1969 Big Ten Conference football season

Last updated

1969 Big Ten Conference football season
Sport American football
Number of teams10
Top draft pick Mike Phipps
Co-champions Michigan
Ohio State
  Runners-up Purdue
Season MVPMike Phipps
Seasons
  1968
1970  
1969 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 Ohio State + 6 1 08 1 0
No. 9 Michigan + 6 1 08 3 0
No. 18 Purdue 5 2 08 2 0
Minnesota 4 3 04 5 1
Iowa 3 4 05 5 0
Indiana 3 4 04 6 0
Northwestern 3 4 03 7 0
Wisconsin 3 4 03 7 0
Michigan State 2 5 04 6 0
Illinois 0 7 00 10 0
  • + Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

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.

Contents

The 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team, in the program's first year under head coach Bo Schembechler, was ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll. The 1969 Michigan vs. Ohio State football game was considered one of the biggest upsets in college football history, as Ohio State came into the game with an 8–0 record, a 22-game winning streak and the No. 1 ranking in the polls. Michigan defeated Ohio State, 24–12, to win the Big Ten's berth in the 1970 Rose Bowl, where they lost to USC. Michigan tight end Jim Mandich and defensive back Tom Curtis were consensus first-team All-Americans. Mandich was selected as the team's most valuable player.

The 1969 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, under head coach Woody Hayes, was ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll every week until losing to Michigan in the final game of the regular season. After the loss to Michigan, the Buckeyes dropped to No. 4 in the final AP Poll. Defensive back Jack Tatum, running back Jim Otis, and middle guard Jim Stillwagon were consensus first-team All-Americans. Otis was selected as the team's most valuable player.

The 1969 Purdue Boilermakers football team, in its final season under head coach Jack Mollenkopf, compiled an 8–2 record and was ranked No. 18 in the final polls. Quarterback Mike Phipps totaled 2,527 passing yards, won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the conference's most valuable player, was selected as the consensus first-team All-American quarterback, received the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation's top collegiate passer, and finished second in the voting for the 1969 Heisman Trophy.

Season overview

Results and team statistics

Conf. RankTeamHead coachAP finalAP highOverall recordConf. recordPPGPAGMVP
1 (tie) Ohio State Woody Hayes #4#18–16–142.610.3 Jim Otis
1 (tie) Michigan Bo Schembechler #9#78–36–132.013.5 Jim Mandich
3 Purdue Jack Mollenkopf #18#88–25–235.426.4 Mike Phipps
4 Minnesota Murray Warmath NR#194–5–14–321.026.0Ray Parson
5 (tie) Iowa Ray Nagel NRNR5–53–425.527.5Larry Ely
5 (tie) Indiana John Pont NR#104–63–425.224.2 John Isenbarger
5 (tie) Northwestern Alex Agase NRNR3-73-413.730.6Don Ross
5 (tie) Wisconsin John Coatta NRNR3–73–419.634.9 Stu Voigt
9 Michigan State Duffy Daugherty NR#124–62–520.223.1 Ron Saul
10 Illinois Jim Valek NRNR0–100–710.639.7 Doug Dieken

Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1969 season
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1969 season
PPG = Average of points scored per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold
PAG = Average of points allowed per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold
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 [1]

Preseason

On December 24, 1968, the University of Michigan announced that head football coach Bump Elliott would assume a new job as associate athletic director and that a new football coach was being sought. [2] Two days later, the university announced that Bo Schembechler had been hired as Elliott's replacement. [3]

Regular season

September 20

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
September 20No. 19  Minnesota Arizona State Sun Devil StadiumTempe, AZ L 2648  -
September 20No. 14  Indiana Kentucky Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY W 5830  -
September 20 Vanderbilt Michigan Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI W 4214  -
September 20 Washington No. 12  Michigan State Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI W 2711  -
September 20 Northwestern No. 11  Notre Dame Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN (Northwestern–Notre Dame football rivalry)L 1035  -
September 20No. 6  Oklahoma Wisconsin Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI L 2148  -
September 20 Oregon State Iowa Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA L 1442  -
September 20No. 18  Purdue TCU Amon G. Carter StadiumFort Worth, TX W 4235  -
September 20 Washington State Illinois Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL L 1819  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

September 27

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
September 27 California No. 10  Indiana Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN L 1417  -
September 27 Washington State Iowa Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA W 6135  -
September 27 Washington No. 20  Michigan Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI W 457  -
September 27 SMU No. 13  Michigan State Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI W 2315  -
September 27 Illinois No. 11  Missouri St. Louis, MO (Illinois-Missouri football rivalry)L 637  -
September 27 Minnesota Ohio Athens, OH T 3535  -
September 27 TCU No. 1  Ohio State Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH W 620  -
September 27No. 9  Notre Dame No. 16  Purdue Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN (Shillelagh Trophy)W 2814  -
September 27 Northwestern No. 5  USC Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA L 648  -
September 27No. 14  UCLA Wisconsin Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI L 2334  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

