| 1951 Big Ten Conference football season | |
|---|---|
| Sport | American football |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| Top draft pick | Johnny Karras |
| Champion | Illinois |
| Season MVP | Bill Reichardt |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Illinois $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Wisconsin | 5 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 2 | – | 2 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 1 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 0 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 5 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1951 Big Ten Conference football season was the 56th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference (also known as the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) and was a part of the 1951 college football season.
The 1951 Illinois Fighting Illini football team, under head coach Ray Eliot, compiled a 9–0–1 record, won the Big Ten championship, was ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll, and defeated Stanford 40–7 in the 1952 Rose Bowl. The lone setback was a scoreless tie with Ohio State. Halfback Johnny Karras was the Big Ten's only consensus first-team All-American. Linebacker Chuck Boerio was selected as the team's most valuable player.
The 1951 Wisconsin Badgers football team, under head coach Ivy Williamson, compiled a 7–1–1 record, led the conference in scoring defense (5.9 points allowed per game), and was ranked No. 8 in the final AP poll. Quarterback John Coatta was the first-team All-Big Ten quarterback. Defensive end Pat O'Donahue was selected as a first-team All-American by multiple selectors.
| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | AP final | AP high | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | Ray Eliot | #4 | #2 | 9–0–1 | 5–0–1 | 22.0 | 8.3 | Chuck Boerio |
| 2 | Purdue | Stu Holcomb | NR | NR | 5–4 | 4–1 | 17.0 | 16.9 | Pete Brewster |
| 3 | Wisconsin | Ivy Williamson | #8 | #7 | 7–1–1 | 5–1–1 | 21.8 | 5.9 | Hal Faverty |
| 4 | Michigan | Bennie Oosterbaan | NR | #15 | 4–5 | 4–2 | 15.0 | 13.6 | Don Peterson |
| 5 | Ohio State | Woody Hayes | NR | #3 | 4–3–2 | 2–3–2 | 12.1 | 11.6 | Vic Janowicz |
| 6 | Northwestern | Bob Voigts | NR | #13 | 5-4 | 2-4 | 12.4 | 13.8 | John Steeb |
| 7 | Minnesota | Wes Fesler | NR | NR | 2–6–1 | 1–4–1 | 18.0 | 28.7 | Ron Engel |
| 8 | Indiana | Bernie Crimmins | NR | NR | 2–7 | 1–5 | 15.9 | 24.9 | Gene Gedman |
| 9 | Iowa | Leonard Raffensperger | NR | NR | 2–5–2 | 0–5–1 | 17.9 | 25.9 | Bill Reichardt |
Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1951 season [1]
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1951 season [1]
PPG = Average of points scored per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold [1]
PAG = Average of points allowed per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold [1]
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
The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP)as first-team players on the 1951 All-Big Ten Conference football team. The AP picked separate offensive and defensive units, whereas the UP selected a single, eleven man unit.
AP offense and UP overall selections
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | John Coatta | Wisconsin | AP, UP |
| Halfback | Johnny Karras | Illinois | AP, UP |
| Halfback | Paul Giel | Minnesota | AP |
| Halfback | Vic Janowicz | Ohio State | UP |
| Fullback | Bill Reichardt | Iowa | AP, UP |
| End | Lowell Perry | Michigan | AP, UP |
| End | Rex Smith | Illinois | AP |
| End | Leo Sugar | Purdue | AP [defensive end], UP [end] |
| Tackle | Tom Johnson | Michigan | AP, UP |
| Tackle | Chuck Ulrich | Illinois | AP, UP |
| Guard | Don MacRae | Northwestern | AP, UP |
| Guard | Chuck Studley | Illinois | AP, UP |
| Center | Wayne Robinson | Minnesota | AP |
| Center | Chuck Boerio | Illinois | AP [linebacker], UP [center] |
AP defensive unit
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defensive end | Pat O'Donahue | Wisconsin | AP |
| Defensive end | Leo Sugar | Purdue | AP [defensive end], UP [end] |
| Defensive tackle | Dick Logan | Ohio State | AP |
| Defensive tackle | Jerry Smith | Wisconsin | AP |
| Defensive guard | Robert Kennedy | Wisconsin | AP |
| Defensive guard | Deral Teteak | Wisconsin | AP |
| Linebacker | Chuck Boerio | Illinois | AP [linebacker], UP [center] |
| Linebacker | Roger Zatkoff | Michigan | AP |
| Defensive back | Vic Janowicz | Ohio State | AP |
| Defensive back | Al Brosky | Illinois | AP |
| Defensive back | Fred Bruney | Ohio State | AP |
At the end of the 1951 season, only one Big Ten player secured a consensus first-team pick on the 1951 College Football All-America Team. [2] The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halfback | Johnny Karras | Illinois | AFCA, AAB, FWAA, TSN, UP, CP, WCFF |
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive end | Hal Faverty | Wisconsin | INS |
| Offensive tackle | Chuck Ulrich | Illinois | INS |
| Center | Chuck Boerio | Illinois | NEA |
| Defensive end | Pat O'Donahue | Wisconsin | AP, FWAA, NEA |
| Defensive end | Leo Sugar | Purdue | CT |
| Defensive tackle | Tom Johnson | Michigan | CT |
| Defensive back | Al Brosky | Illinois | AP [defensive halfback], FWAA [safety] |
Illinois running back Johnny Karras finished sixth in the voting for the 1951 Heisman Trophy. [3]
The following Big Ten players were among the first 100 picks in the 1952 NFL draft: [4]
| Name | Position | Team | Round | Overall pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Karras | Back | Illinois | 2 | 16 |
| Pete Brewster | End | Purdue | 2 | 21 |
| Joe Campanella | Tackle | Ohio State | 3 | 36 |
| Chuck Ulrich | Tackle | Illinois | 4 | 41 |
| Pat O'Donahue | End | Wisconsin | 5 | 57 |
| Tom Johnson | Tackle | Michigan | 6 | 63 |
| Bill Reichardt | Back | Iowa | 7 | 76 |
| Vic Janowicz | Back | Ohio State | 7 | 79 |
| Mel Becket | Center | Indiana | 8 | 87 |
| Wayne Robinson | Center | Minnesota | 8 | 89 |
| Hubert Johnston | Tackle | Iowa | 8 | 91 |
| Jerry Smith | Tackle | Wisconsin | 8 | 94 |
| Deral Teteak | Guard | Wisconsin | 9 | 100 |
The 1964 Big Ten Conference football season was the 69th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1964 NCAA University Division 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 1949 Big Nine Conference football season was the 54th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Nine Conference and was a part of the 1949 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 1956 Big Ten Conference football season was the 61st season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1956 college football season.
The 1968 Big Ten Conference football season was the 73rd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1968 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1955 Big Ten Conference football season was the 60th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1955 college 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 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 1937 Big Ten Conference football season was the 42nd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1937 college football season.
The 1971 Big Ten Conference football season was the 76th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1971 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1972 Big Ten Conference football season was the 77th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1972 NCAA University Division 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 1975 Big Ten Conference football season was the 80th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1975 NCAA Division I football season.
The 1977 Big Ten Conference football season was the 82nd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1977 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.