The 2012 Big Ten Conference football season was the 117th season for the Big Ten. The conference began its season on September 1, as each of the conference's teams began their respective 2012 season of NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. This was the league's second season with a divisional format and a championship game.
Rankings
Pre Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 FinalIllinois AP C HarrisNot released BCS Not released Indiana AP C HarrisNot released BCS Not released Iowa AP C HarrisNot released BCS Not released Michigan AP 8 19 17 18 RV RV 25 23 20 RV RV 23 20 21 19 24 C 8 19 18 17 RV RV RV 25 20 RV RV 23 20 24 22 RVHarrisNot released RV RV 20 RV RV 24 20 23 22BCS Not released 22 21 19 19 18Michigan State AP 13 11 10 21 20 RV RV C 13 11 10 20 18 RV RV RV HarrisNot released RV RV BCS Not released Minnesota AP C RV HarrisNot released BCS Not released Nebraska AP 17 16 RV 25 22 21 RV RV RV 21 18 16 17 14 23 25C 16 14 24 22 20 20 RV RV RV 21 16 14 14 13 21 23HarrisNot released RV RV RV 21 16 14 14 13 18BCS Not released 20 16 14 14 12 16Northwestern AP RV RV RV 24 RV RV RV RV RV RV 22 21 17C RV RV RV RV 22 RV RV RV RV 21 RV RV 20 17 16HarrisNot released RV RV RV RV 24 RV RV 20BCS Not released 24 22 20Ohio State AP 18 14 12 16 14 12 8 7 9 6 5 6 4 4 3 3CIneligible for rankingHarrisNot releasedIneligible for rankingBCS Not released Ineligible for rankingPenn State AP RV RV RV RV RV RV RVC Ineligible for rankingHarrisNot released Ineligible for rankingBCS Not released Ineligible for rankingPurdue AP RV RV C RV RV HarrisNot released BCS Not released Wisconsin AP 12 13 RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RVC 12 13 22 24 23 RV RV RV 25 RV RV RV RV 23 RVHarrisNot released RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 25BCS Not released 25
+ Legend Improvement in ranking Drop in ranking Not ranked previous week No change in ranking from previous week RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
Spring games April 14 Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Nebraska (canceled) Northwestern Purdue
April 21 Minnesota Ohio State Penn State
April 28 Michigan State Wisconsin
Schedule Index to colors and formattingBig Ten member wonBig Ten member lostBig Ten teams in bold All times Eastern time.
Rankings = AP / Coaches.
Week 1
Week 2 Date Time Visiting team Home team Site Broadcast Result Attendance September 8 12:00 pm New Hampshire Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis BTN W 44-7 47,022 September 8 12:00 pm Penn State Virginia Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, Virginia ABC L 16-17 56,087 September 8 12:00 pm Central Florida #14 / NR Ohio State Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio ESPN2 W 31-16 104,745 September 8 3:30 pm Air Force #19 / #19 Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan ABC / ESPN2 W 31-25 112,522 September 8 3:30 pm Indiana Massachusetts Gillette Stadium • Foxborough, Massachusetts ESPN3 W 45-6 16,304 September 8 3:30 pm Iowa State Iowa Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa BTN L 6-9 70,585 September 8 3:30 pm #11 / #11 Michigan State Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, Michigan ESPNU W 41-7 35,127 September 8 3:30 pm Purdue #22 / #22 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, Indiana NBC L 17-20 80,795 September 8 4:00 pm #13 / #13 Wisconsin Oregon State Reser Stadium • Corvallis, Oregon FX L 7-10 42,189 September 8 7:30 pm #16 / #14 Nebraska #22 / #23 UCLA Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California FOX L 30-36 71,530 September 8 8:00 pm Vanderbilt Northwestern Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois BTN W 23-13 31,644 September 8 10:30 pm Illinois Arizona State Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, Arizona ESPN L 14-45 54,128
Week 3 Date Time Visiting team Home team Site Broadcast Result Attendance September 15 12:00 pm Arkansas State NR / #24 Nebraska Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska ESPN2 W 42-13 85,290 September 15 12:00 pm California #12 / NR Ohio State Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio ABC W 35-28 105,232 September 15 12:00 pm Charleston Southern Illinois Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois BTN W 44-0 45,369 September 15 12:00 pm Eastern Michigan Purdue Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana BTN W 54-16 40,217 September 15 12:00 pm Western Michigan Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, Minnesota BTN W 28-23 44,921 September 15 3:30 pm Boston College Northwestern Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois