The Big Ten''s hopes for a second consecutive national title ended Saturday in the arms of happy Michigan State cornerback Renaldo Hill.

   Ohio State''s Joe Germaine couldn''t pull off another miracle. The Buckeyes lost their spot at the top of the national polls.

   You won''t see Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany crying about the loss. His league''s tie to the Rose Bowl remains true for another year.

   There''s an exciting race to complete. Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State have a chance to win the Big Ten title. There hasn''t been as big a glut since four teams shared the title in 1990.

   Once again, the season is a success. Give most of the credit to the guys making the blocks and tackles. Without its players, the Big Ten is just an 11-team league looking for a 12th.

   We hear from the coaches all the time. But what do the players think? We asked 11 of the Big Ten''s best to rank its cities, its stadiums and its stars. The only rule: They couldn''t vote for their own.

   First, an introduction of our panel:

    Tyrone Carter, junior safety, Minnesota.

    Brian Gowins, senior kicker, Northwestern.

    Steve Havard, junior running back, Illinois.

    Sedrick Irvin, junior running back, Michigan State.

    Isaac Jones, senior receiver, Purdue.

    Chris McIntosh, junior offensive tackle, Wisconsin.

    Joe Montgomery, senior running back, Ohio State.

    Jabar Robinson, senior linebacker, Indiana.

    Derek Rose, senior center, Iowa.

    Brad Scioli, senior defensive end, Penn State.

    Tai Streets, senior receiver, Michigan.

   The players'' picks:

1. Best fans

   School, Votes

   Ohio State 4

   Wisconsin 4

   Iowa 2

   Penn State 1

   COMMENTS

   Carter: "Wisconsin. They buy up all your tickets. They come to your hometown. When you go there, it''s a rough crowd. It was an experience my freshman year. We were coming out of the locker room and all the fans were right there. They were throwing stuff and yelling. Players don''t look forward to going there."

   Rose: "Wisconsin. They are a loud, aggressive bunch. It''s not too negative. They''re fanatical about the colors they wear and the cheeseheads. They go in droves to everywhere. They were at our stadium in unbelievable amounts."

   Jones: "Wisconsin. Regardless of how good they are or how bad they are, they''re still into the game. They''re wild. The entire stadium is red. They also travel with the team."

   Irvin: "Ohio State. They have 93,000 and it''s real loud. You go into Michigan and they have 110,000 and it wasn''t really that loud."

   Gowins: "Ohio State. It''s the loudest place I''ve played."

   McIntosh: "Ohio State. That''s probably the loudest place we''ve played."

   Streets: "Ohio State. They''re always loud. It seems like they support their team."

   Havard: "Iowa. They don''t have a pro team in that state. It''s almost like their pro team. It''s the only game in town." n Robinson: "Iowa. They''re loud and they''re crazy. They love their football team. They really get after the visitors."

2. Worst fans

   School Votes

   Indiana 3

   Iowa 3

   Ohio State 2

   Minnesota 1

   Wisconsin 1

   Illinois 1

   COMMENTS

   Jones: "Indiana. Sometimes, because they''ve been struggling, they don''t get the support they should get in order to turn things around."

   Havard: "Indiana. They didn''t get into it as much as some of the other Big Ten fans did. They weren''t into their team."n McIntosh: "Iowa. It''s kind of a border thing. When we bused in there a couple years ago, a 90-year-old lady gave us the bird as we were driving by. That''s just something that sticks in my head."

   Montomery: "Iowa. Man, they harass you."

   Carter: "Iowa. They throw stuff at you on the sidelines. Last year, they threw hot dogs, soda, beer."

   Streets: "Ohio State again. They say a couple things here and there. They hate Michigan. They probably hate every team that comes in there."

   Rose: "Ohio State. They''re brutal to the guys on the sidelines. They know all your biographies and stats."

