# 2011 Big Ten Conference football season

The 2011 Big Ten Conference football season is the 116th for the Big Ten. The conference started its season on Saturday, September 3, as each of the conference's teams began their respective 2011 season of NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) competition. This season is Nebraska's first season as a member of the Big Ten, and also marks the creation of conference divisions (named Leaders and Legends), and a championship game. The season was also notable for the Penn State child sex abuse scandal.
For the season, Leaders Division champion Wisconsin finished as conference champion by defeating Legends Division champion Michigan State in the 2011 Big Ten Football Championship Game. Penn State was Leaders Division co-Champion, while Legends Division runner-up Michigan finished with the conference's best record. The conference earned two BCS bowl invitations and compiled a 4–6 overall record in 2011–12 NCAA football bowl games.
The Conference had six 2011 College Football All-America Team consensus selections: Montee Ball, Kevin Zeitler, David Molk, Whitney Mercilus (unanimous), Devon Still, and Jerel Worthy, with the Rimington Trophy going to Molk and the Ted Hendricks Award going to Mercilus. Ball won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football and the conference's players won four national statistical championships: Russell Wilson (passing efficiency), Raheem Mostert (kickoff return average), Ball (scoring), and Mercilus (quarterback sacks).
Following the season the conference contributed 41 to the 2012 NFL draft, including 4 in the first round: Riley Reiff (23rd), Mercilus (26th), Zeitler (27th), and A. J. Jenkins (30th).

## Rankings

| | | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
| Illinois | AP | | | | 24 | 24 | 19 | 16 | 23 | RV | | | | | | | |
| Illinois | C | | | | RV | 22 | 16 | 15 | 21 | RV | | | | | | | |
| Illinois | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 14 | 20 | RV | RV | | | | | |
| Illinois | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 23 | | | | | | | |
| Indiana | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Indiana | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Indiana | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | |
| Indiana | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| Iowa | AP | RV | RV | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Iowa | C | RV | RV | | | | RV | | | RV | | | | | | | |
| Iowa | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | RV | | | | | | |
| Iowa | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| Michigan | AP | RV | RV | RV | 22 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 12 |
| Michigan | C | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Michigan | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 10 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 12 |
| Michigan | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 18 | 18 | 15 | 24 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
| Michigan State | AP | 17 | 17 | 15 | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 15 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Michigan State | C | 17 | 16 | 15 | 23 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 10 |
| Michigan State | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 22 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 |
| Michigan State | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 16 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 17 |
| Minnesota | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Minnesota | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Minnesota | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | |
| Minnesota | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska | AP | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 18 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 24 |
| Nebraska | C | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 24 |
| Nebraska | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 13 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 20 |
| Nebraska | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 13 | 14 | 10 | 19 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Northwestern | AP | RV | RV | RV | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Northwestern | C | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Northwestern | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | |
| Northwestern | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| Ohio State | AP | 18 | 15 | 17 | RV | RV | | | | | RV | | | | | | |
| Ohio State | C | 16 | 15 | 16 | RV | RV | RV | | | | RV | | | | | | |
| Ohio State | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | RV | | | | | |
| Ohio State | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| Penn State | AP | RV | 23 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 16 | 12 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 24 | RV |
| Penn State | C | 25 | 20 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 23 | RV |
| Penn State | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | RV | 24 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 23 |
| Penn State | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 21 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 22 |
| Purdue | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Purdue | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Purdue | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | |
| Purdue | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| Wisconsin | AP | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 10 |
| Wisconsin | C | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 11 |
| Wisconsin | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 4 | 4 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 8 |
| Wisconsin | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 6 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 10 |
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 9
* Purdue Boilermakers
April 16
* Indiana Hoosiers
* Iowa Hawkeyes
* Michigan Wolverines
* Nebraska Cornhuskers
* Northwestern Wildcats
* Penn State Nittany Lions
April 23
* Illinois Fighting Illini
* Minnesota Golden Gophers
* Ohio State Buckeyes
* Wisconsin Badgers
April 30
* Michigan State Spartans

## Regular season

* Index to colors and formatting
* Big Ten member won
* Big Ten member lost
* Big Ten teams in bold
All times Eastern time.
Rankings reflect that of the AP poll.

### Week 1

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 8:00 p.m. | UNLV | No. 11 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | ESPN | W 51–17 | 77,085 |
| September 2 | 7:30 p.m. | Youngstown State | No. 17 Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | BTN | W 28–6 | 75,910 |
| September 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Northwestern | Boston College | Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA | ESPNU | W 24–17 | 37,561 |
| September 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Akron | No. 18 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | ESPN | W 42–0 | 105,001 |
| September 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Indiana State | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | BTN | W 41–7 | 96,461 |
| September 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Tennessee Tech | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | BTN | W 34–7 | 70,585 |
| September 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Middle Tennessee State | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | BTN | W 27–24 | 42,110 |
| September 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 25 USC | Los Angeles Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA | ABC / ESPN2 | L 19–17 | 68,273 |
| September 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Western Michigan | Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | ABC / ESPN2 | W 34–10 | 110,506 |
| September 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Chattanooga | No. 10 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | W 40–7 | 84,883 |
| September 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Arkansas State | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | BTN | W 33–15 | 45,154 |
| September 3 | 6:00 p.m. | Indiana | Ball State | Lucas Oil Stadium • Indianapolis, IN | BTN | L 27–20 | 40,224 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

