# 2020 Big Ten Conference football season

The 2020 Big Ten conference football season is the 125th season of college football play for the Big Ten Conference and part of the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the Big Ten's seventh season with 14 teams. The defending league champion was Ohio State.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the conference voted on August 11, 2020, to indefinitely postpone all fall athletics, including football, citing the worsening trends of the pandemic in the country. On September 16, the conference approved a shortened, eight-game football season beginning October 24, with the final week featuring the Big Ten championship game on December 19.
The Big Ten had two new coaches for the 2020 season. Rutgers hired former coach Greg Schiano to serve as head coach, replacing Chris Ash who was fired during the 2019 season. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio announced on February 4, 2020, that he was retiring from his position. The Spartans announced the hiring of Mel Tucker as the new head coach on February 12, 2020. On December 13, Illinois fired its head coach Lovie Smith, and on December 19 announced the hiring of Bret Bielema as its new head coach.

## Previous season

On the field of play last season, Ohio State won the East Division title and made their fifth appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game and third consecutive appearance. In the West Division, Wisconsin and Minnesota tied for the division title, but the Badgers represented the division in the conference title game due to their head-to-head win over the Golden Gophers. Wisconsin made their sixth appearance in the conference title game overall. In that championship game, Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 34–21 to win their third consecutive Big Ten championship. With that win, the Buckeyes landed a spot in the 2019–20 College Football Playoff as the #2 seed.
Nine teams participated in bowl games in the 2018 season, and the league went 5–4 in those games. Ohio State made the College Football Playoff but fell to Clemson 29–23 in the Fiesta Bowl.

## Delay of season

On July 9, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the Big Ten announced that all competition in fall sports, including football, would be played exclusively in-conference, in order to "have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time". An updated 10-game conference-only schedule was released on August 5, 2020.
On August 11, in the wake of multiple Group of Five conferences deciding to do so, the council of the Big Ten voted 11–3 to postpone fall athletics for the 2020–21 season (with all but Iowa, Nebraska, and Ohio State voting in favor). Commissioner Kevin Warren cited negative trends and uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 as a factor in the decision. The conference stated that it would evaluate options, including possibly playing in spring 2021 instead. After the decision to postpone the season, the Big Ten formed a taskforce to investigate options for a return to play. President Donald Trump criticized the Big Ten's decision to postpone fall football, as part of his general criticism of U.S. colleges and universities that have not resumed on-campus activities. All other Power Five conferences besides the Pac-12 (which also postponed its season shortly after the Big Ten's decision) were still planning to play in the fall.
On September 14, it was reported that the Big Ten was considering the possibility of reversing its decision and playing a shortened conference football season as early as mid-to-late October. On September 16, the Big Ten approved an eight-game conference season that would begin October 24, and conclude on December 19 with the Big Ten Championship Game. The conference originally planned to hold a slate of cross-division matchups between seeds alongside the championship game.
The conference instituted a daily antigen testing protocol from September 30; PCR tests are used to confirm positives found via antigen testing. Players who test positive on both tests are removed from play for at least 21 days and undergo cardiac tests during this period, and will have to be cleared by a cardiologist before they can return to play. Positivity rates among participating teams and the local population will also be a factor: teams with a positivity rate above 5% or a population positivity rate above 7% will be required to halt all activity for seven days.

## Preseason

2020 Big Ten Spring Football and number of signees on signing day:

### Recruiting classes

Rankings :
| Team | ESPN | Rivals | Scout & 24/7 | Signees |
| Illinois | 63 | 90 | 88 | 14 |
| Indiana | 55 | 48 | 58 | 20 |
| Iowa | 32 | 35 | 35 | 21 |
| Maryland | 33 | 32 | 31 | 28 |
| Michigan | 11 | 11 | 14 | 23 |
| Michigan State | 46 | 36 | 44 | 22 |
| Minnesota | 36 | 38 | 38 | 24 |
| Nebraska | 24 | 17 | 20 | 24 |
| Northwestern | 40 | 53 | 47 | 17 |
| Ohio State | 5 | 5 | 5 | 25 |
| Penn State | 12 | 15 | 15 | 27 |
| Purdue | 28 | 30 | 32 | 20 |
| Rutgers | 60 | 67 | 61 | 23 |
| Wisconsin | 26 | 28 | 26 | 20 |

