The BTB Season Preview Awards (think of them as the Pre-Season Dundies) have been formulated and compiled by LTP. The ballots of your two BSD authors are below, and check in with the Definitive Northwestern Blog later in the day for the conference wide results.
Coach of the Year
Mike - Kirk Ferentz - He's been laying low the past three years and he's on the hot seat to get it turned around. No Michigan or Ohio State on the schedule and they get Wisconsin and Penn State at home. Ten wins is possible, and if that happens he's a lock.
Kevin - Pat Fitzgerald - Four line 'em up, knock 'em down OOC games, then into the softer side of the Big Ten. A couple of upsets early in the league and your 2007 tenth place finisher will get the buzz it needs to give Fitz a chance at this award.
Most Likely To Strike Heisman Pose
Mike - Chris Wells - In a league short on offensive superstars he's the best offensive player on the best team.
Kevin - Chris Wells - Mike's comment, "Best Player, Best Team", should really be the official slogan of this award.
Last Year's Illini Will Be This Year's
Mike - Iowa - See above.
Kevin - I'm having a hard time with this question, Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern all have a chance at vast improvement, but I don't see anyone from the bottom rung of the Big Ten getting to a BCS game. I dodge.
Upset game of the year (include non-conference)
Mike - Michigan over Ohio State - The Buckeyes don't wait until their bowl game to get shredded by the spread this year.
Kevin - Utah over Michigan - Not predicting anything, but I think early in the season Michigan will be ripe for one of these.
Name You'll Know In December That No One Knows In June
Mike - Stephfon Green - Sorry, I don't know any unknown players on other teams.
Kevin - Evan Royster - What Mike said.
Most Likely To John McLaren (aka lose it in postgame rant)
Why isn't this named after the other John, L. Smith? The guy slapped himself at a press conference. In fact, let's all take two seconds out of our day to appreciate it, this is best taken in if you watch it over and over again:
Mike - Mark Dantonio - After the Michigan game. The dude is almost as off the wall as John L. Smith was.
Kevin - Tim Brewster - No body can say the things he said without being a little crazy, and a little crazy combined with a couple of really bad seasons is the formula for exactly the kind of golden entertainment we are talking about here.
Highest NFL Draft Pick in 2009: Chris Wells
(This question actually came with an answer in it, neither of us have a different answer so we're just going to leave it the way it is.)
The Must See Game of the Year that is not Ohio State - Michigan
Mike - Penn State at Ohio State - Just cause.
Kevin - Penn State at Wisconsin - Night game with the winner having a good shot at a BCS bid.