BTN W 22-13 32,597 September 15 3:30 pm Massachusetts #17 / #18 Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan BTN W 63-13 110,708 September 15 3:30 pm Navy Penn State Beaver Stadium • State College, Pennsylvania ABC / ESPN2 W 34-7 98,792 September 15 3:30 pm Northern Iowa Iowa Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa BTN W 27-16 70,585 September 15 8:00 pm Ball State Indiana Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana BTN L 39-41 48,186 September 15 8:00 pm #20 / #19 Notre Dame #10 / #10 Michigan State Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan ABC L 3-20 79,219 September 15 8:00 pm Utah State NR / #22 Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, Wisconsin BTN W 16-14 79,332
Week 4 Date Time Visiting team Home team Site Broadcast Result Attendance September 22 12:00 pm Central Michigan Iowa Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa BTN L 31-32 70,585 September 22 12:00 pm Alabama-Birmingham #16 / NR Ohio State Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio BTN W 29-15 105,019 September 22 12:00 pm Texas-El Paso NR / #24 Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, Wisconsin ESPN2 W 37-26 79,806 September 22 3:30 pm Eastern Michigan #21 / #20 Michigan State Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan BTN W 23-7 74,204 September 22 3:30 pm Idaho State #25 / #22 Nebraska Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska BTN W 73-7 84,923 September 22 3:30 pm South Dakota Northwestern Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois BTN W 38-7 28,641 September 22 3:30 pm Temple Penn State Beaver Stadium • State College, Pennsylvania ABC / ESPN2 W 24-13 93,680 September 22 7:30 pm #18 / #17 Michigan #11 / #15 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, Indiana NBC L 6-13 80,795 September 22 8:00 pm Louisiana Tech Illinois Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois BTN L 17-52 46,539 September 22 8:00 pm Syracuse Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis BTN W 17-10 50,805 Date Bye Week Bye WeekSeptember 22 Indiana Purdue
Week 5
Date Bye WeekSeptember 29 Michigan
Week 6
Date Bye Week Bye WeekOctober 6 Iowa Minnesota
Week 7
Date Bye Week Bye WeekOctober 13 Nebraska Penn State
Week 8
Date Bye WeekOctober 20 Illinois
Week 9
Week 10
Date Bye Week Bye WeekNovember 3 Northwestern Wisconsin
Week 11
Date Bye Week Bye WeekNovember 10 Michigan State Ohio State
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14 – Big Ten Championship Game
Homecoming games September 29 Minnesota @ Iowa (Iowa's record in homecoming games is 54-41-5) Wisconsin @ Nebraska 7 pm CT ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2 (Nebraska's record in homecoming games is 75-22-4)
October 6 Michigan State @ Indiana (Indiana's record in homecoming games is 44-49-6) Nebraska @ Ohio State 8 pm ET ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2 Northwestern @ Penn State (Penn State's record in homecoming games is 66-21-5)
October 13 Illinois @ Michigan (Michigan's record in homecoming games is 84–27) Iowa @ Michigan State (Michigan State's record in homecoming games is 63-30-3) Northwestern @ Minnesota Wisconsin @ Purdue (Purdue's record in homecoming games is 50-35-4)
October 27 Indiana @ Illinois (Illinois' record in homecoming games is 44-55-2) Iowa @ Northwestern Michigan State @ Wisconsin
Bowl games The Big Ten has agreements with the following bowls:
Bowl GameDateSiteTelevisionTime (EST)Visiting teamHome teamScoreAttendanceMeineke Car Care Bowl of TexasDecember 28Reliant Stadium • Houston, TexasESPN9:00 pmMinnesotaTexas TechL 31–3450,386Buffalo Wild Wings BowlDecember 29Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, ArizonaESPN10:15 pmTexas ChristianMichigan StateW 17–1644,617Gator BowlJanuary 1EverBank Field • Jacksonville, FloridaESPN212:00 pmMississippi State#21 NorthwesternW 34–2048,612Heart of Dallas BowlJanuary 1Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TexasESPNU12:00 pmPurdueOklahoma StateL 14–5848,313Outback BowlJanuary 1Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FloridaESPN1:00 pm#11 South Carolina#19 MichiganL 28–3354,527Capital One BowlJanuary 1Citrus Bowl • Orlando, FloridaABC1:00 pm#6 Georgia#23 NebraskaL 31–4559,712Rose BowlJanuary 1Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CaliforniaESPN5:00 pmWisconsin#8 StanfordL 14–2093,359
Two name changes for Big Ten bowls this year. The Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl used to be known as the Insight Bowl and the Heart of Dallas Bowl used to be known as the TicketCity Bowl.