October 4

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
October 4 Colorado Indiana Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN L 730  -
October 4 Arizona Iowa Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA W 3119  -
October 4 Iowa State Illinois Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL L 2048  -
October 4No. 9  Missouri No. 13  Michigan Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI L 1740  -
October 4 Nebraska Minnesota Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN L 1442  -
October 4No. 14  Michigan State Notre Dame Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN (rivalry)L 2842  -
October 4No. 1  Ohio State Washington Husky StadiumSeattle, WA W 4114  -
October 4No. 17  Stanford No. 8  Purdue Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN W 3635  -
October 4 Syracuse Wisconsin Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI L 743  -
October 4No. 11  UCLA Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL L 036  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

October 11

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
October 11 Minnesota Indiana Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN  IND 177  -
October 11No. 9  Purdue Michigan Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI  MICH 3120  -
October 11 Northwestern Illinois Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL (Sweet Sioux Tomahawk) NW 106  -
October 11No. 19  Michigan State No. 1  Ohio State Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH  OHST 5421  -
October 11 Iowa Wisconsin Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Iowa–Wisconsin football rivalry) WIS 2317  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

October 18

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
October 18 Illinois Indiana Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN  IND 4120  -
October 18No. 13  Michigan Michigan State Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI (Paul Bunyan Trophy) MSU 2312  -
October 18 Wisconsin Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL  NW 277  -
October 18No. 1  Ohio State Minnesota Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN  OHST 347  -
October 18 Iowa No. 17  Purdue Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN  PUR 3531  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

October 25

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
October 25 Michigan State Iowa Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA  IOWA 1918  -
October 25 Michigan Minnesota Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN (Little Brown Jug) MICH 359  -
October 25 Illinois No. 1  Ohio State Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH (Illibuck) OHST 410  -
October 25 Northwestern No. 15  Purdue Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN  PUR 4520  -
October 25 Indiana Wisconsin Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI  WIS 3634  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

November 1

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
November 1 Indiana Michigan State Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI (Old Brass Spittoon) IND 160  -
November 1 Wisconsin No. 20  Michigan Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI  MICH 357  -
November 1 Minnesota Iowa Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA (Floyd of Rosedale) MINN 358  -
November 1No. 1  Ohio State Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL  OHST 356  -
November 1No. 13  Purdue Illinois Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL (Purdue Cannon) PUR 4922  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

November 7

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
November 7 Iowa Indiana Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN  IOWA 2817  -
November 7No. 18  Michigan Illinois Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL  MICH 570  -
November 7 Northwestern Minnesota Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN  MINN 2821  -
November 7 Wisconsin No. 1  Ohio State Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH  OHST 627  -
November 7 Michigan State No. 10  Purdue Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN  PUR 4113  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

November 15

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
November 15No. 14  Michigan Iowa Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA  MICH 516  -
November 15 Minnesota Michigan State Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI  MINN 1410  -
November 15 Indiana Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL  NW 3027  -
November 15No. 10  Purdue No. 1  Ohio State Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH  OHST 4214  -
November 15 Illinois Wisconsin Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI  WIS 5514  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

November 22

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
November 22 Iowa Illinois Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL  IOWA 400  -
November 22No. 1  Ohio State No. 12  Michigan Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (The Game)ABC MICH 2412  -
November 22 Michigan State Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL  MSU 397  -
November 22 Wisconsin Minnesota Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN (Paul Bunyan's Axe) MINN 3510  -
November 22No. 17  Purdue Indiana Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) PUR 4421  -
#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

[4]

Bowl games

On January 1, 1970, Michigan lost to USC, 103, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The score was tied, 33, at halftime. With three minutes to play in the third quarter, USC quarterback Jimmy Jones threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Bob Chandler to give the Trojans the 103 victory. Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler suffered a heart attack the night before the game and was in the hospital during the game. Defensive coordinator Jim Young assumed the coaching responsibilities for the game.

