It's more than likely your intermediate shaft, not your gearbox. Mine did not have much visible play under the hood, however the steering wheel had play from 11-1 like you've stated. Long story short the new intermediate shaft fixed my problem!

I found a good one at a salvage yard for $11. They run closer to $100 from the dealer. I think they are finally making these aftermarket available online, but not for sure. Local auto parts places don't carry them.

Swapping them out was pretty easy. As stated make sure you don't turn the wheel once disconnected. The bolt under the dash was the hardest part for me. It was really tight and not much room to work. Good luck.