### Week 2

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Iowa | Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA (Cy-Hawk Series) | FSN | L 44–41 $^{3OT}$ | 56,085 |
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Florida Atlantic | No. 17 Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | ESPN2 | W 44–0 | 70,249 |
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Toledo | No. 15 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | BTN | W 27–22 | 105,016 |
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Oregon State | No. 8 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | ESPN | W 35–0 | 80,337 |
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | South Dakota State | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | BTN | W 56–3 | 42,212 |
| September 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Eastern Illinois | Northwestern | Ryan Field (stadium) • Evanston, IL | BTN | W 42–21 | 28,042 |
| September 10 | 3:30 p.m. | New Mexico State | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | L 28–21 | 48,807 |
| September 10 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 3 Alabama | No. 23 Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | ABC | L 27–11 | 107,846 |
| September 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Purdue | Rice | Rice Stadium • Houston, TX | CBS Sports Network | L 24–22 | 25,317 |
| September 10 | 7:00 p.m. | Virginia | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | BTN | L 34–31 | 41,549 |
| September 10 | 7:00 p.m. | Fresno State | No. 10 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | BTN | W 42–29 | 85,101 |
| September 10 | 8:00 p.m. | Notre Dame | Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI (Mich-ND rivalry) | ESPN | W 35–31 | 114,804 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

### Week 3

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Eastern Michigan | Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | W 31–3 | 110,343 |
| September 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Penn State | Temple | Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA | ESPN | W 14–10 | 57,323 |
| September 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | ESPN2 | W 31–27 | 70,585 |
| September 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Southeast Missouri State | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | BTN | W 59–0 | 46,116 |
| September 17 | 3:30 p.m. | South Carolina State | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | BTN | W 38–21 | 41,203 |
| September 17 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 15 Michigan State | Notre Dame | Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Megaphone Trophy) | NBC | L 31–13 | 80,795 |
| September 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Miami (OH) | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | W 29–23 | 49,950 |
| September 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Washington | No. 11 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | ABC | W 51–38 | 85,110 |
| September 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Northwestern | Army | Michie Stadium • West Point, NY | CBS | L 21–14 | 35,784 |
| September 17 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 7 Wisconsin | Northern Illinois | Soldier Field • Chicago, IL | ESPN3 | W 49–7 | 41,068 |
| September 17 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 22 Arizona State | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | BTN | W 17–14 | 50,669 |
| September 17 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 17 Ohio State | Miami (FL) | Sun Life Stadium • Miami, FL | ESPN | L 24–6 | 66,279 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

### Week 4

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 24 | 12:00 p.m. | Central Michigan | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | ESPNU | W 45–7 | 72,119 |
| September 24 | 12:00 p.m. | Eastern Michigan | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | ESPN2 | W 34–6 | 95,636 |
| September 24 | 12:00 p.m. | Louisiana-Monroe | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | BTN | W 45–17 | 70,585 |
| September 24 | 3:30 p.m. | Colorado | Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | ABC \ ESPN2 | W 37–17 | 105,096 |
| September 24 | 3:30 p.m. | South Dakota | No. 6 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | BTN | W 59–10 | 78,880 |
| September 24 | 3:30 p.m. | Western Michigan | No. 24 Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | BTN | W 23–20 | 43,684 |
| September 24 | 7:00 p.m. | North Dakota State | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | L 37–24 | 48,802 |
| September 24 | 7:00 p.m. | Indiana | North Texas | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | ESPN3 | L 24–21 | 21,181 |
| September 24 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 9 Nebraska | Wyoming | War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, WY | NBC Sports Network | W 38–14 | 32,617 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| September 24 | Northwestern | Purdue |

### Week 5

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 1 | 12:00 p.m. | Penn State | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | ESPNU | PSU16–10 | 42,621 |
| October 1 | 12:00 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 19 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI (Little Brown Jug) | BTN | MICH 58–0 | 111,106 |
| October 1† | 12:00 p.m. | Northwestern | No. 24 Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL (Land of Lincoln Trophy) | BTN | ILL 38–35 | 53,243 |
| October 1 | 3:30 p.m. | Michigan State | Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | ABC / ESPN2 | MSU 10–7 | 105,306 |
| October 1 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 8 Nebraska | No. 7 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | ABC | WIS 48–17 | 81,384 |
| October 1 | 8:00 p.m. | Notre Dame | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN (Shillelagh Trophy) | ESPN | L 38–10 | 61,555 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| October 1 | Iowa |

### Week 6

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 8 | 12:00 p.m. | Minnesota | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | ESPN | PUR 45–17 | 38,207 |
| October 8 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 19 Illinois | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | BTN | ILL 41–20 | 41,665 |
| October 8 | 3:30 p.m. | Iowa | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | ABC / ESPN | PSU 13–3 | 103,497 |
| October 8 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 12 Michigan | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | MICH 42–24 | 47,330 |
| October 8† | 8:00 p.m. | Ohio State | No. 14 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | ABC | NEB 34–27 | 85,426 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| October 8 | Michigan State | #4 Wisconsin |

