| 1959 Big Ten Conference football season | |
|---|---|
| Sport | American football |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Top draft pick | Jim Houston |
| Champion | Wisconsin |
| Runners-up | Michigan State |
| Season MVP | Bill Burrell |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Wisconsin $ | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 4 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Illinois | 4 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 2 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 2 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1959 Big Ten Conference football season was the 64th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1959 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1959 Wisconsin Badgers football team, under head coach Milt Bruhn, won the Big Ten championship, was ranked No. 6 in the final AP Poll, and lost to Washington in the 1960 Rose Bowl. Tackle Dan Lanphear was a consensus first-team All-American. Quarterback Dale Hackbart led the Big Ten with 1,121 yards of total offense.
| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | AP final | AP high | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | Milt Bruhn | #6 | #5 | 7–3 | 5–2 | 16.5 | 14.9 | Jerry Stalcup |
| 2 | Michigan State | Duffy Daugherty | NR | #11 | 5–4 | 4–2 | 16.6 | 13.1 | Dean Look |
| 3 (tie) | Purdue | Jack Mollenkopf | NR | #6 | 5–2–2 | 4–2–1 | 12.1 | 9.0 | Len Jardine |
| 3 (tie) | Illinois | Ray Eliot | #13 | #12 | 5–3–1 | 4–2–1 | 12.3 | 10.3 | Bill Burrell |
| 5 | Northwestern | Ara Parseghian | NR | #2 | 6–3 | 4–3 | 19.3 | 14.9 | Jim Andreotti |
| 6 | Iowa | Forest Evashevski | NR | #5 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 25.9 | 11.1 | Don Norton |
| 7 | Michigan | Bump Elliott | NR | NR | 4–5 | 3–4 | 13.6 | 17.9 | Tony Rio |
| 8 | Indiana | Phil Dickens | NR | NR | 4–4–1 | 2–4–1 | 15.8 | 11.7 | Ted Aucreman |
| 9 | Ohio State | Woody Hayes | NR | #7 | 3–5–1 | 2–4–1 | 9.2 | 12.7 | Jim Houston |
| 10 | Minnesota | Murray Warmath | NR | NR | 2–7 | 1–6 | 10.9 | 17.7 | Tom Moe |
Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1959 season [1]
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1959 season [1]
PPG = Average of points scored per game [1]
PAG = Average of points allowed per game [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
On November 14, 1958, Bennie Oosterbaan resigned as Michigan's head football coach with two games remaining in the program's worst season since 1936. Bump Elliott, who had been Michigan's backfield coach for two years, was hired to replace him. [2]
Shortly before the end of the 1959 season, Illinois head coach Ray Eliot retired after 18 years in the position. [3] On December 22, 1959, Illinois hired 33-year-old Pete Elliott as its new head football coach. Elliott had played for Michigan and served as California's head coach from 1957 to 1959. [4]
The Big Ten's individual statistical leaders for the 1959 season include the following: [1]
| Rank | Name | Team | Yards [1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olen Treadway | Iowa | 1,014 |
| 2 | Dean Look | Michigan State | 785 |
| 3 | John Talley | Northwestern | 783 |
| 4 | Stan Noskin | Michigan | 747 |
| 5 | Dale Hackbart | Wisconsin | 734 |
| Rank | Name | Team | Yards [1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob Jeter | Iowa | 609 |
| 2 | Bill Brown | Illinois | 504 |
| 3 | Ted Smith | Indiana | 439 |
| 4 | Herb Adderley | Michigan State | 419 |
| 5 | Johnny Counts | Illinois | 416 |
| Rank | Name | Team | Yards [1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don Norton | Iowa | 428 |
| 2 | Tom Hall | Minnesota | 322 |
| 3 | Johnny Counts | Illinois | 314 |
| 4 | Allan Schoonover | Wisconsin | 290 |
| 5 | Ray Purdin | Northwestern | 280 |
| Rank | Name | Team | Yards [1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dale Hackbart | Wisconsin | 1,121 |
| 2 | Olen Treadway | Iowa | 987 |
| 3 | Dean Look | Michigan State | 875 |
| 4 | John Talley | Northwestern | 777 |
| 5 | Stan Noskin | Michigan | 718 |