   Gowins: "Wisconsin. They''re nasty and mean. They''re second loudest, but worst temperament. As kickers, we get all types of harassment. When we played there two years ago, I had beer poured on me as I was coming out of their entry way."

3. Best player

   Joe Germaine, Ohio State, 3

   LaVar Arrington, Penn State, 1

   D''Wayne Bates, Northwestern, 1

   David Boston, Ohio State, 1

   Drew Brees, Purdue, 1

   Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, 1

   Jared DeVries, Iowa, 1

   Andy Katzenmoyer, Ohio State, 1

   Antoine Winfield, Ohio State, 1

   COMMENTS

   Carter: "Germaine. He''s an outstanding quarterback. He can throw the ball pretty well. He puts the ball in the right spots for the receivers to catch the ball."

   Havard: "Katzenmoyer. He''s aggressive. He''s an all-around athlete. He plays hard. He''s a competitor."n Robinson: "Boston. He''s a physical, strong receiver. He has hands, has speed. He makes plays."

   Montgomery: "Arrington. He''s very impressive. He''s very athletic, quick, explodes to the ball. He''s a helluva player."

   McIntosh: "DeVries. He''s a guy you could build a defense around."

   Jones: "Bates. He''s someone I don''t see a whole lot of, but hear a lot about."

   Streets: "Dayne. He''s a big, physical back. He seems like a winner every time I''ve watched him play."

   Rose: "Brees. He''s a great quarterback. I''m really impressed with his poise and his ability to be on target all the time."

   Irvin: "Winfield. For a person his size, he makes a lot of plays. He''s got a lot of heart. He doesn''t fear anything."

4. Best stadium

   Ohio State 4

   Michigan 3

   Penn State 3

   Northwestern 1

   COMMENTS

   Irvin: "Ohio State. Because we won there. I have some of their grass in my house. I took some of it and put it in a plastic bag."

   Carter: "Ohio State. "They have grass. They have diehard fans. You need that fan support."

   Rose: "Michigan. It envelops you when you walk in. It''s all around you."

   Robinson: "Michigan. The tunnel and then you''re coming in front of 110,000."

   McIntosh: "Penn State. They have a pretty cool looking field."

   Montgomery: "Penn State. The grass is beautiful. It''s not too short. It''s not too long. It''s perfect playing conditions."

   Jones: "Penn State. They have the best playing surface in the Big Ten."

   Streets: "Northwestern. It''s home. More people get to come to the game. They went to grass. It''s pretty nice. We played in a storm, so I didn''t get the feel of their nice grass."

5. Worst stadium

   Iowa 5

   Northwestern 2

   Purdue 2

   Indiana 1

   Minnesota 1

   COMMENTS

   Irvin: "Iowa. They''ve got a pink locker room for the visitors. It''s girlish."

   Carter: "Iowa. We always play them when it''s cold. That pink locker room, that''s pathetic."

   Havard: "Iowa. Their fans are right on top of us."

   Scioli: "Purdue. I just remember the grass being so high. It was ridiculous."

   Jones: "Indiana. I hate those high walls. They put your parents at the back of the end zone."

   Rose: "Minnesota. I don''t like playing inside and I don''t like the AstroTurf."

6. Favorite media personality

   Keith Jackson 6

   Lee Corso 1

   Bob Griese 1

   Kirk Herbstreit 1

   Jim Zabel 1

   None 1

   COMMENTS

   Gowins: "Jackson. I''m a huge fan. I met him when he did a Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club. I mentioned before the beginning of the season, wouldn''t it be awesome to be involved in Keith Jackson''s last game? It''s not an issue for us anymore. His voice is synonymous with big-time college football."

   Scioli: "Jackson. It''s going to be weird without him. A lot of the times, you watch the games just to hear him."

   Montgomery: "Jackson. He''s a great one. The sport of college football is really going to miss him. He''s legendary. Whoa Nellie."

   Streets: "Jackson. He''s just loves football. He loves his job. Listening to him, it gets you pumped up."