### Week 7

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 15 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 11 Michigan | No. 23 Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI (Paul Bunyan Trophy) | ESPN | MSU 28–14 | 77,515 |
| October 15† | 12:00 p.m. | Purdue | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | BTN | PSU 23–18 | 100,820 |
| October 15† | 12:00 p.m. | Indiana | No. 4 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | ESPN2 | WIS 59–7 | 80,732 |
| October 15 | 3:30 p.m. | Ohio State | No. 16 Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL (Illibuck) | ABC / ESPN | OSU 17–7 | 55,229 |
| October 15 | 7:00 p.m. | Northwestern | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | BTN | IOWA 41–31 | 70,585 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| October 15 | Minnesota | #14 Nebraska |

### Week 8

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 22† | 12:00 p.m. | Indiana | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | BTN | IOWA 45–24 | 70,585 |
| October 22† | 12:00 p.m. | No. 23 Illinois | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN (Purdue Cannon) | ESPN2 | PUR 21–14 | 45,146 |
| October 22† | 3:30 p.m. | No. 13 Nebraska | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | ABC / ESPN2 | NEB 41–14 | 49,187 |
| October 22† | 7:00 p.m. | No. 21 Penn State | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | PSU 34–24 | 40,004 |
| October 22† | 8:00 p.m. | No. 6 Wisconsin | No. 16 Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | ESPN | MSU 37–31 | 76,405 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| October 22 | #18 Michigan | Ohio State |

### Week 9

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 29† | 12:00 p.m. | Northwestern | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | BTN | NW 59–38 | 39,239 |
| October 29† | 12:00 p.m. | Purdue | No. 18 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | ESPN2 | MICH 36–14 | 112,115 |
| October 29 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 11 Michigan State | No. 14 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | ESPN | NEB 24–3 | 85,641 |
| October 29 | 3:30 p.m. | Iowa | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN (Floyd of Rosedale) | BTN | MIN 22–21 | 46,543 |
| October 29 | 3:30 p.m. | Illinois | No. 19 Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | ABC / ESPN2 | PSU 10–7 | 97,828 |
| October 29† | 8:00 p.m. | No. 15 Wisconsin | Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | ESPN | OSU 33–29 | 105,511 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

### Week 10

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 5 | 12:00 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 17 Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | BTN | MSU 31–24 | 72,219 |
| November 5 | 12:00 p.m. | Indiana | Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | BTN | OSU 34–20 | 105,195 |
| November 5 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 15 Michigan | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | ESPN | IOWA 24–16 | 70,585 |
| November 5 | 3:30 p.m. | Northwestern | No. 10 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | BTN | NW 28–25 | 85,115 |
| November 5 | 3:30 p.m. | Purdue | No. 20 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | BTN | WIS 62–17 | 80,566 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| November 5 | Illinois | #16 Penn State |

### Week 11

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Rice | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | W 28–6 | 26,886 |
| November 12 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 19 Nebraska | No. 12 Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | ESPN | NEB 17–14 | 107,903 |
| November 12 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 17 Michigan State | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | ESPN2 | MSU 37–21 | 70,585 |
| November 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Ohio State | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | BTN | PUR 26–23 | 43,334 |
| November 12 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 18 Wisconsin | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | BTN | WIS 42–13 | 49,158 |
| November 12 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 24 Michigan | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | ABC / ESPN | MICH 31–14 | 60,670 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| November 12 | Indiana |

### Week 12

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 19 | 12:00 p.m. | Minnesota | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | NW 28–13 | 26,215 |
| November 19 | 12:00 p.m. | Indiana | No. 15 Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI (Old Brass Spittoon) | BTN | MSU 55–3 | 74,128 |
| November 19 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 16 Nebraska | No. 18 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | ESPN | MICH 45–17 | 113,718 |
| November 19 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 17 Wisconsin | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | ESPN2 | WIS 28–17 | 45,519 |
| November 19 | 12:00 p.m. | Iowa | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | BTN | IOWA 31–21 | 40,106 |
| November 19 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 21 Penn State | Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | ABC / ESPN | PSU 20–14 | 105,493 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

### Week 13

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | Iowa | No. 21 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE (Heroes Trophy) | ABC | NEB 20–7 | 85,595 |
| November 26 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 14 Michigan State | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | MSU 31–17 | 32,172 |
| November 26 | 12:00 p.m. | Ohio State | No. 15 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI (The Game) | ABC | MICH 40–34 | 114,132 |
| November 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Purdue | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) | BTN | PUR 33–25 | 42,005 |
| November 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Illinois | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | MIN 27–7 | 41,549 |
| November 26 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 19 Penn State | No. 16 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | ESPN | WIS 45–7 | 79,708 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