### Big Ten Media Days
#### Preseason media polls

Below are the results of the media poll with total points received next to each school and first-place votes in parentheses. For the 2020 poll, Ohio State was voted as the favorite to win both the East Division and the Big Ten Championship Game. This is the 10th iteration of the preseason media poll conducted by Cleveland.com, which polls at least one credentialed media member for each Big Ten team. Only twice in the last ten years has the media accurately predicted the Big Ten champion.
East :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Ohio State | 237 (33) |
| 2 | Penn State | 204 (1) |
| 3 | Michigan | 169 |
| 4 | Indiana | 134 |
| 5 | Michigan State | 94 |
| 6 | Maryland | 76 |
| 7 | Rutgers | 38 |
West :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Wisconsin | 221 (19) |
| 2 | Minnesota | 209.5 (14) |
| 3 | Iowa | 157 |
| 4 | Nebraska | 117 |
| 5 | Purdue | 105 |
| 6 | Northwestern | 87.5 (1) |
| 7 | Illinois | 55 |
Media poll (Big Ten Championship) :
| Rank | Team | Votes |
| 1 | Ohio State over Wisconsin | 19 |
| 2 | Ohio State over Minnesota | 13 |
| 3 | Ohio State over Northwestern | 1 |
| 4 | Penn State over Minnesota | 1 |

### Preseason All-Big Ten
## Rankings

The AP and Coaches Polls ranked Big Ten teams in the preseason, but then removed those teams after the league suspended play.
The Coaches Poll returned to ranking Big Ten teams with the Sept. 20 poll. The AP Poll returned Big Ten teams to the rankings with the Sept. 27 poll.
| | | 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 | Wk 15 | Final |
| Illinois | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Illinois | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Illinois | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | |
| Indiana | AP | RV | | | | | RV | RV | 17 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 12 |
| Indiana | C | RV | | | | | | RV | 19 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 13 |
| Indiana | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | |
| Iowa | AP | 24 | | | RV | RV | RV | RV | | | | RV | RV | 24 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
| Iowa | C | 23 | | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | | | | RV | 24 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
| Iowa | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 24 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 15 | |
| Maryland | AP | | | | | | | | | | RV | | | | | | | |
| Maryland | C | | | | | | | | | | RV | RV | RV | | | | | |
| Maryland | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | |
| Michigan | AP | 15 | | | 23 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 23 | | | | | | | | |
| Michigan | C | 15 | | 19 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 25 | RV | | | | | | | |
| Michigan | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | |
| Michigan State | AP | | | | | | | | | RV | | | | | | | | |
| Michigan State | C | | | | | | | | | RV | | | | | | | | |
| Michigan State | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | |
| Minnesota | AP | 19 | | | RV | 25 | 24 | 21 | RV | | | | | | | | | |
| Minnesota | C | 18 | | 22 | RV | RV | 25 | 21 | RV | | | | | | | | | |
| Minnesota | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | |
| Nebraska | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska | C | RV | | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | |
| Northwestern | AP | RV | | | | | | | RV | RV | 23 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 10 |
| Northwestern | C | | | | | | | | RV | RV | 23 | 20 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 |
| Northwestern | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 8 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | |
| Ohio State | AP | 2 (16) | | | 6 (4) | 6 (2) | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 (1) | 3 (1) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Ohio State | C | 2 (17) | | 10 (2) | 6 (2) | 6 (2) | 5 (2) | 5 (2) | 3 (2) | 3 (2) | 3 (3) | 3 (2) | 3 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Ohio State | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |
| Penn State | AP | 9 | | | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 18 | RV | | | | | | | | |
| Penn State | C | 7 | | 13 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 17 | RV | | | | | | | | |
| Penn State | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | |
| Purdue | AP | | | | | | | | RV | RV | RV | | | | | | | |
| Purdue | C | | | | | | | | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | | | | | |
| Purdue | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | |
| Rutgers | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rutgers | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rutgers | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | |
| Wisconsin | AP | 12 | | | 19 | 16 | 16 | 14T | 9 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 25 | | | RV |
| Wisconsin | C | 12 | | 17 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 19 | 25 | RV | RV | RV |
| Wisconsin | CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 16 | 16 | | | | |
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 |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## Schedule

