simon, Ohio State

Inside Job: Defensive Tackles
2. Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State
4. Kawann Short, Purdue

Got Your Back: Outside Linebackers
3. Jonathan Brown, Illinois

Inside Linebackers
5. Chris Borland, Wisconsin

Take Cover: Defensive Backs
5. Johnny Adams, Michigan State

Right To Excite: Most Exciting Players
3. Denard Robinson, Michigan

SHHHHH, Don't Tell: Best-Kept Secrets
1. Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State

Don't Turn Your Back: Backyard Football
2. Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin

Dress For Success: Looks The Part
1. William Gholston, Michigan State

Off And Running: Ready To Take It To The Next Level
3. Braxton Miller, Ohio State

Old School: Throwback Players
2. Rex Burkhead, Nebraska
4. Max Bullough, Michigan State

Ahead Of The Curve
2. Andrew Maxwell, Michigan State

Ouch! The Ankle Breakers
1. Denard Robinson, Michigan

Basic Instinct: It's Everything
1. Chris Borland, Wisconsin

Surprise Party: Teams
2. Purdue

The Ultimate Herbie
5. Montee Ball, Wisconsin

All-Herbie Team: RB Rex Burkhead, Nebraska; TE Jake Stoneburner, Ohio State; DL William Gholston, Michigan State.
Conference predictions: Michigan State over Wisconsin in Big Ten title game; Montee Ball as POY

My take: Herbie is very high on Michigan State and defensive end William Gholston, Ohio State's Jake Stoneburner and Wisconsin's Chris Borland. And I can't say there's much wrong with any of that. One minor gripe: Stoneburner has been moved to receiver, so his inclusion at tight end isn't exactly fair. Wisconsin's Jacob Pedersen or Iowa's C.J. Fiedorowicz could take Stoneburner's spot, if you ask me. Herbie nailed the Big Ten representatives on the "Throwback Players" category. Rex Burkhead and Max Bullough are as old school as they come.

Brent Yarina is a web editor and blogger for BTN.com. Find all of his work here and follow him on twitter at @BTNBrentYarina.