### Big Ten Championship Game

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| December 3 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 10 Wisconsin | No. 17 Michigan State | Lucas Oil Stadium • Indianapolis, IN (2011 Big Ten Championship) | FOX | WIS 42–39 | 64,152 | |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Players of the week

| Week | Offensive | Offensive | Offensive | Defensive | Defensive | Defensive | Special Teams | Special Teams | Special Teams | Freshman | Freshman | Freshman |
| Week | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team |
| Week 1 | Russell Wilson | QB | WIS | Brandon Herron | LB | MICH | Brett Maher | P/PK | NEB | Houston Bates | LB | ILL |
| Week 1 | Russell Wilson | QB | WIS | Brandon Herron | LB | MICH | Chaz Powell | KR | PSU | Houston Bates | LB | ILL |
| Week 2 | Denard Robinson | QB | MICH | Mike Taylor | LB | WIS | Ameer Abdullah | KR | NEB | Ameer Abdullah | KR | NEB |
| Week 3 | James Vandenberg | QB | IOWA | Jonathan Brown | LB | ILL | Duane Bennett | RB | MINN | D'Angelo Roberts | RB | IND |
| Week 4 | Denard Robinson | QB | MICH | Tom Nardo | DT | IOWA | Derek Dimke | PK | ILL | Donovonn Young | RB | ILL |
| Week 4 | Matt McGloin | QB | PSU | Tom Nardo | DT | IOWA | Derek Dimke | PK | ILL | Donovonn Young | RB | ILL |
| Week 5 | A.J. Jenkins | WR | ILL | Mike Taylor | LB | WIS | Anthony Fera | PK/P | PSU | Marcus Rush | DE | MSU |
| Week 5 | Russell Wilson | QB | WIS | Mike Taylor | LB | WIS | Anthony Fera | PK/P | PSU | Marcus Rush | DE | MSU |
| Week 6 | Taylor Martinez | QB | NEB | Tavon Wilson | CB | ILL | Brett Maher | P/PK | NEB | Shayne Wynn | KR | IND |
| Week 7 | Montee Ball | RB | WIS | John Simon | DT | OSU | Anthony Fera | P/PK | PSU | Mike Sadler | P | MSU |
| Week 8 | Marvin McNutt | WR | IOWA | Gerald Hodges | LB | PSU | Kyler Elsworth | LB | MSU | Tre Roberson | QB | IND |
| Week 8 | Kirk Cousins | QB | MSU | Kawann Short | DT | PUR | Kyler Elsworth | LB | MSU | Tre Roberson | QB | IND |
| Week 9 | Drake Dunsmore | TE | NW | Gerald Hodges | LB | PSU | Jordan Wettstein | PK | MINN | Braxton Miller | QB | OSU |
| Week 10 | Kain Colter | QB | NW | Chris Borland | LB | WIS | Mike Sadler | P | MSU | Raheem Mostert | KR | PUR |
| Week 10 | Montee Ball | RB | WIS | Chris Borland | LB | WIS | Mike Sadler | P | MSU | Raheem Mostert | KR | PUR |
| Week 11 | Russell Wilson | QB | WIS | Ryan Van Bergen | DE | MICH | Brett Maher | P/PK | NEB | Mike Sadler | P | MSU |
| Week 11 | Russell Wilson | QB | WIS | Kawann Short | DT | PUR | Bruce Gaston | DT | PUR | Mike Sadler | P | MSU |
| Week 12 | Denard Robinson | QB | MICH | Chris Borland | LB | WIS | Anthony Fera | P/PK | PSU | Ryan Shazier | LB | OSU |
| Week 12 | Montee Ball | RB | WIS | Chris Borland | LB | WIS | Anthony Fera | P/PK | PSU | Ryan Shazier | LB | OSU |
| Week 13 | Denard Robinson | QB | MICH | Kim Royston | DB | MINN | Carson Wiggs | PK | PUR | Braxton Miller | QB | OSU |
| Week 13 | Montee Ball | RB | WIS | Lavonte David | LB | NEB | Carson Wiggs | PK | PUR | Braxton Miller | QB | OSU |

## Attendance

| Team | Stadium | Capacity | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 | Game 8 | Total | Average | % of Capacity |
| Illinois | Memorial Stadium | 60,670 | 45,154 | 42,212 | 50,669 | 43,684 | 53,243 | 55,229 | 60,670 | 54,633 | 405,494 | 50,687 | 83.5% |
| Indiana | Memorial Stadium | 52,929 | 41,549 | 41,203 | 42,621 | 41,665 | 39,239 | 42,005 | — | — | 248,282 | 41,380 | 78.2% |
| Iowa | Kinnick Stadium | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | — | 494,095 | 70,585 | 100% |
| Michigan | Michigan Stadium | 109,901 | 110,506 | 114,804 | 110,343 | 110,707 | 111,106 | 112,115 | 113,718 | 114,132 | 897,431 | 112,179 | 102% |
| Michigan State | Spartan Stadium | 75,005 | 75,910 | 70,249 | 72,119 | 77,515 | 76,405 | 72,219 | 74,128 | — | 518,545 | 74,078 | 98.8% |
| Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium | 50,805 | 48,807 | 49,950 | 48,802 | 49,187 | 46,543 | 49,158 | 41,549 | — | 333,996 | 47,714 | 93.9% |
| Nebraska | Memorial Stadium | 81,067 | 84,883 | 85,101 | 85,110 | 85,426 | 85,641 | 85,115 | 85,595 | — | 596,871 | 85,267 | 105% |
| Northwestern | Ryan Field | 47,130 | 28,042 | 47,330 | 40,004 | 26,886 | 26,215 | 27,137 | — | — | 195,614 | 32,602 | 69.1% |
| Ohio State | Ohio Stadium | 102,329 | 105,001 | 105,016 | 105,096 | 105,306 | 105,511 | 105,159 | 105,493 | — | 736,582 | 105 226 | 102.8% |
| Penn State | Beaver Stadium | 107,282 | 96,461 | 107,846 | 95,636 | 103,497 | 100,820 | 97,828 | 107,193 | — | 709,281 | 101,326 | 94.4% |
| Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium | 62,500 | 42,110 | 46,116 | 61,555 | 38,207 | 45,146 | 43,334 | 40,106 | — | 316,574 | 45,225 | 72.3% |
| Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium | 80,312 | 77,085 | 80,337 | 78,880 | 81,384 | 80,732 | 79,708 | — | — | 478,126 | 79,688 | 99.2% |