| Rank | Name | Team | Points [1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dale Hackbart | Wisconsin | 36 |
| 2 | Gary Ballman | Michigan State | 30 |
| 2 | Ron Burton | Northwestern | 30 |
| 2 | Tom Wiesner | Wisconsin | 30 |
The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP) and/or the United Press International (UPI) as first-team players on the 1959 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | Dean Look | Michigan State | AP |
| Quarterback | Dale Hackbart | Wisconsin | UPI |
| Halfback | Bob Jeter | Iowa | AP, UPI |
| Halfback | Ron Burton | Northwestern | AP, UPI |
| Fullback | Mike Stock | Northwestern | AP, UPI |
| End | Jim Houston | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
| End | Don Norton | Iowa | AP, UPI |
| Tackle | Dan Lanphear | Wisconsin | AP, UPI |
| Tackle | Joe Rutgens | Illinois | AP |
| Tackle | Gene Gossage | Northwestern | UPI |
| Guard | Jerry Stalcup | Wisconsin | AP, UPI |
| Guard | Bill Burrell | Illinois | AP, UPI |
| Center | Jim Andreotti | Northwestern | AP, UPI |
At the end of the 1959 season, Big Ten players secured three of the 11 consensus first-team picks on the 1959 College Football All-America Team. [5] The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tackle | Dan Lanphear | Wisconsin | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, TSN, UPI, CP, Time, WCFF |
| Halfback | Ron Burton | Northwestern | AFCA, FWAA, NEA, TSN, UPI, CP, Time, WCFF |
| Guard | Bill Burrell | Illinois | AP, FWAA, UPI, CP, WCFF |
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| End | Jim Houston | Ohio State | CP, Time |
| End | Don Norton | Iowa | FWAA |
| Center | Jim Andreotti | Northwestern | FWAA |
| Halfback | Dean Look | Michigan State | FWAA |
| Fullback | Bob White | Ohio State | Time |
Four Big Ten players finished among the top 10 in the voting for the 1959 Heisman Trophy: offensive lineman Bill Burrell of Illinois (fourth); running back Dean Look of Michigan State (sixth); quarterback Dale Hackbart of Wisconsin (seventh); and running back Ron Burton of Wisconsin (10th). [6]
The following Big Ten players were among the first 100 picks in the 1960 NFL draft: [7]
| Name | Position | Team | Round | Overall pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Houston | Defensive end | Ohio State | 1 | 8 |
| Ron Burton | Halfback | Northwestern | 1 | 9 |
| Bob Jeter | Halfback | Iowa | 2 | 17 |
| Curt Merz | End | Iowa | 3 | 31 |
| Ross Fichtner | Defensive back | Purdue | 3 | 33 |
| Jim Andreotti | Center | Northwestern | 4 | 39 |
| Billy Martin | Back | Minnesota | 4 | 43 |
| Jim Marshall | Tackle | Ohio State | 4 | 44 |
| Bill Burrell | Linebacker | Illinois | 5 | 50 |
| Dale Hackbart | Back | Wisconsin | 5 | 51 |
| Bob Jarus | Running back | Purdue | 5 | 53 |
| Don Norton | End | Iowa | 5 | 56 |
| Jerry Stalcup | Guard | Wisconsin | 6 | 62 |
| Mike Wright | Tackle | Minnesota | 6 | 65 |
| Leonard Wilson | Back | Purdue | 7 | 76 |
| Jerry Beabout | Tackle | Purdue | 7 | 82 |
| Dan Lanphear | Tackle | Wisconsin | 8 | 90 |
| Bob White | Back | Ohio State | 8 | 91 |
| Dewitt Hoopes | Tackle | Northwestern | 9 | 98 |
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 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 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 1946 Big Nine Conference football season was the 51st season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Nine Conference and was a part of the 1946 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 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 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 1966 Big Ten Conference football season was the 71st season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1966 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 1962 Big Ten Conference football season was the 67th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1962 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1958 Big Ten Conference football season was the 63rd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1958 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.