   Irvin: "Herbstreit. He said we were going to lose (to Ohio State) 41-10. Once he was wrong, he can accept it. I have a lot of respect for him."

   Carter: "Corso. He''s always excited about the game. He''s been around awhile. To hear him mention your name is great. He mentioned my name a lot."

7. Best sportsman

   Barry Gardner, Northwestern, 5

   Danny Clark, Illinois, 1

   Joe Germaine, Ohio State, 1

   Sedrick Irvin, Michigan State, 1

   Andy Katzenmoyer, Ohio State, 1

   Adewale Ogunleye, Indiana, 1

   Gari Scott, Michigan State, 1

   COMMENTS

   Streets: "Gardner. I don''t know anybody I consider friendly. That''s a tough question in the Big Ten. Everybody''s trying to kill everybody."

   Havard: "Gardner. He seemed like a friendly person on the field. He seemed like a person you can get along with."

   Montgomery: "Clark. I don''t know if it was just because we knew each other. He''s a pretty good guy."

   Irvin: "Katzenmoyer. He could be very nasty if he wanted to, but he''s not like that. You assume that he''s nasty, but he''s not."

   Robinson: "Irvin. He knows how to keep everybody on his side. He kills you that way."

   McIntosh: "Ogunleye. He''s the only guy who comes to mind."

8. Toughest player

   LaVar Arrington, Penn State, 2

   Tyrone Carter, Minnesota, 2

   Jared DeVries, Iowa, 2

   Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, 1

   Sedrick Irvin, Michigan State, 1

   Andy Katzenmoyer, Ohio State, 1

   Brandon Short, Penn State, 1

   Sam Sword, Michigan, 1

   COMMENTS

   Jones: "Arrington. He has all the attributes that it will take to be a professional linebacker."

   Havard: "Arrington. He can probably run with a lot of people in the NFL. He seems to be in the right places at the right time."

   Irvin: "Carter. He''s up there in tackles. He always hits you low. You''re always thinking of your knees. He talks trash."

   Robinson: "DeVries. He''s a nasty lineman. He gets after it. A helluva player."

   McIntosh: "DeVries. I was pretty impressed with him."

   Montgomery: "Short. He''s a throwback."

   Carter: "Dayne. He''s a big guy. He''s going to come in there and pound you."

   Streets: "Katzenmoyer. He seems like one of those old players like (Mike) Singletary or (Dick) Butkus."

9. Best Big Ten city

   Ann Arbor 3

   Minneapolis 3

   Bloomington 1

   Champaign 1

   Evanston 1

   Madison 1

   State College 1

   COMMENTS

   Robinson: "Ann Arbor. It''s blue and gold everywhere."

   Carter: "Ann Arbor. Everywhere you go, you see Michigan all over."

   Jones: "Minneapolis. We stay right across from the Mall of America. Coming in and out of the city there''s real nice scenery."

   Irvin: "Minneapolis. We stayed by the Mall of America. That was a real nice mall."

   Streets: "Champaign. I still love Illinois. That''s still my home."

10. Best coach

   Joe Paterno, Penn State, 9

   Gary Barnett, Northwestern, 1

   Hayden Fry, Iowa, 1

   COMMENTS

   Carter: "Paterno. Last year, even though we lost that game at Penn State, he came into our locker room and told us we should have won that game. He''s one of the legends. I''ve admired him since I was little."

   Rose: "Paterno. I think he''s got the super mix of class and being a great coach. He''s really on top of things for his age. He''s willing to learn new things."

   Jones: "Paterno. Year in and year out, regardless of the type of talent he has on his team, he''s always successful. It''s real evident he has the respect of his players and the respect of opposing teams and coaches."

   Robinson: "Fry. He just knows so much about football. He''s a players'' coach. He''ll pull a lot of things out of his back pocket to get a win."

   Scioli: "Barnett. "Just for what he did two years in a row for Northwestern."