1968 Big Ten Conference 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 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, under head coach Woody Hayes, compiled a perfect 10–0 record, won the Big Ten championship, defeated USC in the 1969 Rose Bowl, and was recognized as the consensus national champion. Offensive end Dave Foley was a consensus first-team All-American, and offensive tackle Rufus Mayes was also recognized as a first-team All-American by two selectors. Running back Jim Otis led the team with 985 rushing yards and 102 points scored, and Rex Kern led the team with 1,506 yards of total offense. Linebacker Jack Tatum was a first-team All-Big Ten player.
The 1968 Michigan Wolverines football team, under head coach Bump Elliott, finished in second place with an 8–2 record and was ranked No. 12 in the final AP Poll. Michigan was ranked No. 4 before losing to Ohio State, 50-14, in the final game of the season. In a victory over Wisconsin, Ron Johnson set an NCAA record with 347 rushing yards. Johnson led the Big Ten with 1,391 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the conference's most valuable player. Quarterback Dennis Brown led the conference with 1,562 passing yards and 1,777 yards of total offense. Defensive back Tom Curtis set a new Big Ten single season record with 10 interceptions.
The 1968 Purdue Boilermakers football team, under head coach Jack Mollenkopf, was ranked No. 1 in the AP poll before losing to Ohio State in week four. The Boilermakers finished in third place and were ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll. Leroy Keyes rushed for 1,003 yards and finished second in the 1968 Heisman Trophy voting. Keyes was the first Big Ten player selected in the 1969 NFL/AFL Draft with the third overall pick. Keyes and middle guard Chuck Kyle were both selected as first-team consensus All-Americans. Quarterback Mike Phipps totaled 1,096 passing yards.
Season overview
Results and team statistics
Conf. rank | Team | Head coach | AP final | AP high | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG | MVP |
1 | Ohio State | Woody Hayes | #1 | #1 | 10–0 | 7–0 | 32.3 | 15.0 | Mark Stier |
2 | Michigan | Bump Elliott | #12 | #4 | 8–2 | 6–1 | 27.7 | 15.5 | Ron Johnson |
3 | Purdue | Jack Mollenkopf | #10 | #1 | 8–2 | 5–2 | 29.1 | 16.7 | Leroy Keyes |
3 | Minnesota | Murray Warmath | NR | #15 | 6–4 | 5–2 | 20.7 | 19.0 | Wayne King |
5 | Indiana | John Pont | NR | #13 | 6–4 | 4–3 | 25.0 | 26.2 | Harry Gonso Al Gage |
5 | Iowa | Ray Nagel | NR | NR | 5–5 | 4–3 | 32.2 | 28.9 | Ed Podolak |
7 | Michigan State | Duffy Daugherty | NR | #12 | 5–5 | 2–5 | 20.2 | 15.1 | Al Brenner |
8 | Illinois | Jim Valek | NR | NR | 1–9 | 1–6 | 10.7 | 33.3 | Rich Johnson |
8 | Northwestern | Alex Agase | NR | NR | 1–9 | 1–6 | 10.9 | 32.5 | Jack Rudnay |
10 | Wisconsin | John Coatta | NR | NR | 0–10 | 0–7 | 8.6 | 31.0 | Ken Criter |
Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1968 season
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1968 season
PPG = Average of points scored per game
PAG = Average of points allowed per game
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
Preseason
Regular season
September 20–21
The Big Ten Conference football teams opened their seasons with nine non-conference games resulting in five wins and five losses. Northwestern's game was played on Friday, September 20, 1968, and the other eight games were played on Saturday, September 21, 1968. Ohio State had a bye week.- Miami 28, Northwestern 7. Northwestern lost to Miami, 28–7, in Miami, Florida.
- Purdue 44, Virginia 6. Purdue defeated Virginia, 44–6, at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
- California 21, Michigan 7. Michigan lost to California, 21–7, before a crowd of 71,386 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. California halfback Gary Fowler scored twice in the opening quarter on runs of 12 and 6 yards to give California a 14 to 0 lead. Michigan scored in the second quarter on an eight-yard pass from Dennis Brown to Jim Mandich. Fowler scored again on a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter to extend California's lead.
- USC 29, Minnesota 20. Minnesota lost to USC, 29-20, before a crowd of 60,820 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis.