## Post-season awards and honors
### Individual Big Ten Award Winners

* Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year: Russell Wilson, Wisconsin
* Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year: Marvin McNutt, Iowa
* Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year: Montee Ball, Wisconsin
* Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year: Drake Dunsmore, Northwestern
* Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year: David Molk, Michigan
* Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year: Devon Still, Penn State
* Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year: Lavonte David, Nebraska
* Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year: Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
* Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year: Brett Maher, Nebraska
* Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year: Brett Maher, Nebraska

### All-Big Ten

The following players were named by the coaches.:
| Position | Player | Class | Team |
| First Team Offense ||||
| QB | Russell Wilson | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| RB | Montee Ball | Jr. | Wisconsin |
| RB | Rex Burkhead | Jr. | Nebraska |
| WR | A.J. Jenkins | Sr. | Illinois |
| WR | Marvin McNutt | Sr. | Iowa |
| TE | Drake Dunsmore | Sr. | Northwestern |
| OT | Riley Reiff | Jr. | Iowa |
| OG | Joel Foreman | Sr. | Michigan State |
| C | David Molk | Sr. | Michigan |
| OG | Kevin Zeitler | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| OT | Josh Oglesby | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| First Team Defense ||||
| DL | Whitney Mercilus | Jr. | Illinois |
| DL | Jerel Worthy | Jr. | Michigan State |
| DL | John Simon | Jr. | Ohio State |
| DL | Devon Still | Sr. | Penn State |
| LB | Lavonte David | Jr. | Nebraska |
| LB | Gerald Hodges | Sr. | Penn State |
| LB | Chris Borland | So. | Wisconsin |
| DB | Shaun Prater | Sr. | Iowa |
| DB | Johnny Adams | Jr. | Michigan State |
| DB | Alfonzo Dennard | Sr. | Nebraska |
| DB | Aaron Henry | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| First Team Special Teams ||||
| K | Brett Maher | Jr. | Nebraska |
| P | Brett Maher | Jr. | Nebraska |
| Position | Player | Class | Team |
| Second Team Offense ||||
| QB | Kirk Cousins | Sr. | Michigan State |
| RB | Marcus Coker | So. | Iowa |
| RB | Silas Redd | So. | Penn State |
| WR | B.J. Cunningham | Sr. | Michigan State |
| WR | Nick Toon | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| TE | Brian Linthicum | Sr. | Michigan State |
| OT | Taylor Lewan | So. | Michigan |
| OG | Adam Gettis | Sr. | Iowa |
| C | Mike Caputo | Sr. | Nebraska |
| C | Mike Brewster | Sr. | Ohio State |
| OG | Travis Frederick | So. | Wisconsin |
| OT | Mike Adams | Sr. | Ohio State |
| Second Team Defense ||||
| DL | Michael Buchanan | Jr. | Illinois |
| DL | Mike Daniels | Sr. | Iowa |
| DL | Mike Martin | Sr. | Michigan |
| DL | William Gholston | So. | Michigan State |
| DL | Jack Crawford | Sr. | Penn State |
| DL | Kawann Short | Jr. | Purdue |
| LB | Max Bullough | So. | Michigan State |
| LB | Andrew Sweat | Sr. | Ohio State |
| LB | Mike Taylor | Jr. | Wisconsin |
| DB | Isaiah Lewis | So. | Michigan State |
| DB | C.J. Barnett | So. | Ohio State |
| DB | Nick Sukay | Sr. | Penn State |
| DB | Ricardo Allen | So. | Purdue |
| Second Team Special Teams ||||
| K | Carson Wiggs | Sr. | Purdue |
| P | Cody Webster | So. | Purdue |
HONORABLE MENTION: Illinois: Jeff Allen, Jonathan Brown, Derek Dimke, Terry Hawthorne, Ian Thomas; Indiana: Mitch Ewald, Jeff Thomas; Iowa: Broderick Binns, James Ferentz, Eric Guthrie, Micah Hyde, James Morris, Markus Zusevics; Michigan: Kenny Demens, J.T. Floyd, Kevin Koger, Junior Hemingway, Denard Robinson, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Ryan Van Bergen; Michigan State: Denicos Allen, Le'Veon Bell, Kenshawn Martin, Trenton Robinson, Marcus Rush; Minnesota: Kim Royston; Nebraska: Will Compton, Ben Cotton, Spencer Long, Marcel Jones, Baker Steinkuhler; Northwestern: Jeremy Ebert, Jordan Mabin, Brian Mulroe, Al Netter, Dan Persa, Brian Peters; Ohio State: Johnathan Hankins, Dan Herron, Jack Mewhort, Jake Stoneburner; Penn State: Drew Astorino, Anthony Fera, Jordan Hill, D'Anton Lynn, Derek Moye, Chima Okoli, Chaz Powell, Johnnie Troutman; Purdue: Joe Holland, Dennis Kelly; Wisconsin: Jared Abbrederis, Patrick Butrym, Antonio Fenelus, Peter Konz, Brad Nortman, Jacob Pedersen, Ricky Wagner.
