Handing Out the Awards: Badger Style

So far this season the Wisconsin Badger football team has in many ways lived up to the expectations, and many players have stepped up when asked too. Now some of them are getting honors and are showing up on award lists. Add some coaching to that and you have what could be a lot of hardware for the football program this year.

As the season gets closer to the end, the lists of coaches on the list for the inaugural Joe Paterno Coach of the Year Award dwindles. With just three games left in the regular season Wisconsin head coach Bret Bieliema finds himself still on that list.

Today it was announced that Bielema was among the fifteen semi-finalists for the award. Joining Bielema from the Big Ten is Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, and Ohio State's Jim Tressel.

The surprising omission for the award is obviously Michigan State's Mark Dantonio. Despite the medical troubles coach Damtonio has suffered this season, and the thrilling victories over Notre Dame and Northwestern he has been left off the list.

Bielema is not the only Badger appearing on a list for a postseason award. Junior defensive end J.J. Watt is among the semifinalists for the Bednarik Award. The award is given every year to the best defensive player in the country every year.

Watt is also on the lists for the Nagruski and Hendricks awards that will be given out at the end of the season.

The voting for Watt's awards starts on Tuesday and three finalists will be announced on Nov. 22. As for Bielema it will be a longer wait as the finalists for the Coach of the Year Award will not be announced until Dec. 6.