* Index to colors and formatting
* Big Ten member won
* Big Ten member lost
* Big Ten teams in bold
All times Eastern time.
† denotes Homecoming game

### Regular season schedule

The Regular season was scheduled to begin on September 3 and end on November 28. The Big Ten Championship Game was scheduled to be held on December 5, 2020.
On July 9, 2020, the Big Ten Conference announced that all non-conference contests in all fall sports, including football, would be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league then moved to institute a 10-game, conference-only schedule in football, which would include multiple open weeks for teams in order to introduce flexibility into the schedule. On August 5, the Big Ten released the new reconfigured 10-game conference-only schedule. On August 11, 2020, the conference decided to postpone all fall sports and evaluate option to restart competition in spring 2021.
On September 16, 2020, the Big Ten announced that the football season would start on the weekend of October 24. There will be an eight-game regular season taking place over eight weeks. Each team will play all the other teams in its division, plus two crossover games with teams in the other division. Then the league championship game will be played on December 19. Also on the weekend of December 19, there will be crossover divisional games featuring the 2nd place teams from each division facing off, the 3rd places teams meeting each other, etc. The new schedule was released on September 19.
On December 9, the Big Ten waived its rule of requiring teams to play a minimum of six league games to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game, allowing Ohio State (5-0) to represent the East Division.

#### Week #1

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 23 | 8:00 p.m. | Illinois | No. 14T Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | BTN | WIS 45–7 | 0 |
| October 24 | 12:00 p.m. | Rutgers | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | BTN | RUT 38–27 | 376 |
| October 24 | 12:00 p.m. | Nebraska | No. 5 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | FOX | OSU 52–17 | 1,344 |
| October 24 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 8 Penn State | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | FS1 | IU 36–35 $^{OT}$ | 995 |
| October 24 | 3:30 p.m. | Iowa | Purdue | Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | BTN | PUR 24–20 | 900 |
| October 24 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 18 Michigan | No. 21 Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN (Little Brown Jug, College GameDay) | ABC | MICH 49–24 | 589 |
| October 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Maryland | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | NW 43–3 | 0 |
| $^#$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 |
| October 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Minnesota | Maryland | Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPN | MD 45–44 $^{OT}$ | 0 |
| October 31 | 12:00 p.m. | Michigan State | No. 13 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI (Paul Bunyan Trophy) | FOX | MSU 27–24 | 615 |
| October 31 | 12:00 p.m. | Purdue | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL (Purdue Cannon) | BTN | PUR 31–24 | 838 |
| October 31 | 3:30 p.m. | Northwestern | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | ESPN | NW 21–20 | 1,432 |
| October 31 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 17 Indiana | Rutgers | SHI Stadium • Piscataway, NJ | BTN | IU 37–21 | 0 |
| October 31 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 3 Ohio State | No. 18 Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA (OSU-PSU rivalry) | ABC | OSU 38–25 | 1,500 |
| October 31 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 9 Wisconsin | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE (Freedom Trophy) | FS1 | CANCELED | – |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
The Wisconsin at Nebraska game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin

#### Week #3

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 7 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 23 Michigan | No. 13 Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | FS1 | IU 38–21 | 1,034 |
| November 7 | 12:00 p.m. | Nebraska | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | NW 21–13 | 0 |
| November 7 | 12:00 p.m. | Michigan State | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | ESPN | IA 49–7 | 1,441 |
| November 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Maryland | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA (MD-PSU rivalry) | BTN | MD 35–19 | 1,500 |
| November 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Minnesota | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | BTN | MN 41–14 | 863 |
| November 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Rutgers | No. 3 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | BTN | OSU 49–27 | 1,275 |
| November 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Purdue | No. 10 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | ABC | CANCELED | – |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
The Purdue at Wisconsin game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin

