Athlon projects the Big Ten's best for 2014.
The 2014 college football season kicks off on Aug. 27 and concludes in Dallas with the first four-team playoff in the FBS ranks on January 12, 2015. Since it’s never too early to start thinking about the upcoming college football season, Athlon Sports has already released its projected rankings for 2014, as well as conference predictions.
With the predictions released, it’s time to take a look at the best players by conference.
Athlon Sports kicks off its release of preseason all-conference teams with a look at our first, second, third and fourth All-Big Ten teams for 2014.
Related Content: Big Ten 2014 Conference Predictions
An important note on the all-conference teams: These are based on how players will perform in 2014. Career statistics and awards matter in the evaluation, but choosing players for the 2014 all-conference team is largely based on predicting and projecting the best for the upcoming year.
2014 Big Ten Team Previews | ||||||||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| National Rank: | 68 | 58 | 26 | 48 | 32 | 11 | 52 | 29 | 51 | 3 | 22 | 80 | 73 | 15 |
Athlon's 2014 All-Big Ten Team
| First-Team Offense | Second-Team Offense | Third-Team Offense | Fourth-Team Offense | |
| QB | Braxton Miller Ohio State ________________ | Christian Hackenberg Penn State ________________ | Connor Cook Michigan State ________________ | Devin Gardner Michigan ________________ |
| RB | Ameer Abdullah Nebraska | Jeremy Langford Michigan State | Tevin Coleman Indiana | David Cobb Minnesota |
| RB | Melvin Gordon Wisconsin ________________ | Venric Mark Northwestern ________________ | Ezekiel Elliott Ohio State ________________ | Mark Weisman Iowa ________________ |
| WR | Stefon Diggs Maryland | Kenny Bell Nebraska | Tony Lippett Michigan State | Christian Jones |
| WR | Devin Funchess Michigan | Shane Wynn Indiana | Devin Smith Ohio State | Kevonte Martin-Manley Iowa |
| TE | Jeff Heuerman Ohio State ________________ | Tyler Kroft Rutgers ________________ | Maxx Williams Minnesota ________________ | Dan Vitale Northwestern ________________ |
| C | Jack Allen Michigan State | Brandon Vitabile Northwestern | Austin Blythe Iowa | Dan Voltz Wisconsin |
| G | Jake Cotton Nebraska | Zac Epping Minnesota | Kyle Costigan Wisconsin | Ted Karras Illinois |
| G | Pat Elflein Ohio State | Kaleb Johnson Rutgers | Dan Feeney Indiana | Jordan Walsh Iowa |
| T | Rob Havenstein Wisconsin | Taylor Decker Ohio State | Jack Conklin Michigan State | Alex Lewis Nebraska |
| T | Brandon Scherff Iowa | Donovan Smith Penn State | Jason Spriggs Indiana | Tyler Marz Wisconsin |
| First-Team Defense | Second-Team Defense | Third-Team Defense | Fourth-Team Defense | |
| DE | Shilique Calhoun Michigan State | Joey Bosa Ohio State | Theiren Cockran Minnesota | Frank Clark Michigan |
| DE | Randy Gregory Nebraska | Noah Spence Ohio State | Andre Monroe | C.J. Olaniyan Penn State |
| DT | Michael Bennett Ohio State | Louis Trinca-Pasat Iowa | Darius Hamilton Rutgers | Austin Johnson Penn State |
| DT | Carl Davis Iowa ________________ | Adolphus Washington Ohio State ________________ | Warren Herring Wisconsin ________________ | Vincent Valentine Nebraska ________________ |
| LB | Chi Chi Ariguzo Northwestern | Taiwan Jones | Cole Farrand Maryland | Derek Landisch Wisconsin |
| LB | Mike Hull Penn State | Steve Longa Rutgers | Josh Perry Ohio State | Mason Monheim Illinois |
| LB | Jake Ryan Michigan ________________ | James Ross III Michigan ________________ | David Santos Nebraska ________________ | Michael Rose Nebraska ________________ |
| CB | Blake Countess Michigan | Doran Grant Ohio State | Desmond King Iowa | Eric Murray Minnesota |
| CB | Trae Waynes Michigan State | Jordan Lucas Penn State | Sojourn Shelton Wisconsin | Nick VanHoose Northwestern |
| S | Ibraheim Campbell Northwestern | Adrian Amos Penn State | John Lowdermilk Iowa | Michael Caputo Wisconsin |
| S | Kurtis Drummond Michigan State | Corey Cooper Nebraska | Tyvis Powell Ohio State | Cedric Thompson Minnesota |
| First-Team Specialists | Second-Team Specialists | Third-Team Specialists | Fourth-Team Specialists | |
| K | Michael Geiger Michigan State | Brad Craddock Maryland | Sam Ficken Penn State | Kyle Federico Rutgers |
| P | Mike Sadler Michigan State | Cameron Johnston Ohio State | Will Hagerup Michigan | Peter Mortell Minnesota |
| KR | William Likely | Kenny Bell Nebraska | Raheem Mostert Purdue | Dontre Wilson |
| PR | Venric Mark Northwestern | Kevonte Martin-Manley Iowa | V'Angelo Bentley Illinois | Macgarrett Kings Jr. Michigan State |
Related Content: 2014 Big Ten Conference Predictions
Team-by-Team Breakdown of Athlon's 2014 All-Big Ten Team
| First | Second | Third | Fourth | |
| Illinois | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 1 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 |
| Indiana | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 1 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 3 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 |
| Iowa | Offense: 1 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 1 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 3 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 |
| Maryland | Offense: 1 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 0 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 |
| Michigan | Offense: 1 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 1 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 |
| Michigan State | Offense: 1 Defense: 3 Sp. Teams: 2 | Offense: 1 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 3 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 1 |
| Minnesota | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 1 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 1 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 1 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 1 |
| Nebraska | Offense: 2 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 1 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 0 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 1 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 0 |
| Northwestern | Offense: 0 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 2 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 2 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 |
| Ohio State | Offense: 3 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 1 Defense: 4 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 2 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 1 |
| Penn State | Offense: 0 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 2 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 0 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 0 |
| Purdue | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 1 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 |
| Rutgers | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 2 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 1 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 1 |
| Wisconsin | Offense: 2 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 0 Defense: 0 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 1 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 0 | Offense: 2 Defense: 2 Sp. Teams: 0 |