- Indiana 40, Baylor 36. Indiana defeated Baylor, 40–36, at the Seventeenth Street Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
- Iowa 21, Oregon State 20. Iowa defeated Oregon State, 21–20, at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
- Michigan State 14, Syracuse 10. Michigan State defeated Syracuse, 14–10, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
- Kansas 47, Illinois 7. Illinois lost to Kansas, 47–7, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
- Arizona State 55, Wisconsin 7. Wisconsin lost to Arizona State, 55–7, before a crowd of 43,317 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
September 28
- Purdue 37, Notre Dame 22. In the annual battle for the Shillelagh Trophy, Purdue defeated Notre Dame, 37–22, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
- Ohio State 35, SMU 14. Ohio State defeated SMU, 35–14, before a crowd of 73,855 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
- Michigan 31, Duke 10. Michigan defeated Duke, 31–10, before a crowd of 25,000 at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. Michigan halfback Ron Johnson gained 205 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns on runs of 53 yards in the second quarter and one yard in the fourth quarter. Michigan's other two touchdowns were scored by Jerry Imsland and Marty Huff.
- Kansas 38, Indiana 20. Indiana lost to Kansas, 38–20, at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.
- Nebraska 17, Minnesota 14. Minnesota lost to Nebraska, 17-14, before a crowd of 55,362 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis.
- TCU 28, Iowa 17. Iowa lost to TCU, 28–17, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.
- Michigan State 28, Baylor 10. Michigan State defeated Baylor, 28–10, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
- Missouri 44, Illinois 0. Illinois lost to Missouri, 44–0, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
- USC 24, Northwestern 7. Northwestern lost to USC, 24–7,
- Washington 21, Wisconsin 17. Wisconsin lost to Washington, 21–17, before a crowd of 42,965 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
October 5
- Purdue 43, Northwestern 6. Purdue defeated Northwestern, 43–6, at Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois.
- Ohio State 21, Oregon 6. Ohio State defeated Oregon, 21–6, before a crowd of 70,191 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
- Michigan 32, Navy 9. Michigan defeated Navy, 32–9, before a crowd of 56,501 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ron Johnson gained 121 yards on 22 carries. George Hoey returned a punt 63 yards to set up Johnson's first touchdown and returned another punt 36 yards to set up Dennis Brown's touchdown pass to Jim Mandich. Hoey also intercepted two Navy passes, returning one of them 48 yards. Navy did not score its lone touchdown until 30 seconds remained in the game.
- Indiana 28, Illinois 14. Indiana defeated Illinois, 28–14, at Seventeenth Street Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
- Minnesota 24, Wake Forest 19. Minnesota defeated Wake Forest, 24-19, before a crowd of 39,277 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis.
- Notre Dame 51, Iowa 28. Iowa lost to Notre Dame, 51–28, at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City.
- Michigan State 29, Wisconsin 0. Michigan State defeated Wisconsin, 29–0, before a crowd of 49,067 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
October 12
- Ohio State 13, Purdue 0. Ohio State defeated Purdue, 13–0, before a crowd of 84,834 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
- Michigan 28, Michigan State 14. Michigan defeated Michigan State, 28–14, before a crowd of 102,785 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan quarterback Dennis Brown completed nine of 15 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Jim Mandich caught four passes for 125 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown reception, and John Gabler also caught a touchdown pass. Ron Johnson carried the ball 19 times for 152 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Garvie Craw also ran 25 yards for a touchdown and caught a pass from Brown for a two-point conversion.
- Minnesota 17, Illinois 10. Minnesota defeated Illinois, 17-10, before a crowd of 49,864 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis.
- Indiana 38, Iowa 34. Indiana defeated Iowa, 38–34, at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City.
- Notre Dame 27, Northwestern 7. Notre Dame defeated Northwestern, 27-7, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
- Utah State 20, Wisconsin 0. Wisconsin lost to Utah State, 20–0, before a crowd of 37,469 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
October 19
- Ohio State 45, Northwestern 21. Ohio State defeated Northwestern, 45–21, before a crowd of 83,454 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
- Purdue 28, Wake Forest 27. Purdue defeated Wake Forest, 28–27, at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Michigan 27, Indiana 22. Michigan defeated Indiana, 27–22, before a crowd of 51,951 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. Michigan quarterback Dennis Brown completed 14 of 30 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Ron Johnson gained 163 rushing yards and scored one touchdown on 34 carries. Indiana mistakes on consecutive plays led to two Michigan touchdowns in the third quarter: Jerry Hartman returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown and Indiana fumbled the kickoff following Hartman's touchdown.
