2008 Big Ten Conference Football Season

The 2008 Big Ten Conference football season is the 113th season for the Big Ten.

Preseason

Ohio State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference with Wisconsin and Illinois second and third, respectively by the Media. Ohio State running back Chris Wells was chosen as the Preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the year while fellow Buckeye linebacker James Laurinaitis was named the Preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the year.

Purdue Head Coach Joe Tiller will enter his final season, while Michigan's Rich Rodriguez will begin his first in Ann Arbor.

In a given year, each Big Ten team will play eight of the other Big Ten teams. Thus for any given team in a given year, there are two others which will not be competed against. Below is the breakdown of "no-plays" for 2008:

Team—Does not play
*Illinois—Michigan State, Purdue
*Indiana—Michigan, Ohio State
*Iowa—Michigan, Ohio State
*Michigan—Indiana, Iowa
*Michigan State—Illinois, Minnesota
*Minnesota—Michigan State, Penn State
*Northwestern—Penn State, Wisconsin
*Ohio State—Indiana, Iowa
*Penn State—Minnesota, Northwestern
*Purdue—Illinois, Wisconsin
*Wisconsin—Northwestern, Purdue

Standings

Rankings

Schedule

*August 30:
Akron @ Wisconsin

Coastal Carolina @ Penn State

Maine @ Iowa

Syracuse @ Northwestern

Western Kentucky @ Indiana

Youngstown State @ Ohio State

Utah @ Michigan

Northern Illinois @ Minnesota

Michigan State @ California

Illinois @ Missouri
*September 6:
Eastern Illinois @ Illinois

Eastern Michigan @ Michigan State

Marshall @ Wisconsin

Miami (Ohio) @ Michigan

Northern Colorado @ Purdue

Ohio @ Ohio State

Florida International @ Iowa

Oregon State @ Penn State

Murray State @ Indiana

Northwestern @ Duke

Minnesota @ Bowling Green
*September 13:
Florida Atlantic @ Michigan State

Louisiana @ Illinois

Montana State @ Minnesota

Southern Illinois @ Northwestern

Iowa State @ Iowa

Oregon @ Purdue

Penn State @ Syracuse

Michigan @ Notre Dame

Ohio State @ Southern California

Wisconsin @ Fresno State
*September 20:
Central Michigan @ Purdue

Florida Atlantic @ Minnesota

Iowa @ Pittsburgh

Ohio @ Northwestern

Temple @ Penn State

Troy @ Ohio State

Notre Dame @ Michigan State

Ball State @ Indiana
*September 27:
Michigan State @ Indiana

Minnesota @ Ohio State

Northwestern @ Iowa

Purdue @ Notre Dame

Wisconsin @ Michigan

Illinois @ Penn State
*October 4:
Indiana @ Minnesota

Iowa @ Michigan State

Penn State @ Purdue

Illinois @ Michigan

Ohio State @ Wisconsin
*October 11:
Iowa @ Indiana

Minnesota @ Illinois

Toledo @ Michigan

Michigan State @ Northwestern

Purdue @ Ohio State

Penn State @ Wisconsin
*October 18:
Purdue @ Northwestern

Wisconsin @ Iowa

Ohio State @ Michigan State

Michigan @ Penn State

Indiana @ Illinois
*October 25:
Illinois @ Wisconsin

Minnesota @ Purdue

Northwestern @ Indiana

Penn State @ Ohio State

Michigan State @ Michigan
*November 1:
Northwestern @ Minnesota

Central Michigan @ Indiana

Iowa @ Illinois

Michigan @ Purdue

Wisconsin @ Michigan State
*November 8:
Illinois @ Western Michigan

Michigan @ Minnesota

Ohio State @ Northwestern

Penn State @ Iowa

Purdue @ Michigan State

Wisconsin @ Indiana
*November 15:
Indiana @ Penn State

Minnesota @ Wisconsin

Northwestern @ Michigan

Ohio State @ Illinois

Purdue @ Iowa
*November 22:
Iowa @ Minnesota

California Polytechnic State @ Wisconsin

Illinois @ Northwestern

Indiana @ Purdue

Michigan @ Ohio State

Michigan State @ Penn State

Key matchups

Spring games

April 12

* Michigan

April 19

* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Michigan State
* Ohio State
* Penn State
* Purdue
* Wisconsin

April 25

* Minnesota

April 26

* Northwestern

Homecoming games

September 27

*Northwestern 22, Iowa 17

October 4

* Michigan State 16, Iowa 13
* Illinois 45, Michigan 20

October 11

* Minnesota 27, Illinois 20

October 18

* Northwestern 48, Purdue 26
* Penn State 46, Michigan 17

October 25

* Indiana 21, Northwestern 19
* Minnesota 17, Purdue 6
* Wisconsin 27, Illinois 17
* Penn State 13, Ohio State 6

November 1

* Northwestern 24, Minnesota 17

Statistical leaders

Team

Individual

All-Big Ten Conference Team

Awards

National awards

Doak Walker Award
*RB Shonn Greene, Iowa

Rimington Trophy
*C A.Q. Shipley, Penn State

Lott Trophy
*LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

Jim Thorpe Award
*CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State

Conference honors

Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
*RB Shonn Greene, Iowa

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
*LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year
*C A.Q. Shipley, Penn State

Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year
* Mitch King, Iowa

Big Ten Freshman of the Year
*QB Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State

Dave McClain Coach of the Year (Big Ten Coach of the Year)
*Coach Joe Paterno, Penn State

Bowl games

Attendance

The overall attendance for the Big Ten was a total of 5,399,659 fans attending 77 contests this year. This meant that conference schools averaged 70,125 fans per home contest this season. Each Big Ten team has seven home games during the season with two exceptions; Indiana played eight games in Memorial Stadium and Illinois played two neutral sites to limit the Illini to six games in Memorial Stadium. Below are the figures for each game, the total for the team's season and the average attendance per game. The rankings below are by average attendance per game.

* denotes Ohio Stadium record vs. Penn State on October 25.

References

{{Big Ten Conference football navbox