#### Week #4

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 13 | 7:00 p.m. | Iowa | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN (Floyd of Rosedale) | FS1 | IA 35–7 | 771 |
| November 14 | 12:00 p.m. | Penn State | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | FS1 | NEB 30–23 | 0 |
| November 14 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 10 Indiana | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI (Old Brass Spittoon) | ABC | IU 24–0 | 340 |
| November 14 | 1:00 p.m. | Illinois | Rutgers | SHI Stadium • Piscataway, NJ | BTN | ILL 23–20 | 0 |
| November 14 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 23 Northwestern | Purdue | Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | BTN | NW 27–20 | 886 |
| November 14 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 13 Wisconsin | Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | ABC | WIS 49–11 | 605 |
| November 14 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 3 Ohio State | Maryland | Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD | BTN | CANCELED | – |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
The Ohio State at Maryland game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Maryland.

#### Week #5

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Purdue | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | MIN 34–31 | 593 |
| November 21 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 9 Indiana | No. 3 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | FOX | OSU 42–35 | 635 |
| November 21 | 12:00 p.m. | Illinois | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | FS1 | ILL 41–23 | 0 |
| November 21 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 10 Wisconsin | No. 19 Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | ABC | NW 17–7 | 1 |
| November 21 | 3:30 p.m. | Iowa | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | BTN | IA 41–21 | 1,500 |
| November 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Michigan | Rutgers | SHI Stadium • Piscataway, NJ | BTN | MICH 48–42 $^{3OT}$ | 0 |
| November 21 | 12:00 p.m. | Michigan State | Maryland | Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD | BTN | CANCELED | – |
| $^†$Homecoming. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Michigan State at Maryland was canceled due to COVID-19 cases at Maryland.

#### Week #6

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 27 | 1:00 p.m. | Nebraska | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA (Heroes Trophy) | FOX | IA 26–20 | 1,469 |
| November 28 | 12:00 p.m. | Penn State | Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI (Big Noon Kickoff) | ABC | PSU 27–17 | 0 |
| November 28 | 12:00 p.m. | Maryland | No. 12 Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | ESPN2 | IU 27–11 | 963 |
| November 28 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 11 Northwestern | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | ESPN | MSU 29–20 | 0 |
| November 28 | 4:00 p.m. | Rutgers | Purdue | Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | FS1 | RUT 37–30 | 728 |
| November 28 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 3 Ohio State | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL (Illibuck Trophy) | FS1 | CANCELED | – |
| November 28 | 2:00 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 18 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | BTN | CANCELED | – |
| $^†$Homecoming. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Ohio State at Illinois was canceled after positive COVID-19 at Ohio State.
Minnesota at Wisconsin was canceled after positive COVID-19 tests at Minnesota.

#### Week #7

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 5 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 3 Ohio State | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI | ABC | OSU 52–12 | 0 |
| December 5 | 12:00 p.m. | Nebraska | Purdue | Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | BTN | NEB 37–27 | 808 |
| December 5 | 12:00 p.m. | Penn State | Rutgers | SHI Stadium • Piscataway, NJ | FS1 | PSU 23–7 | 0 |
| December 5 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 10 Indiana | No. 18 Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | ABC | IU 14–6 | 0 |
| December 5 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 24 Iowa | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | FS1 | IA 35–21 | 875 |
| December 5 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 16 Northwestern | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | CANCELED | – |
| December 5 | 3:30 p.m. | Maryland | Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | BTN | CANCELED | – |
| $^†$Homecoming. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Northwestern at Minnesota was canceled after COVID issues at Minnesota.
Maryland at Michigan was canceled after COVID issues at Michigan.

