It won't be long before Big Ten players are making spectacular plays in bowl games. Until then, it's time to appreciate the outstanding achievements in the 2016 regular season and honor the top 25 players in the 2016 regular season, as ranked by our five-man blog panel.

Saquon Barkley led Penn State back to national prominence, recording 19 touchdowns this season. Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire

The list:

1. Penn State RB Saquon Barkley: The Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year, Barkley scored 19 touchdowns and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. He was a threat to do something spectacular every time he touched the ball.

2. Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett: The Buckeyes' downfield passing game struggled at times this year, and some of that is on Barrett. But he also carried the offense on his (legs and) shoulders as much as any player on any team, accounting for more than 3,200 yards and 33 touchdowns.

3. Ohio State S Malik Hooker: Our choice for the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year if not the official selection, Hooker had six interceptions this season and returned three of them for scores.

4. Wisconsin LB T.J. Watt: He took his game to a new level this season and became a chaos agent from his outside linebacker position. He finished with 10.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hurries.

5. Michigan LB Jabrill Peppers: He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting and he's only fifth here. Why? We feel his production, which dipped dramatically in Big Ten play, and versatility was overrated nationally. That's not to suggest he's anything but a great player with elite athleticism who affected games in infinite ways.

6. Northwestern WR Austin Carr: There was virtually no advance warning that the senior would be capable of providing so much production for an offense that was a legitimate question mark in the offseason, let alone that Carr would become the most prolific target in the Big Ten. But he left no doubt by the end of the regular season with his 84 catches, 1,196 yards and 12 touchdowns that he had earned his spot as the league’s best wideout.

7. Michigan CB Jourdan Lewis: Opposing quarterbacks have learned by now that it’s safer not to test the star of the Michigan secondary, so Lewis doesn’t have the most impressive traditional statistics to measure his success. But that’s also the strongest endorsement for his coverage skills, and Lewis clearly has a bright future at the next level once he officially wraps up his career with the Wolverines in the Capital One Orange Bowl.

8. Ohio State H-back Curtis Samuel: The versatile junior did just about everything the Buckeyes could have asked for offensively, finally giving them a hybrid weapon that could match the production Percy Harvin had in that role under Urban Meyer at Florida. Nobody in the Big Ten averaged more all-purpose yardage per game than Samuel, who capped his regular season with the unforgettable game-winning touchdown against Michigan.

9. Ohio State C Pat Elflein: There are obviously bigger stars elsewhere on the roster, and certainly Barrett and Samuel get more recognition on offense. But the Buckeyes probably wouldn’t be back in the College Football Playoff without the veteran anchoring the offensive line, and after winning the Rimington Trophy for the nation’s best center, he’s now chasing some team hardware to add to the collection.

10. Penn State QB Trace McSorley: The resurgence of the Nittany Lions coincided with the development of the triggerman on offense, and McSorley had a strong case by the end of the season as the league’s best quarterback. He finished on top of the league in terms of passing efficiency, and his 25 touchdowns against just five interceptions were obviously a huge factor in Penn State’s run to the Big Ten title.

11. Wisconsin OT Ryan Ramczyk: From a Division III welding school to becoming an All-American at Wisconsin. Ramczyk's story continues to amaze.

12. Ohio State DE Tyquan Lewis: The Big Ten's Defensive Lineman of the Year had 7.5 sacks and forced three fumbles while serving as a leader for the young Buckeyes.

13. Wisconsin RB Corey Clement: Bouncing back from a disappointing 2015, Clement ran for 1,304 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior.

14. Iowa CB Desmond King: Last year's Thorpe Award winner had only two interceptions, but most teams avoided throwing against him. He was also one of the league's best kick returners.

15. Ohio State LB Raekwon McMillan: He's not a guy who racks up huge numbers -- though his 87 tackles were nothing to scoff at. He's just always in the right place and hardly ever misses a tackle.

16. Michigan DL Taco Charlton: Charlton earned first-team all-conference honors from the league's coaches and media members for his dominance on Michigan's defensive line. In 10 games, he has tallied 11 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries. No Big Ten player is averaging more sacks per game (0.85) than Charlton.

17. Michigan TE Jake Butt: Butt became the first two-time Big Ten Tight End of the Year this season, earning the honor for the second straight year. He ranks second on the Wolverines in receptions (43), receiving yards (518) and touchdown catches (four). He also became Michigan's all-time leader in tight end catches and yards this season.

18. Ohio State CB Marshon Lattimore: Lattimore opened his season with a bang, securing three interceptions in Ohio State's first three games, including a 40-yard pick-six against Oklahoma. He closed the regular season with four total interceptions and ranked seventh in the Big Ten with 13 passes defended.

19. Northwestern RB Justin Jackson: There was little doubt Jackson would be Northwestern's workhorse for a third consecutive season, and he has lived up to expectations. Jackson ranks second in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (108.3) and has set career highs for yards per carry (4.9) and rushing touchdowns (12).

20. Indiana LB Tegray Scales: Indiana's defense was much improved this season, and Scales was a big part of that success. He leads the Big Ten in tackles (116) and tackles for loss (20.5), while adding five sacks and an interception return for a touchdown.

21. Ohio State OG Billy Price: The veteran guard was the other half of Ohio State's All-American duo in the middle of its offensive line. He and Elflein helped three inexperienced players around them and managed to keep the offense on track for a playoff berth.

22. Michigan QB Wilton Speight: At times, the first-year starter looked like the most efficient quarterback in the conference. Speight improved steadily under the tutelage of coach Jim Harbaugh and without a few key mistakes and a shoulder injury in November might have been higher on this list.

23. Illinois DE Carroll Phillips: More than two-thirds of his 56 tackles this season came behind the line of scrimmage. Phillips managed to be a consistent force up front with nine sacks and 20 TFLs (second in the Big Ten) for an Illini defense that didn't have many other strengths.

24. Iowa LB Josey Jewell: Only Scales had more stops in the Big Ten this season. Jewell ended his redshirt junior year with 114 tackles as one of the essential cogs in Iowa's defense.

25. Nebraska S Nathan Gerry: The Cornhuskers' leader in the secondary was a threat to opponents in the run game and passing game. He intercepted four passes this year, broke up eight others and attacked the line of scrimmage regularly for a total of 74 tackles in his final college season.