The following players were named by the media panel.
| Position | Player | Class | Team |
| First Team Offense ||||
| QB | Russell Wilson | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| RB | Montee Ball | Jr. | Wisconsin |
| RB | Rex Burkhead | Jr. | Nebraska |
| WR | A.J. Jenkins | Sr. | Illinois |
| WR | Marvin McNutt | Sr. | Iowa |
| TE | Drake Dunsmore | Sr. | Northwestern |
| OT | Riley Reiff | Jr. | Iowa |
| OG | Joel Foreman | Sr. | Michigan State |
| C | Peter Konz | Jr. | Wisconsin |
| OG | Kevin Zeitler | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| OT | Josh Oglesby | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| First Team Defense ||||
| DL | Whitney Mercilus | Jr. | Illinois |
| DL | Jerel Worthy | Jr. | Michigan State |
| DL | Devon Still | Sr. | Penn State |
| DL | Kawann Short | Jr. | Purdue |
| LB | Lavonte David | Jr. | Nebraska |
| LB | Chris Borland | So. | Wisconsin |
| LB | Mike Taylor | Jr. | Wisconsin |
| DB | Trenton Robinson | Sr. | Michigan State |
| DB | Alfonzo Dennard | Sr. | Nebraska |
| DB | Brian Peters | Sr. | Northwestern |
| DB | Antonio Fenelus | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| First Team Special Teams ||||
| K | Brett Maher | Jr. | Nebraska |
| P | Brett Maher | Jr. | Nebraska |
| Position | Player | Class | Team |
| Second Team Offense ||||
| QB | Denard Robinson | Jr. | Michigan |
| RB | Marcus Coker | So. | Iowa |
| RB | Silas Redd | So. | Penn State |
| WR | B.J. Cunningham | Sr. | Michigan State |
| WR | Jeremy Ebert | Sr. | Northwestern |
| TE | Jacob Pedersen | So. | Wisconsin |
| OT | Jeff Allen | Sr. | Illinois |
| OG | Spencer Long | So. | Nebraska |
| C | David Molk | Sr. | Michigan |
| OG | Travis Frederick | So. | Wisconsin |
| OT | Mike Adams | Sr. | Ohio State |
| Second Team Defense ||||
| DL | Michael Buchanan | Jr. | Illinois |
| DL | Broderick Binns | Sr. | Iowa |
| DL | Mike Martin | Sr. | Michigan |
| DL | William Gholston | So. | Michigan State |
| DL | John Simon | Sr. | Ohio State |
| LB | Jonathan Brown | Jr. | Illinois |
| LB | Denicos Allen | So. | Michigan State |
| LB | Gerald Hodges | Jr. | Penn State |
| DB | Micah Hyde | Sr. | Iowa |
| DB | Johnny Adams | Jr. | Michigan State |
| DB | Isaiah Lewis | So. | Michigan State |
| DB | Nick Sukay | Sr. | Penn State |
| Second Team Special Teams ||||
| K | Anthony Fera | Sr. | Penn State |
| P | Cody Webster | So. | Purdue |
HONORABLE MENTION: Illinois: Derek Dimke, Terry Hawthorne, Travon Wilson; Indiana: Mitch Ewald; Iowa: Mike Daniels, James Ferentz, Adam Gettis, Eric Guthrie, James Morris, Tyler Nielsen, Shaun Prater, Markus Zusevics; Michigan: Kenny Demens, J.T. Floyd, Kevin Koger, Jordan Kovacs, Taylor Lewan, Craig Roh, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Ryan Van Bergen; Michigan State: Le'Veon Bell, Max Bullough, Dan Conroy, Kirk Cousins, Darqueze Dennard, Brian Linthicum, Chris McDonald, Chris Norman, Kevin Pickelman, Marcus Rush; Minnesota: Chris Bunders, Kim Royston; Nebraska: Mike Caputo, Austin Cassidy, Will Compton, Ben Cotton, Marcel Jones, Cameron Meredith, Daimion Stafford, Baker Steinkuhler; Northwestern: Kain Colter, Jordan Mabin, Brian Mulroe, Al Netter, Dan Persa; Ohio State: C.J. Barnett, Mike Brewster, Johnathan Hankins, Jack Mewhort, Tyler Moeller, Andrew Norwell, Jake Stoneburner, Andrew Sweat; Penn State: Drew Astorino, Quinn Barham, Jack Crawford, Jordan Hill, D'Anton Lynn, Chima Okoli, Chaz Powell, Nate Stupar, Johnnie Troutman; Purdue: Ricardo Allen, Dwayne Beckford, Joe Holland, Dennis Kelly, Carson Wiggs; Wisconsin: Jared Abbrederis, Patrick Butrym, Aaron Henry, Brad Nortman, Nick Toon, Ricky Wagner, Philip Welch.

