Our Big Ten midseason awards: Players, coaches, disappointments . . . and bowl projections

The college football season has surpassed the halfway point, with most teams having played six games or more. In the Big Ten, there's been a little bit of everything so far.

You want chaos? Illinois, the team picked by media members to finish last in the West Division, is the co-leader with Purdue and has the inside track to Indianapolis.

You seek the expected? The East Division has followed script with preseason favorites Ohio State and Michigan sitting No. 2 and No. 4 in the AP Top 25. The Nov. 26 showdown in Columbus looms as a play-in game to the College Football Playoff — unless both make it.

You follow the coaching carousel? Already, two coaches have been fired. One was expected, with Nebraska's Scott Frost lasting only three games. The other came out of the blue, with Wisconsin canning Paul Chryst after a 2-3 start.

With all that and more in mind, here are some midseason awards in the Big Ten:

Offensive Player of the Year

This is a tough call, but Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud edges Illinois running back Chase Brown for the award. Stroud has completed 70.6% of his passes for 289.5 yards per game and 24 touchdowns with three interceptions, and that's without his top target, injured Jaxon Smith-Njigba, limited to four receptions.

Defensive Player of the Year

He isn't flashy, but Illinois defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton has made a huge impact for an Illini defense that leads the nation in scoring (8.9 points allowed per game) and total defense (221.1 yards allowed per game). Newton, a 6-2, 295-pound sophomore, paces Illinois in tackles (37), tackles for loss (eight) and sacks (four). Pro Football Focus College gives him the fourth-best grade among interior linemen in FBS.

Honorable mention goes to Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell (10.5 tackles per game), Michigan edge rusher Mike Morris (eight tackles for loss, five sacks) and Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon (11 pass breakups, one interception).

Coach of the Year

These types of awards usually go to the coach/manager whose team has been a surprising success, and that's the case here. Bret Bielema has Illinois atop the Big Ten West in only his second year in Champaign. The Illini run the ball effectively, get solid QB play from Tommy DeVito and play lights-out defense. As the Gophers found out, Illinois can play a lethal game of keep-away.

Disappointment of the Year

Hands down, this goes to Michigan State and coach Mel Tucker. Coming off an 11-2 season, the Spartans reached as high as No. 11 in the AP Top 25 before losing four consecutive games by an average of 20.3 points. A 3-4 record wasn't what the MSU brass expected when it gave Tucker a contract extension averaging $9.5 million a year.

College Football Playoff

Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 31, Glendale, Ariz: Ohio State vs. Tennessee

Peach Bowl, Dec. 31, Atlanta: Georgia vs. Clemson

Orange, Dec. 30, Miami Gardens, Fla.: Wake Forest vs. Ole Miss

Sugar, Dec. 31, New Orleans: Alabama vs. TCU

Cotton, Jan. 2, Arlington, Texas: Oklahoma State vs. Cincinnati

Rose, Jan. 2, Pasadena, Calif.: Michigan vs. UCLA

Other Big Ten bowls

ReliaQuest, Jan. 2, Tampa, Fla.: Illinois vs. Kentucky

Duke's Mayo, Dec. 30, Charlotte, N.C.: Purdue vs. N.C. State

Music City, Dec. 31, Nashville: Maryland vs. Arkansas

Pinstripe, Dec. 29, New York: Gophers vs. Florida State

Guaranteed Rate, Dec. 27, Phoenix: Iowa vs. Baylor