# 1969 Big Ten Conference football season

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.
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. Rank | Team | Head coach | AP final | AP high | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG | MVP |
| 1 (tie) | Ohio State | Woody Hayes | #4 | #1 | 8–1 | 6–1 | 42.6 | 10.3 | Jim Otis |
| 1 (tie) | Michigan | Bo Schembechler | #9 | #7 | 8–3 | 6–1 | 32.0 | 13.5 | Jim Mandich |
| 3 | Purdue | Jack Mollenkopf | #18 | #8 | 8–2 | 5–2 | 35.4 | 26.4 | Mike Phipps |
| 4 | Minnesota | Murray Warmath | NR | #19 | 4–5–1 | 4–3 | 21.0 | 26.0 | Ray Parson |
| 5 (tie) | Iowa | Ray Nagel | NR | NR | 5–5 | 3–4 | 25.5 | 27.5 | Larry Ely |
| 5 (tie) | Indiana | John Pont | NR | #10 | 4–6 | 3–4 | 25.2 | 24.2 | John Isenbarger |
| 5 (tie) | Northwestern | Alex Agase | NR | NR | 3-7 | 3-4 | 13.7 | 30.6 | Don Ross |
| 5 (tie) | Wisconsin | John Coatta | NR | NR | 3–7 | 3–4 | 19.6 | 34.9 | Stu Voigt |
| 9 | Michigan State | Duffy Daugherty | NR | #12 | 4–6 | 2–5 | 20.2 | 23.1 | Ron Saul |
| 10 | Illinois | Jim Valek | NR | NR | 0–10 | 0–7 | 10.6 | 39.7 | 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

### 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. Two days later, the university announced that Bo Schembechler had been hired as Elliott's replacement.

### Regular season
#### September 20

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 20 | No. 19 Minnesota | Arizona State | Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ | L 26–48 | - |
| September 20 | No. 14 Indiana | Kentucky | Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY | W 58–30 | - |
| September 20 | Vanderbilt | Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | W 42–14 | - |
| September 20 | Washington | No. 12 Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | W 27–11 | - |
| September 20 | Northwestern | No. 11 Notre Dame | Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN (Northwestern–Notre Dame football rivalry) | L 10–35 | - |
| September 20 | No. 6 Oklahoma | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | L 21–48 | - |
| September 20 | Oregon State | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | L 14–42 | - |
| September 20 | No. 18 Purdue | TCU | Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, TX | W 42–35 | - |
| September 20 | Washington State | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | L 18–19 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. |||||||

#### September 27

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 27 | California | No. 10 Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | L 14–17 | - |
| September 27 | Washington State | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | W 61–35 | - |
| September 27 | Washington | No. 20 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | W 45–7 | - |
| September 27 | SMU | No. 13 Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | W 23–15 | - |
| September 27 | Illinois | No. 11 Missouri | St. Louis, MO (Illinois-Missouri football rivalry) | L 6–37 | - |
| September 27 | Minnesota | Ohio | Athens, OH | T 35–35 | - |
| September 27 | TCU | No. 1 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | W 62–0 | - |
| September 27 | No. 9 Notre Dame | No. 16 Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN (Shillelagh Trophy) | W 28–14 | - |
| September 27 | Northwestern | No. 5 USC | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA | L 6–48 | - |
| September 27 | No. 14 UCLA | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | L 23–34 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. |||||||

#### October 4

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 4 | Colorado | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | L 7–30 | - |
| October 4 | Arizona | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | W 31–19 | - |
| October 4 | Iowa State | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | L 20–48 | - |
| October 4 | No. 9 Missouri | No. 13 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | L 17–40 | - |
| October 4 | Nebraska | Minnesota | Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | L 14–42 | - |
| October 4 | No. 14 Michigan State | Notre Dame | Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN (Megaphone Trophy) | L 28–42 | - |
| October 4 | No. 1 Ohio State | Washington | Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA | W 41–14 | - |
| October 4 | No. 17 Stanford | No. 8 Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | W 36–35 | - |
| October 4 | Syracuse | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | L 7–43 | - |
| October 4 | No. 11 UCLA | Northwestern | Dyche Stadium • Evanston, IL | L 0–36 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. |||||||

#### October 11

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 11 | Minnesota | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | IND 17–7 | - |
| October 11 | No. 9 Purdue | Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | MICH 31–20 | - |
| October 11 | Northwestern | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL (Sweet Sioux Tomahawk) | NW 10–6 | - |
| October 11 | No. 19 Michigan State | No. 1 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | OHST 54–21 | - |
| October 11 | Iowa | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI (Iowa–Wisconsin football rivalry) | WIS 23–17 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. |||||||

#### October 18

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 18 | Illinois | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | IND 41–20 | - |
| October 18 | No. 13 Michigan | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI (Paul Bunyan Trophy) | MSU 23–12 | - |
| October 18 | Wisconsin | Northwestern | Dyche Stadium • Evanston, IL | NW 27–7 | - |
| October 18 | No. 1 Ohio State | Minnesota | Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | OHST 34–7 | - |
| October 18 | Iowa | No. 17 Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | PUR 35–31 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. |||||||