### National Award Winners

* David Molk, Michigan – Rimington Trophy
* Whitney Mercilus, Illinois – Ted Hendricks Award

### First Team All-Americans

There are many outlets that award All-America honors in football. The NCAA uses five official selectors to also determine Consensus and Unanimous All-America honors. The five teams used by the NCAA to compile the consensus team are from the Associated Press, the AFCA, the FWAA, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. A point system is used to calculate the consensus honors. The point system consists of three points for first team, two points for second team and three points for third team. No honorable mention or fourth team or lower are used in the computation.
The teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named a Consensus All-American. If there is a tie at a position in football for first team then the players who are tied shall be named to the team. A player named first-team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is recognized as a Unanimous All-American.
| Player | School | Position | Selector | Consensus/Unanimous |
| Montee Ball | Wisconsin | RB | AFCA, FWAA, AP, Sporting News, CBS Sports, ESPN, Scout.com, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Sports | Consensus |
| Jay Prosch | Illinois | FB | Pro Football Weekly | |
| Riley Reiff | Iowa | OT | Pro Football Weekly | |
| Kevin Zeitler | Wisconsin | OG | AFCA, AP, Pro Football Weekly | Consensus |
| Peter Konz | Wisconsin | C | AFCA, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly | |
| David Molk | Michigan | C | AP, FWAA, Sporting News, Walter Camp, Scout.com | Consensus |
| Whitney Mercilus | Illinois | DE | AFCA, AP, FWAA, Sporting News, Walter Camp, CBS Sports, ESPN, Scout.com, Yahoo! Sports | Unanimous |
| Devon Still | Penn State | DT | AP, FWAA, Sporting News, Walter Camp, CBS Sports, ESPN, Pro Football Weekly, Scout.com, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Sports | Consensus |
| Jerel Worthy | Michigan State | DT | AFCA, AP, Sporting News, Walter Camp, CBS Sports, Scout.com, Yahoo! Sports | Consensus |
| Lavonte David | Nebraska | LB | AFCA, CBS Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports | |
| Brett Maher | Nebraska | PK | Yahoo! Sports | |

### Academic All-American

The Big Ten led all conferences with 7 Academic All-America selections: 1st team – Rex Burkhead (Nebraska), Austin Cassidy (Nebraska), Patrick Ward (Northwestern) and Joe Holland (Purdue); 2nd team – Mike Sadler (Michigan State), Sean Fisher (Nebraska) and Jacob Schmidt (Northwestern). Cassidy was one of four repeat first-team winners, while Holland was a 2010 second-team selection.

## Bowl games

Big Ten Bowl Games :
| No. | Game | Date | Location/Time* | Television | Big Ten Team$^+$ | Score | Opponent$^+$ | Score | Payout (US$) per team |
| 1. | Little Caesars Bowl | Dec. 27, 2011 | Ford Field Detroit, Michigan 4:30 pm | ESPN | Purdue (6–6) | 37 | Western Michigan (7–5) | 32 | $750,000 |
| 2. | Insight Bowl | Dec. 30, 2011 | Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, Arizona 10:00 pm | ESPN | Iowa (7–5) | 14 | #19 Oklahoma (9–3) | 31 | $1,200,000 |
| 3. | Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas | Dec. 31, 2011 | Reliant Stadium Houston Texas 12:00 pm | ESPN | Northwestern (6–6) | 22 | Texas A&M (6–6) | 33 | $1,700,000 |
| 4. | Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl | Dec. 31, 2011 | AT&T Park San Francisco, California 3:30 pm | ESPN | Illinois (6–6) | 20 | UCLA (6–7) | 14 | $750,000–$825,000 |
| 5. | TicketCity Bowl | Jan. 2, 2012 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas 12:00 pm | ESPNU | #24 Penn State (9–3) | 14 | #20 Houston (12–1) | 30 | $1,200,000 |
| 6. | Outback Bowl | Jan. 2, 2012 | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida 1:00 pm | ABC | #12 Michigan State (10–3) | 33 | #18 Georgia (10–3) | 30 | $3,400,000 |
| 7. | Capital One Bowl | Jan. 2, 2012 | Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida 1:00 pm | ESPN | #21 Nebraska (9–3) | 13 | #10 South Carolina (10–2) | 30 | $4,250,000 |
| 8. | TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl | Jan. 2, 2012 | EverBank Field Jacksonville, Florida 1:00 pm | ESPN2 | Ohio State (6–6) | 17 | Florida (6–6) | 24 | $2,500,000 |
| 9. | Rose Bowl | Jan. 2, 2012 | Rose Bowl Pasadena, California 5:10 pm | ESPN | #9 Wisconsin (11–2) | 38 | #6 Oregon (11–2) | 45 | $18,000,000 |
| 10. | Allstate Sugar Bowl | Jan. 3, 2012 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana 8:30 pm | ESPN | #13 Michigan (10–2) | 23 | #17 Virginia Tech (11–2) | 20 | $17,000,000 |
| *Time given is Eastern Time (UTC-5). $^+$Winning team is bolded. Rankings are AP. ||||||||||