- Minnesota 14, Michigan State 13. Minnesota defeated Michigan State, 14-13, before a crowd of 74,321 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
- Iowa 41, Wisconsin 0. Iowa defeated Wisconsin, 41–0, at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City.
- Notre Dame 58, Illinois 8. Notre Dame defeated Illinois, 58–8, before a crowd of 59,075 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
October 26
- Ohio State 31, Illinois 24. In the annual battle for the Illibuck Trophy, Ohio State defeated Illinois, 31–24, before a crowd of 56,174 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
- Purdue 44, Iowa 14. Purdue defeated Iowa, 44–14, at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Michigan 33, Minnesota 20. In the annual battle for the Little Brown Jug, Michigan defeated Minnesota, 33–20, before a crowd of 69,384 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dennis Brown completed 11 of 20 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Bill Harris caught three passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. Ron Johnson carried the ball 33 times for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Michigan led 30-0 at halftime and 33-0 at the start of the fourth quarter, but Minnesota mounted a comeback with 20 points in the fourth quarter.
- Indiana 16, Arizona 13. Indiana defeated Arizona, 16–13, at Seventeenth Street Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
- Michigan State 21, Notre Dame 17. Michigan State defeated Notre Dame, 21–17, before a crowd of 77,339 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
- Minnesota 23, Wisconsin 15. In the annual battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe, Minnesota defeated Wisconsin, 23–15, before a crowd of 39,214 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
November 2
- Ohio State 25, Michigan State 20. Ohio State defeated Michigan State, 25–20, before a crowd of 84,859 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
- Purdue 35, Illinois 17. Purdue defeated Illinois, 35–17, at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Michigan 35, Northwestern 0. Michigan defeated Northwestern, 35–0, before a crowd of 40,101 at Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. Michigan scored 28 points in the second quarter, including two touchdowns on short runs by Ron Johnson and another on a 50-yard interception return by Dan Parks. Ron Johnson rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Tom Curtis intercepted two passes in the game.
- Minnesota 35, Iowa 28. Minnesota defeated Iowa, 35-28, before a crowd of 57,703 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis.
- Indiana 21, Wisconsin 20. Indiana defeated Wisconsin, 21–20, before a crowd of 51,666 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
November 9
- Ohio State 43, Wisconsin 8. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin, 43–8, before a crowd of 40,972 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
- Michigan 36, Illinois 0. Michigan defeated Illinois, 36–0, before a crowd of 56,775 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dennis Brown completed 13 of 27 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, ran for a two-point conversion, and also rushed for 45 yards. Jim Mandich led the receivers with seven catches for 84 yards, while touchdown catches were made by Billy Harris, Paul Staroba, and Mike Hankwitz. Ron Johnson rushed for 51 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
- Minnesota 27, Purdue 13. Minnesota defeated Purdue, 27–13, at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis.
- Indiana 24, Michigan State 22. In the annual battle for the Old Brass Spittoon, Indiana defeated Michigan State, 24–22, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
- Iowa 68, Northwestern 34. Iowa defeated Northwestern, 68–34, at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City.
November 16
- Ohio State 33, Iowa 27. Ohio State defeated Iowa, 33–27, before a crowd of 44,131 at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City.
- Michigan 34, Wisconsin 9. Michigan defeated Wisconsin, 34–9, before a crowd of 51,117 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Ron Johnson set a modern Big Ten Conference record with 347 rushing yards on 31 carries. Johnson also scored all five touchdowns for Michigan on runs of 35, 67, 1, 60, and 49 yards. Tom Curtis also set a Big Ten record with his tenth interception of the season.
- Purdue 9, Michigan State 0. Purdue defeated Michigan State, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
- Minnesota 20, Indiana 6. Minnesota defeated Indiana, 20-6, before a crowd of 49,234 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
- Illinois 14, Northwestern 0. Illinois defeated Northwestern, 14-0, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
November 23
- Ohio State 50, Michigan 14. In the annual Michigan–Ohio State rivalry game, Ohio State defeated Michigan, 50–14, before a crowd of 85,371 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Led by Jim Otis, Ohio State gained 421 rushing yards in the game. Otis accounted for 143 yards and scored four touchdowns, while Rex Kern tallied 96 rushing yards and 41 passing yards. Ron Johnson gained 91 rushing yards and scored both touchdowns for Michigan.