Statistical leaders

The Big Ten's individual statistical leaders include the following:

Passing yards

1. Mike Phipps, Purdue (2,527)
2. Larry Lawrence, Iowa (1,680)
3. Harry Gonso, Indiana (1,336)
4. Maurie Daigneau, Northwestern (1,276)
5. Phil Hagen, Minnesota (1,266)

Rushing yards

1. John Isenbarger, Indiana (1,217)
2. Jim Otis, Ohio State (1,027)
3. Don Highsmith, Michigan State (937)
4. Alan Thompson, Wisconsin (907)
5. Billy Taylor, Michigan (864)

Receiving yards

1. Kerry Reardon, Iowa (738)
2. Stan Brown, Purdue (725)
3. Ashley Bell, Purdue (669)
4. Jim Mandich, Michigan (662)
5. Jade Butcher, Indiana (552)

Total yards

1. Mike Phipps, Purdue (2,745)
2. Larry Lawrence, Iowa (2,086)
3. Don Moorhead, Michigan (1,886)
4. Rex Kern, Ohio State (1,585)
5. Harry Gonso, Indiana (1,573)

Point scored

1. Jim Otis, Ohio State (96)
1. Stan Brown, Purdue (96)
3. Garvie Craw, Michigan (78)
4. Ashley Bell, Purdue (66)
5. Jade Butcher, Indiana (60)

Awards and honors

All-Big Ten honors

The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP) and/or the United Press International (UPI) as first-team players on the 1969 All-Big Ten Conference football team. [5] [6]

Offense

PositionNameTeamSelectors
Quarterback Mike Phipps PurdueAP, UPI
Running back John Isenbarger IndianaAP, UPI
Running back Jim Otis Ohio StateAP, UPI
Running back Mike Adamle NorthwesternAP
Running back Billy Taylor MichiganUPI
End Jim Mandich MichiganAP, UPI
EndRay ParsonMinnesotaAP
EndJade ButcherIndianaUPI
Tackle Dan Dierdorf MichiganAP, UPI
TacklePaul DeNuccioPurdueAP
TackleCharles HutchisonOhio StateUPI
Guard Ron Saul Michigan StateAP, UPI
GuardDon DeSalleIndianaAP
GuardJon MeskimenIowaUPI
CenterBrian DonovanOhio StateAP
Center Guy Murdock MichiganUPI

Defense

PositionNameTeamSelectors
Defensive endDave WhitfieldOhio StateAP, UPI
Defensive endMark DebeveOhio StateAP
Defensive endRich SaulMichigan StateUPI
Defensive tacklePaul SchmidlinOhio StateAP, UPI
Defensive tackleRon CurlMichigan StateAP
Defensive tackleBill YancharPurdueUPI
Middle guard Jim Stillwagon Ohio StateAP, UPI
LinebackerVeno ParaskevasPurdueAP, UPI
Linebacker Jack Tatum Ohio StateAP, UPI [def. back]
Linebacker Marty Huff MichiganAP
Linebacker Doug Adams Ohio StateUPI
Defensive back Tom Curtis MichiganAP, UPI
Defensive back Ted Provost Ohio StateAP, UPI
Defensive back Mike Sensibaugh Ohio StateAP, UPI

All-American honors

At the end of the 1969 season, Big Ten players secured six of the consensus first-team picks for the 1969 College Football All-America Team. [7] The Big Ten's consensus All-American was:

PositionNameTeamSelectors
Defensive back Jack Tatum Ohio State AFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA [cornerback], UPI, FN, TSN, WCFF
Tight end Jim Mandich MichiganAFCA [end], AP, CP [end], FWAA, NEA, UPI [end], FN, Time, WCFF
Quarterback Mike Phipps PurdueAFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, FN, Time, TSN, WCFF
Running back Jim Otis Ohio StateAP [fullback], CP [fullback], FWAA, UPI, FN, WCFF
Middle guard Jim Stillwagon Ohio StateAFCA, AP, CP, NEA, UPI, FN, WCFF
Defensive back Tom Curtis MichiganAP, CP, UPI, FN, WCFF

Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:

PositionNameTeamSelectors
Offensive guard Ron Saul Michigan StateCP, NEA, Time, TSN
Offensive guard Chuck Hutchison Ohio StateTime
Running back Rex Kern Ohio StateCP, FN
Running back John Isenbarger IndianaFN
Defensive back Ted Provost Ohio StateTime, TSN
Defensive back Tim Foley PurdueTime

Other awards

Purdue quarterback Mike Phipps received the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation's top collegiate passer. He also finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. [8]

References

  1. "Phipps Named Big Ten's Most Valuable: Purdue's Quarterback Wins Silver Football". Chicago Tribune. December 25, 1969. p. 3-1, 3-4.
  2. Curt Sylvester (December 25, 1968). "U-M Shopping as Bump Moves Up". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D.
  3. George Cantor (December 27, 1968). "U-M Picks Miami of Ohio Grid Coach". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "1969 College Football Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  5. "No Hawks Named All-Big Ten" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 26, 1969. p. 6.
  6. "Bucks Head All-Big Ten". Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. November 28, 1969. p. 16.
  7. "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. pp. 5–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  8. "1969 Heisman Trophy Voting". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 31, 2017.