## 2012 NFL Draft

The conference lost 4 players in the first round of the NFL Draft: A total of 41 Big Ten players were drafted.
| Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Total |
| Illinois | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 4 |
| Indiana | | | | | | | | 0 |
| Iowa | 1 | 1 | | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Michigan | | | 1 | | | | 2 | 3 |
| Michigan State | | 1 | | 2 | | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Minnesota | | | | | | | | 0 |
| Nebraska | | 1 | | 1 | | | 2 | 4 |
| Northwestern | | | | | | | 2 | 2 |
| Ohio State | | 1 | 1 | | | 2 | | 4 |
| Penn State | | 1 | | | 2 | | 1 | 4 |
| Purdue | | | | | 1 | 1 | | 2 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 6 |
| Rnd. | Pick No. | NFL team | Player | Pos. | College | Conf. | Notes |
| 1 | 23 | Detroit Lions | Riley Reiff | OT | Iowa | Big Ten | |
| 1 | 26 | Houston Texans | Whitney Mercilus | DE | Illinois | Big Ten | |
| 1 | 27 | Cincinnati Bengals | Kevin Zeitler | OG | Wisconsin | Big Ten | from New Orleans via New England |
| 1 | 30 | San Francisco 49ers | A. J. Jenkins | WR | Illinois | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 44 | Kansas City Chiefs | Jeff Allen | OG | Illinois | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 48 | New England Patriots | Tavon Wilson | S | Illinois | Big Ten | from Oakland |
| 2 | 51 | Green Bay Packers | Jerel Worthy | DT | Michigan State | Big Ten | from Arizona via Philadelphia |
| 2 | 53 | Cincinnati Bengals | Devon Still | DT | Penn State | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 55 | Atlanta Falcons | Peter Konz | C | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 56 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Mike Adams | OT | Ohio State | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 58 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Lavonte David | LB | Nebraska | Big Ten | from Houston |
| 3 | 68 | Houston Texans | DeVier Posey | WR | Ohio State | Big Ten | from Tampa Bay |
| 3 | 75 | Seattle Seahawks | Russell Wilson | QB | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 82 | Tennessee Titans | Mike Martin | DT | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 102 | Washington Redskins | Kirk Cousins | QB | Michigan State | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 121 | Houston Texans | Keshawn Martin | WR | Michigan State | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 122 | New Orleans Saints | Nick Toon | WR | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 126 | Houston Texans | Jared Crick | DE | Nebraska | Big Ten | from New England via Denver and Tampa Bay |
| 4* | 132 | Green Bay Packers | Mike Daniels | DT | Iowa | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 141 | Washington Redskins | Adam Gettis | OG | Iowa | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 149 | San Diego Chargers | Johnnie Troutman | OG | Penn State | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 153 | Philadelphia Eagles | Dennis Kelly | OT | Purdue | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 156 | Cincinnati Bengals | Shaun Prater | CB | Iowa | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 157 | Atlanta Falcons | Bradie Ewing | FB | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 158 | Oakland Raiders | Jack Crawford | DE | Penn State | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 180 | San Francisco 49ers | Trenton Robinson | S | Michigan State | Big Ten | from Carolina |
| 6 | 183 | Miami Dolphins | B.J. Cunningham | WR | Michigan State | Big Ten | from San Diego |
| 6 | 191 | Cincinnati Bengals | Dan Herron | RB | Ohio State | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 194 | Philadelphia Eagles | Marvin McNutt | WR | Iowa | Big Ten | from Denver |
| 6 | 195 | Houston Texans | Nick Mondek | OT | Purdue | Big Ten | |
| 6* | 207 | Carolina Panthers | Brad Nortman | P | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 217 | Washington Redskins | Jordan Bernstine | CB | Iowa | Big Ten | from Buffalo |
| 7 | 224 | New England Patriots | Alfonzo Dennard | CB | Nebraska | Big Ten | from New York Jets |
| 7 | 226 | San Diego Chargers | David Molk | C | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 230 | Detroit Lions | Nathan Stupar | OLB | Penn State | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 233 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Drake Dunsmore | TE | Northwestern University | Big Ten | from Houston |
| 7 | 234 | New Orleans Saints | Marcel Jones | OT | Nebraska | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 235 | New England Patriots | Jeremy Ebert | WR | Northwestern University | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 238 | Kansas City Chiefs | Junior Hemingway | WR | Michigan | Big Ten | from New England |
| 7* | 250 | San Diego Chargers | Edwin Baker | RB | Michigan State | Big Ten | |

## Head coaches

Joe Paterno was fired as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions on November 9 in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.