Now showing: Collegian's Eleven!

It's not easy to steal a Big Ten title -- Joe Paterno had to wait 11 years to snatch his first one since 1994. The 111th season of Big Ten play opens this Saturday, and the 11 teams in the Big Ten will all be trying to pull off a heist of their own. Will Ohio State's superstar crew make off with the hardware in the end? Or will a lesser known but equally hungry team end up with the trophy? The Big Ten is filled with good squads, but none can match the crew we've compiled: Collegian's 11.

Box Office Predictions:

1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Iowa
4. Penn State
5. Wisconsin
6. Michigan State
7. Purdue
8. Minnesota
9. Northwestern
10. Illinois
11. Indiana

Collegian's All-Big Ten Team

Offense:

QB: Troy Smith, Ohio State

RB: Tony Hunt, Penn State

RB: Mike Hart, Michigan

WR: Dorien Bryant, Purdue

TE: Matt Spaeth, Minnesota

OT: Levi Brown, Penn State

OG: Jordan Grimes, Purdue

C: Doug Datish, Ohio State

OG: Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin

OT: Joe Thomas, Wisconsin

WR: Ted Ginn Jr., Ohio State

Defense:

DE: LaMarr Woodley, Michigan

DT: Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State

DT: Jay Alford, Penn State

DE: Kenny Iwebema, Iowa

LB: Paul Posluszny, Penn State

LB: Dan Connor, Penn State

LB: Prescott Burgess, Michigan

CB: Leon Hall, Michigan

S: Otis Wiley, Michigan State

S: Will Meyers, Indiana

CB: Marquice Cole, Northwestern

Special Teams:

K: Kyle Schlicher, Iowa

P: A.J. Trapasso, Ohio State

KR: Steve Breaston, Michigan

Penn State (2-1)

After a loss to Notre Dame two weeks ago, there's no telling whether No. 24 Penn State will be able to repeat last year's conference performance. The Nittany Lions struggled for 20 minutes to get a touchdown against Youngstown State, and Anthony Morelli hasn't looked particularly impressive either. Defeating the likes of Michigan and Ohio State seems a virtual impossibility, although the young Penn State squad should improve as the season progresses.

Iowa (3-0)

After a double-overtime scare at Syracuse two weeks ago, it became apparent -- if it wasn't already -- just how vital quarterback Drew Tate is to any success the Hawkeyes may have this season. Tate sat out the game with the Orange due to an abdominal strain. In his two games this year, the senior is averaging 248 yards passing and three touchdowns per contest. Tate's favorite target is 6-foot-7 tight end Scott Chandler, who is a threat in the redzone.

Ohio State (3-0)

The Buckeyes, ranked No. 1 in the country, have looked impressive thus far. A road victory at Texas solidified Troy Smith's place among the top Heisman candidates and Ohio State's spot among the top national championship contenders. On offense, Smith is complemented by feature back Antonio Pittman and receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez.

Wisconsin (3-0)

The Badgers have not yet played a good team, but a date with No. 6 Michigan looms Saturday. Tailback P.J. Hill leads the Big Ten with 138 yards per game on the ground behind the blocking of tackle Joe Thomas. Veteran quarterback John Stocco appears healthy after having knee surgery over the offseason. Though Wisconsin misses out on having to play Ohio State this year, the Badgers must still face Michigan and Iowa on the road.

Purdue (3-0)

The Boilermakers are undefeated, but their wins haven't been impressive. A shaky defense has yielded an average of 31.3 points per game against opponents like Indiana State, Miami of Ohio and Ball State. Running back Kory Sheets (eight touchdowns, 5.4 yards per carry), wideout Dorien Bryant (21 catches, 292 yards, two scores) and quarterback Curtis Painter (897 yards passing, six touchdowns) lead a potent offense that averages 45.3 points per game. With 13 games on the schedule, and none of them against Ohio State or Michigan, Purdue has arguably the easiest schedule in the Big Ten. If the defense holds up, the Boilermakers could finish with a very unspectacular eight wins.

Michigan (3-0)

The Wolverines are absolutely loaded this year, returning quarterback Chad Henne, running back Mike Hart and wide receivers Steve Breaston and Mario Manningham on offense. On defense, LaMarr Woodley and Rondell Biggs have seven sacks between them and anchor what may be the best defensive line in the Big Ten. After Michigan thoroughly trounced Notre Dame, 47-21, last week in South Bend, there's reason to believe the Wolverines have rebounded from a lackluster 2005 season. Look for the Big Ten title to be decided when Michigan and Ohio State meet in Columbus Nov. 18.

--Produced by Josh Moyer, Andrew Staub and Scott Cooper. Project design by Kathleen Sullivan.