#### October 25

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 25 | Michigan State | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | IOWA 19–18 | - |
| October 25 | Michigan | Minnesota | Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN (Little Brown Jug) | MICH 35–9 | - |
| October 25 | Illinois | No. 1 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH (Illibuck) | OHST 41–0 | - |
| October 25 | Northwestern | No. 15 Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | PUR 45–20 | - |
| October 25 | Indiana | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | WIS 36–34 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. |||||||

#### November 1

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 1 | Indiana | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI (Old Brass Spittoon) | IND 16–0 | - |
| November 1 | Wisconsin | No. 20 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | MICH 35–7 | - |
| November 1 | Minnesota | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA (Floyd of Rosedale) | MINN 35–8 | - |
| November 1 | No. 1 Ohio State | Northwestern | Dyche Stadium • Evanston, IL | OHST 35–6 | - |
| November 1 | No. 13 Purdue | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL (Purdue Cannon) | PUR 49–22 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. |||||||

#### November 7

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 7 | Iowa | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | IOWA 28–17 | - |
| November 7 | No. 18 Michigan | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | MICH 57–0 | - |
| November 7 | Northwestern | Minnesota | Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | MINN 28–21 | - |
| November 7 | Wisconsin | No. 1 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | OHST 62–7 | - |
| November 7 | Michigan State | No. 10 Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | PUR 41–13 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. |||||||

#### November 15

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 15 | No. 14 Michigan | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | MICH 51–6 | - |
| November 15 | Minnesota | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | MINN 14–10 | - |
| November 15 | Indiana | Northwestern | Dyche Stadium • Evanston, IL | NW 30–27 | - |
| November 15 | No. 10 Purdue | No. 1 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | OHST 42–14 | - |
| November 15 | Illinois | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | WIS 55–14 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. |||||||

#### November 22

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 22 | Iowa | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | | IOWA 40–0 | - |
| November 22 | No. 1 Ohio State | No. 12 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI (The Game) | ABC | MICH 24–12 | - |
| November 22 | Michigan State | Northwestern | Dyche Stadium • Evanston, IL | | MSU 39–7 | - |
| November 22 | Wisconsin | Minnesota | Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | | MINN 35–10 | - |
| November 22 | No. 17 Purdue | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) | | PUR 44–21 | - |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. ||||||||

### Bowl games

On January 1, 1970, Michigan lost to USC, 10–3, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The score was tied, 3–3, 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 10–3 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.
Offense
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
| Quarterback | Mike Phipps | Purdue | AP, UPI |
| Running back | John Isenbarger | Indiana | AP, UPI |
| Running back | Jim Otis | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
| Running back | Mike Adamle | Northwestern | AP |
| Running back | Billy Taylor | Michigan | UPI |
| End | Jim Mandich | Michigan | AP, UPI |
| End | Ray Parson | Minnesota | AP |
| End | Jade Butcher | Indiana | UPI |
| Tackle | Dan Dierdorf | Michigan | AP, UPI |
| Tackle | Paul DeNuccio | Purdue | AP |
| Tackle | Charles Hutchison | Ohio State | UPI |
| Guard | Ron Saul | Michigan State | AP, UPI |
| Guard | Don DeSalle | Indiana | AP |
| Guard | Jon Meskimen | Iowa | UPI |
| Center | Brian Donovan | Ohio State | AP |
| Center | Guy Murdock | Michigan | UPI |
Defense
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
| Defensive end | Dave Whitfield | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
| Defensive end | Mark Debeve | Ohio State | AP |
| Defensive end | Rich Saul | Michigan State | UPI |
| Defensive tackle | Paul Schmidlin | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
| Defensive tackle | Ron Curl | Michigan State | AP |
| Defensive tackle | Bill Yanchar | Purdue | UPI |
| Middle guard | Jim Stillwagon | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
| Linebacker | Veno Paraskevas | Purdue | AP, UPI |
| Linebacker | Jack Tatum | Ohio State | AP, UPI [def. back] |
| Linebacker | Marty Huff | Michigan | AP |
| Linebacker | Doug Adams | Ohio State | UPI |
| Defensive back | Tom Curtis | Michigan | AP, UPI |
| Defensive back | Ted Provost | Ohio State | AP, UPI |
| Defensive back | Mike Sensibaugh | Ohio State | AP, 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. The Big Ten's consensus All-American was:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
| Defensive back | Jack Tatum | Ohio State | AFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA [cornerback], UPI, FN, TSN, WCFF |
| Tight end | Jim Mandich | Michigan | AFCA [end], AP, CP [end], FWAA, NEA, UPI [end], FN, Time, WCFF |
| Quarterback | Mike Phipps | Purdue | AFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, FN, Time, TSN, WCFF |
| Running back | Jim Otis | Ohio State | AP [fullback], CP [fullback], FWAA, UPI, FN, WCFF |
| Middle guard | Jim Stillwagon | Ohio State | AFCA, AP, CP, NEA, UPI, FN, WCFF |
| Defensive back | Tom Curtis | Michigan | AP, CP, UPI, FN, WCFF |
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors |
| Offensive guard | Ron Saul | Michigan State | CP, NEA, Time, TSN |
| Offensive guard | Chuck Hutchison | Ohio State | Time |
| Running back | Rex Kern | Ohio State | CP, FN |
| Running back | John Isenbarger | Indiana | FN |
| Defensive back | Ted Provost | Ohio State | Time, TSN |
| Defensive back | Tim Foley | Purdue | Time |

### 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.