#### Week #8

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Minnesota | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE ($5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy) | FS1 | MIN 24–17 | 0 |
| December 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Rutgers | Maryland | Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD | BTN | RUT 27–24 $^{OT}$ | 0 |
| December 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Illinois | No. 15 Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL (Land of Lincoln Trophy) | ESPN2 | NW 28–10 | 0 |
| December 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Michigan State | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA (Land Grant Trophy) | ABC | PSU 39–24 | 0 |
| December 12 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 25 Wisconsin | No. 19 Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA (Heartland Trophy) | FS1 | IA 28–7 | 1,445 |
| December 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Michigan | No. 3 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH (The Game) | FOX | CANCELED | – |
| December 12 | 3:30 p.m. | Purdue | No. 8 Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) | BTN | CANCELED | – |
| $^†$Homecoming. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Michigan at Ohio State game was canceled after COVID-19 issues at Michigan.
Purdue at Indiana was canceled by mutual agreement after increased COVID-19 issues at both schools.

#### Week #9: Big Ten Championship Game and Champions Week games

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| Big Ten Championship Game ||||||||
| December 19 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 15 Northwestern | No. 3 Ohio State | Lucas Oil Stadium • Indianapolis, IN | FOX | OSU 22–10 | 3,178 |
| Champions Week Games ||||||||
| December 18 | 7:30 p.m. | Nebraska | Rutgers | SHI Stadium • Piscataway, NJ | BTN | NEB 28–21 | 0 |
| December 19 | 4:00 p.m. | Minnesota | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | BTN | WIS 20–17 $^{OT}$ | 0 |
| December 19 | 5:30 p.m. | Illinois | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | FS1 | PSU 56–21 | 0 |
| December 18 | 7:30 p.m. | Purdue | No. 7 Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) | BTN | CANCELED | – |
| December 19 | 7:00 p.m. | Michigan | No. 18 Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | ESPN | CANCELED | – |
| December 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Michigan State | Maryland | Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD | BTN | CANCELED | – |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Note: The additional games were originally planned to be cross-divisional matchups of the teams with the same standings – second place vs. second place, third place vs. third place, and so on. The schedule was changed to preserve rivalry games that were canceled during the regular season, and to avoid rematches.
Indiana-Purdue game canceled due to COVID-19 issues at both schools.
Nebraska's game with Rutgers has been adjusted from a 3:00 p.m. to a 6:30 p.m. kickoff time on Friday, December 18 after the cancellation of the Indiana-Purdue game.
Michigan-Iowa game canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Michigan.
Maryland-Michigan State game canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Maryland.

### Canceled regular season games

The following non-conference games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Sept. 3
* Florida Atlantic at Minnesota
Sept. 4
* Illinois State at Illinois
Sept. 5
Sept. 12
Sept. 19
Sept. 26
Oct. 3
* Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame (at Green Bay, WI)
Nov. 14
* Morgan State at Northwestern

## Postseason
### Bowl games

Games below do not include bowl games that Big Ten teams may be selected for in the College Football Playoff semifinals (the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on January 1, 2021) or potential At-Large bids in New Year's Six Bowls (the Cotton Bowl on December 30, 2020, and Peach Bowl on January 1, 2021).
Five Big Ten teams accepted bowl bids for the 2020–21 season, with Ohio State being selected for the College Football Playoff.
| Bowl game | Date | Site | Television | Time (EST) | Big Ten team | Opponent | Score | Attendance |
| Duke's Mayo Bowl | December 30 | Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC | ESPN | 12:00 p.m. | Wisconsin | Wake Forest | W 42–28 | 1,500 |
| Music City Bowl | December 30 | Nissan Stadium • Nashville, TN | ESPN | 4:00 p.m. | #15 Iowa | Missouri | CANCELED | – |
| Citrus Bowl | January 1 | Camping World Stadium • Orlando, FL | ABC | 1:00 p.m. | #14 Northwestern | Auburn | W 35–19 | 0 |
| Outback Bowl | January 2 | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL | ABC | 12:30 p.m. | #11 Indiana | Mississippi | L 20–26 | 11,025 |
| College Football Playoff |||||||||
| Sugar Bowl (Semifinal) | January 1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome • New Orleans, LA | ESPN | 8:00 p.m. | #3 Ohio State | #2 Clemson | W 49–28 | 3,000 |
| CFP National Championship | January 11 | Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL | ESPN | 8:00 p.m. | #3 Ohio State | #1 Alabama | L 24–52 | 14,926 |
Rankings are from CFP rankings. All times Eastern Time Zone. Big Ten teams shown in bold.