- Purdue 38, Indiana 35. In the annual battle for the Old Oaken Bucket, Purdue defeated Indiana, 38–35, at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Minnesota 23, Wisconsin 15. Minnesota defeated Wisconsin, 23-15, before a crowd of 39,214 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
- Iowa 37, Illinois 13. Iowa defeated Illinois, 37–13, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
- Michigan State 31, Northwestern 14. Michigan State defeated Northwestern, 31-14, at Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois.
Bowl game
Post-season developments
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. Two days later, the university announced that Bo Schembechler had been hired as Elliott's replacement.Statistical leaders
The Big Ten's individual statistical leaders for the 1968 season include the following:Passing yards
Rushing yards
Receiving yards
Total yards
Scoring
Awards and honors
All-Big Ten honors
The following players were picked by the Associated Press and/or the United Press International as first-team players on the 1968 All-Big Ten Conference football team.Offense
Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
Quarterback | Dennis Brown | Michigan | AP, UPI |
Running back | Ron Johnson | Michigan | AP, UPI |
Running back | Leroy Keyes | Purdue | AP, UPI |
Running back | Ed Podolak | Iowa | AP |
Running back | Perry Williams | Purdue | UPI |
Offensive end | Jade Butcher | Indiana | AP, UPI |
Offensive end | Jim Mandich | Michigan | AP, UPI |
Offensive tackle | Rufus Mayes | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
Offensive tackle | Dave Foley | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
Offensive guard | Gary Roberts | Purdue | AP, UPI |
Offensive guard | Jon Meskimen | Iowa | AP |
Offensive guard | Dick Enderle | Minnesota | UPI |
Center | Jack Rudnay | Northwestern | AP, UPI |
Defense
Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
Defensive end | Phil Seymour | Michigan | AP, UPI |
Defensive end | Bob Stein | Minnesota | AP, UPI |
Defensive tackle | Charles Bailey | Michigan State | AP |
Defensive tackle | Tom Goss | Michigan | AP |
Defensive tackle | Bill Yanchar | Purdue | UPI |
Middle guard | Chuck Kyle | Purdue | AP, UPI |
Linebacker | Ken Criter | Wisconsin | AP, UPI |
Linebacker | Jack Tatum | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
Linebacker | Noel Jenke | Minnesota | AP |
Linebacker | Tom Stincic | Michigan | UPI |
Defensive back | Al Brenner | Michigan State | AP, UPI |
Defensive back | Tom Curtis | Michigan | AP, UPI |
Defensive back | Ted Provost | Ohio State | AP |
Defensive back | Nate Cunningham | Indiana | UPI |
All-American honors
At the end of the 1968 season, three Big Ten players secured consensus first-team honors on the 1968 College Football All-America Team. The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were:Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
Offensive end | Dave Foley | Ohio State | AFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, FN, Time, WCFF |
Running back | Leroy Keyes | Purdue | AFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, FN, Time, TSN, WCFF |
Middle guard | Chuck Kyle | Purdue | AFCA, CP, FWAA, UPI, WCFF |
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:
Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
Offensive tackle | Rufus Mayes | Ohio State | Time, TSN |
Running back | Ron Johnson | Michigan | FWAA, FN |
Defensive tackle | Bob Stein | Minnesota | WCFF |
Defensive back | Al Brenner | Michigan State | AFCA, NEA |
Other awards
In December 1968, the Heisman Trophy was awarded to O. J. Simpson of USC. Two Big Ten players finished among the top six in the voting for the trophy. They were: Purdue running back Leroy Keyes and Michigan running back Ron Johnson.1969 NFL/AFL Draft
The following Big Ten players were among the first 100 picks in the 1969 NFL/AFL Draft:Name | Position | Team | Round | Overall pick |
Leroy Keyes | Running back | Purdue | 1 | 3 |
Rufus Mayes | Offensive tackle | Ohio State | 1 | 14 |
Ron Johnson | Running back | Michigan | 1 | 20 |
Dave Foley | Offensive tackle | Ohio State | 1 | 26 |
Ed Podolak | Running back | Iowa | 2 | 48 |
Tom Stincic | Linebacker | Michigan | 3 | 68 |
Rich Johnson | Running back | Illinois | 3 | 78 |
Dennis Hale | Defensive back | Minnesota | 4 | 85 |
Jim Sniadecki | Linebacker | Indiana | 4 | 86 |
Perry Williams | Running back | Purdue | 4 | 90 |