With only seven bowl eligible teams, the Big Ten is unable to place a team in the eighth bowl game they are contracted with, the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
2013 NFL draft
TeamRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7TotalIllinois11114IndianaIowa11Michigan112Michigan State123MinnesotaNebraska112NorthwesternOhio State1113Penn State11114Purdue11Wisconsin1113
Records against FBS conferences 2012 records against FBS conferences:
Through January 1, 2013
ConferenceRecordACC(1-1)Big East(3-0)Big 12(1-3)C-USA(5-0)Independents(1-4)MAC(9-3)Mountain West(3-0)Pac-12(1-4)SEC(2-3)Sun Belt(1-0)WAC(1-1)TOTAL(28-19)
Players of the week Week Offensive Defensive Special Teams Freshman Player Position Team Player Position Team Player Position Team Player Position Team September 3 Le'Veon Bell RB MSU Derrick Wells DB MINN Mike Myer PK Iowa Frankie Williams DB PUR Taylor Martinez QB NEB Venric Mark PR/KR NW September 10 Denard Robinson QB MICH Chi Chi Ariguzo LB NW Cody Webster P PUR Devin Funchess TE MICHSeptember 17Braxton MillerQBOSUMichael MautiLBPSUJeff BudzienPKNW Nate Sudfeld QB IND Deion Barnes DE PSU September 24 Le'Veon Bell RB MSU Chris Borland LB WIS Ameer Abdullah PR NEB Imani Cross RB NEB Oct. 1 Taylor Martinez QB NEB Michael Mauti LB PSU Brett Maher PK/P NEB Mason Monheim LB ILL Kain Colter QB NW Oct. 8 Denard Robinson QB MICH Gerald Hodges LB PSU Corey Brown PR OSU Aaron Burbridge WR MSU Carlos Hyde RB OSU Oct. 15 Montee Ball RB WIS Jake Ryan LB MICH Mike Myer PK Iowa Nick VanHoose CB NW Oct. 22 Taylor Martinez QB NEB Jordan Hill DT PSU Brendan Gibbons PK MICH Kyle Carter TE PSU Oct. 29 Kain Colter QB NW Ryan Shazier LB OSU Brett Maher PK/P NEB Philip Nelson QB MIN Michael Carter DB MIN David Santos LB NEB Nov. 5 Cody Latimer WR IND Ryan Shazier LB OSU Mike Sadler P MSU Bri'onte Dunn RB OSU Taylor Martinez QB NEB Nov. 12 Devin Gardner QB MICH Kawaan Short DT PUR Brett Maher P/PK NEB Mason Monheim LB ILL Montee Ball RB WIS Nov. 19 Devin Gardner QB MICH John Simon DE OSU Corey Brown PR OSU James Ross LB MICH Matt McGloin QB PSU Dan Vitale SB NW Nov. 26 Le'Veon Bell RB MSU Jordan Hill DT PSU Sam Ficken PK PSU Frankie Williams DB PUR Robert Mavre QB PUR
Players of the Year AwardPlayerSchoolGraham-George Offensive Player of the YearBraxton MillerOhio StateNagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the YearJohn SimonOhio StateThompson-Randle El Freshman of the YearDeion BarnesPenn StateGriese-Brees Quarterback of the YearBraxton MillerOhio StateRichter-Howard Receiver of the YearAllen RobinsonPenn StateAmeche-Dayne Running Back of the YearMontee BallWisconsinKwalick-Clark Tight End of the YearJacob PedersenWisconsinRimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the YearTaylor LewanMichiganSmith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the YearJohn SimonOhio StateButkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the YearMichael MautiPenn StateTatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the YearMicah HydeIowaBakken-Andersen Co-Kicker of the YearBrett MaherNebraskaBakken-Andersen Co-Kicker of the YearJeff BudzienNorthwesternEddleman-Fields Punter of the YearWill HagerupMichiganDave McClain/Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the YearBill O'BrienPenn State
All-Conference Players Coaches All-Conference Selections