| 1970 Big Ten Conference football season | |
|---|---|
| Sport | American football |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Top draft pick | John Brockington |
| Champion | Ohio State |
| Runners-up | Michigan, Northwestern |
| Season MVP | Mike Adamle |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Ohio State $ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Michigan | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 3 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 2 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1970 Big Ten Conference football season was the 75th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1970 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, under head coach Woody Hayes, won the Big Ten football championship, was ranked No. 5 in the final AP Poll, and led the conference in scoring offense (29.0 points per game). The Buckeyes were undefeated in the regular season but lost to Stanford in the 1971 Rose Bowl. Defensive back Jack Tatum and middle guard Jim Stillwagon were consensus first-team All-Americans. Stillwagon also won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football. Running back John Brockington led the conference with 102 points scored, received first-team All-American honors from multiple selectors, and was the first Big Ten player selected in the 1971 NFL draft with the ninth overall pick. Quarterback Rex Kern finished fifth in the voting for the 1970 Heisman Trophy.
The 1970 Michigan Wolverines football team, under head coach Bo Schembechler, was ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll and led the conference in scoring defense (9.0 points per game). Michigan's only loss was to Ohio State. Offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf was a consensus first-team All-American. Quarterback Don Moorhead and middle guard Henry Hill were selected as the team's most valuable players.
The 1970 Northwestern Wildcats football team, under head coach Alex Agase, tied with Michigan for second place in the Big Ten and was ranked Running back Mike Adamle of Northwestern led the conference with 1,255 rushing yards and received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the conference's most valuable player. [1]
| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | AP final | AP high | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | Woody Hayes | #5 | #1 | 9–1 | 7–0 | 29.0 | 12.0 | Jim Stillwagon |
| 2 (tie) | Michigan | Bo Schembechler | #9 | #4 | 9–1 | 6–1 | 28.8 | 9.0 | Don Moorhead Henry Hill |
| 2 (tie) | Northwestern | Alex Agase | NR | #18 | 6-4 | 6-1 | 23.3 | 16.1 | Mike Adamle |
| 4 | Iowa | Ray Nagel | NR | NR | 3–6–1 | 3–3–1 | 12.9 | 25.9 | Dave Clement |
| 5 (tie) | Wisconsin | John Jardine | NR | NR | 4–5–1 | 3–4 | 19.8 | 19.5 | Chuck Winfrey |
| 5 (tie) | Michigan State | Duffy Daugherty | NR | NR | 4–6 | 3–4 | 19.0 | 21.5 | Eric Allen |
| 7 | Minnesota | Murray Warmath | NR | NR | 3–6–1 | 2–4–1 | 18.0 | 23.7 | Jeff Wright |
| 8 | Purdue | Bob DeMoss | NR | NR | 4–6 | 2–5 | 16.1 | 18.9 | Stan Brown |
| 9 (tie) | Illinois | Jim Valek | NR | NR | 3–7 | 1–6 | 16.5 | 27.9 | Doug Dieken |
| 9 (tie) | Indiana | John Pont | NR | NR | 1–9 | 1–6 | 10.2 | 30.0 | Chris Morris |
Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1970 season [2]
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1970 season [2]
PPG = Average of points scored per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold [2]
PAG = Average of points allowed per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold [2]
MVP = Most valuable player as voted by players on each team as part of the voting process to determine the winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy; trophy winner in bold [3]
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1971 | No. 12 Stanford | No. 2 Ohio State | Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl) | L 17–27 | 103,839 | |||
| #Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. | ||||||||
1. Mike Rasmussen, Michigan State (1,344)
2. Craig Curry, Minnesota (1,315)
3. Neil Graff, Wisconsin (1,313)
4. Maurie Daigneau, Northwestern (1,228)
5. Don Moorhead, Michigan (1,167) [2]
1. Mike Adamle, Northwestern (1,255)
2. John Brockington, Ohio State (1,142)
3. Otis Armstrong, Purdue (1,009)
4. Billy Taylor, Michigan (911)
5. Levi Mitchell, Iowa (900) [2]
1. Larry Mialik, Wisconsin (702)
2. Barry Pearson, Northwestern (552)
3. Doug Dieken, Illinois (537)
4. Paul Staroba, Michigan (519)
5. Gordon Bowdell, Michigan State (495) [2]
1. Craig Curry, Minnesota (1,610)
2. Neil Graff, Wisconsin (1,561)
3. Don Moorhead, Michigan (1,535)
4. Mike Rasmussen, Michigan State (1,358)
5. Mike Adamle, Northwestern (1,255) [2]
1. John Brockington, Ohio State (102)
2. Billy Taylor, Michigan (66)
3. Eric Allen, Michigan State (60)
3. Mike Adamle, Northwestern (60)
5. Fritz Seyferth, Michigan (48) [2]
The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP) and/or the United Press International (UPI) as first-team players on the 1970 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
Offense
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | Don Moorhead | Michigan | AP, UPI |
| Halfback | Mike Adamle | Northwestern | AP, UPI |
| Fullback | John Brockington | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
| Tight end | Doug Dieken | Illinois | UPI |
| Offensive end | Paul Staroba | Michigan | AP, UPI [split end] |
| Offensive end | Larry Mialik | Wisconsin | AP |
| Flanker | Barry Pearson | Northwestern | AP |
| Offensive tackle | Dan Dierdorf | Michigan | AP, UPI |
| Offensive tackle | John Rodman | Northwestern | AP |
| Offensive tackle | Dave Cheney | Ohio State | UPI |
| Offensive guard | Mike Sikich | Northwestern | AP, UPI |
| Offensive guard | Reggie McKenzie | Michigan | UPI |
| Offensive guard | Phil Strickland | Ohio State | AP |
| Center | Tom DeLeone | Ohio State | AP |
| Center | Guy Murdock | Michigan | UPI [tie] |
| Center | Joe Zigulich | Northwestern | UPI [tie] |
Defense
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defensive end | Phil Seymour | Michigan | AP, UPI |
| Defensive end | Bill Gregory | Wisconsin | AP, UPI [def. tackle] |
