Football strength in numbers: Iowa literally has two tons of All-Big Ten candidates

Phil Steele is a name you college football fans probably know. He puts out a preseason magazine that shoehorns every piece of information he can squeeze into it. I find it indispensible during football season. He also has this Web site.

Today, Steele listed his Big Ten preseason all-conference teams. That's first-team through fourth-team. That's a lot of busy work.

But his picks should come as summer comfort for Iowa fans, who already have high hopes for the 2010 Hawkeyes.

No team is represented more than Iowa, with 19 players (counting Derrell Johnson-Koulianos twice, at receiver and kickoff-returner). Ohio State has 17, Wisconsin 16, Michigan State 12, Penn State 9, Michigan 9. Minnesota is last with three, and all are fourth-team selections.

The entire list can be found here.

Details of note:

Ohio State has nine first-team picks, Wisconsin five, and Iowa four. But in first-and-second-team picks, OSU has 12, Iowa 11.

All five of Ohio State's projected offensive linemen were listed compared to two of Iowa's.

Nine of Iowa's 11 starting defenders were listed. A walloping seven Hawkeye defenders are named in the first two teams. You win with defense.

Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor is the first-team quarterback. Iowa's Ricky Stanzi is second-team. Many think Pryor-Stanzi is the top QB tandem in the league. Will anyone else have anything to say about this?

Iowa didn't have a placekicker listed. Neither did Ohio State. Should either or both be concerned? Iowa's Daniel Murray hasn't been Nate Kaeding-like over an entire season, but he's been very good in the clutch.

Only two Michigan players are on the first two teams, and one is a kick returner. Did you ever think you'd see the day?

Illinois and Purdue don't play Iowa this year. Purdue is ninth and Illinois 10th in the number of players Steele has on his four teams.

By the way, Steele is ticking off his preseason Top 30 one day at a time. He's up to No. 24. Arizona, which Iowa plays on Sept. 18 in Tucson, is his No. 25 club.

Steele has already picked

his projected Associated Press preseason Top 25, and says Iowa will be No. 6 behind Alabama, Ohio State, Boise State, Texas and TCU.