| Defensive end | Mark Debevc | Ohio State | UPI |
| Defensive tackle | Pete Newell | Michigan | AP, UPI |
| Middle guard | Henry Hill | Michigan | AP [def. tackle], UPI [tie] |
| Middle guard | Jim Stillwagon | Ohio State | AP [linebacker], UPI [tie] |
| Linebacker | Chuck Winfrey | Wisconsin | AP, UPI |
| Linebacker | Bill Light | Minnesota | AP |
| Linebacker | Marty Huff | Michigan | UPI |
| Defensive back | Eric Hutchinson | Northwestern | AP, UPI |
| Defensive back | Mike Sensibaugh | Ohio State | AP [safety], UPI |
| Defensive back | Jack Tatum | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
| Defensive back | Jeff Wright | Minnesota | AP |
| Defensive back | Thom Darden | Michigan | UPI |
At the end of the 1970 season, Big Ten players secured three of the consensus first-team picks for the 1970 College Football All-America Team. [4] The Big Ten's consensus All-American was:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defensive back | Jack Tatum | Ohio State | AFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, FN, PFW, Time, TSN, WCFF |
| Offensive tackle | Dan Dierdorf | Michigan | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, FN, PFW, Time, WCFF |
| Middle guard | Jim Stillwagon | Ohio State | AFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, FN, WCFF |
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Running back | John Brockington | Ohio State | CP [fullback], UPI, FN, PFW, Time, TSN |
| Running back | Mike Adamle | Northwestern | FN |
| Running back | Leo Hayden | Ohio State | PFW |
| Tight end | Jan White | Ohio State | NEA, Time, TSN |
| Middle guard | Henry Hill | Michigan | CP |
| Linebacker | Marty Huff | Michigan | AFCA |
| Defensive back | Mike Sensibaugh | Ohio State | CP [safety], UPI |
| Defensive back | Tim Anderson | Ohio State | Time, TSN |
Jim Stillwagon of Ohio State received the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football.
Two Big Ten players finished in the top 10 in the voting for the 1970 Heisman Trophy. They were: Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern (fifth); and Ohio State defensive back Jack Tatum (seventh). [5]
The following Big Ten players were among the first 100 picks in the 1971 NFL draft: [6]
| Name | Position | Team | Round | Overall pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Brockington | Running back | Ohio State | 1 | 9 |
| Jack Tatum | Safety | Ohio State | 1 | 19 |
| William Tim Anderson | Cornerback | Ohio State | 1 | 23 |
| Leo Hayden | Running back | Ohio State | 1 | 24 |
| Jan White | Tight end | Ohio State | 2 | 29 |
| Dan Dierdorf | Tackle | Michigan | 2 | 43 |
| Paul Staroba | Wide receiver | Michigan | 3 | 66 |
| Bill Gregory | Defensive tackle | Wisconsin | 3 | 77 |
The 1969 Big Ten Conference football season was the 74th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1969 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1970 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various organizations for All-Big Ten Conference teams for the 1970 Big Ten Conference football season. The teams selected by the Big Ten coaches for the United Press International (UPI) were dominated by the 1970 Michigan Wolverines football team with 10 first-team selections and the 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team with six first-team selections.
The 1985 Big Ten Conference football season was the 90th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season.
The 1939 Big Ten Conference football season was the 44th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1939 college football season.
The 1940 Big Ten Conference football season was the 45th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1940 college football season. The University of Chicago terminated its football program after the 1939 season, leaving only nine conference members fielding football teams. However, Chicago remained a member of the conference and participated in other sports, and the conference remained known generally as the Big Ten.
The 1942 Big Ten Conference football season was the 47th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1942 college football season.
The 1943 Big Ten Conference football season was the 48th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1943 college football season.
The 1950 Big Ten Conference football season was the 55th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1950 college football season.
The 1957 Big Ten Conference football season was the 62nd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1957 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1954 Big Ten Conference football season was the 59th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1954 college football season.
The 1965 Big Ten Conference football season was the 70th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1965 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1963 Big Ten Conference football season was the 68th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1963 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1961 Big Ten Conference football season was the 66th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1961 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1953 Big Ten Conference football season was the 58th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1953 college football season.
The 1952 Big Ten Conference football season was the 57th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1952 college football season.
The 1951 Big Ten Conference football season was the 56th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1951 college football season.
The 1973 Big Ten Conference football season was the 78th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1973 NCAA Division I football season.
The 1978 Big Ten Conference football season was the 83rd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season.
The 1979 Big Ten Conference football season was the 84th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season.
The 1984 Big Ten Conference football season was the 89th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season.