## Big Ten records vs other conferences

2020–2021 records against non-conference foes:
Postseason
| Power Conferences 5 | Record |
| ACC | 2-0 |
| Big 12 | 0-0 |
| Pac-12 | 0-0 |
| BYU/Notre Dame | 0-0 |
| SEC | 1-2 |
| Power 5 Total | 3-2 |
| Other FBS Conferences | Record |
| American | 0-0 |
| C–USA | 0-0 |
| Independents (Excluding Notre Dame) | 0-0 |
| MAC | 0-0 |
| Mountain West | 0-0 |
| Sun Belt | 0-0 |
| Other FBS Total | 0-0 |
| Total Bowl Record | 3-2 |

## Awards and honors
### Player of the week honors

| 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 (Oct. 23) | David Bell | WR | PUR | Jamar Johnson | S | IU | Charlie Kuhbander | PK | NW | Graham Mertz | QB | WIS |
| Week 1 (Oct. 23) | Graham Mertz | QB | WIS | Olakunle Fatukasi | LB | RUT | Charlie Kuhbander | PK | NW | Graham Mertz | QB | WIS |
| Week 2 (Nov. 2) | Taulia Tagovailoa | QB | MD | Tommy Togiai | DT | OSU | Charles Campbell | PK | IU | Ricky White | WR | MSU |
| Week 2 (Nov. 2) | Justin Fields | QB | OSU | Tommy Togiai | DT | OSU | Charles Campbell | PK | IU | Brandon Joseph | S | NW |
| Week 3 (Nov. 9) | Mohamed Ibrahim | RB | MIN | Chris Bergin | LB | NW | Charlie Jones | WR/PR | IA | Rakim Jarrett | WR | MD |
| Week 4 (Nov. 16) | Ty Fryfogle | WR | IU | Zach VanValkenburg | DE | IA | James McCourt | K | ILL | Isaiah Williams | QB | ILL |
| Week 5 (Nov. 23) | Ty Fryfogle | WR | IU | Blake Gallagher | LB | NW | Giles Jackson | KR | MICH | Brandon Joseph | S | NW |
| Week 6 (Nov. 30) | Stevie Scott III | RB | IU | Antjuan Simmons | LB | MSU | Keith Duncan | K | IA | Keyvone Lee | RB | PSU |
| Week 6 (Nov. 30) | Stevie Scott III | RB | IU | Antjuan Simmons | LB | MSU | Matt Coghlin | K | MSU | Keyvone Lee | RB | PSU |
| Week 7 (Dec. 7) | Justin Fields | QB | OSU | Micah McFadden | LB | IU | Haydon Whitehead | P | IU | Joey Porter Jr. | CB | PSU |
| Week 7 (Dec. 7) | Justin Fields | QB | OSU | Micah McFadden | LB | IU | Drue Chrisman | P | OSU | Joey Porter Jr. | CB | PSU |
| Week 8 (Dec. 14) | Ihmir Smith-Marsette | WR | IA | Mariano Sori-Marin | LB | MIN | Jahan Dotson | PR | PSU | Cam Porter | RB | NW |

### Big Ten Individual Awards

The following individuals won the conference's annual player and coach awards:
| Award | Player | School |
| Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year | Justin Fields | Ohio State |
| Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year | Justin Fields | Ohio State |
| Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year | Ty Fryfogle | Indiana |
| Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year | Mohamed Ibrahim | Minnesota |
| Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year | Pat Freiermuth | Penn State |
| Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year | Wyatt Davis | Ohio State |
| Nagurski-Wooden Defensive Player of the Year | Daviyon Nixon | Iowa |
| Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year | Daviyon Nixon | Iowa |
| Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year | Paddy Fisher | Northwestern |
| Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year | Shaun Wade | Ohio State |
| Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year | Brandon Joseph | Northwestern |
| Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year | Connor Culp | Nebraska |
| Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year | Tory Taylor | Iowa |
| Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year | Aron Cruickshank | Rutgers |
| Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (Coaches) | Tom Allen | Indiana |
| Dave McClain Coach of the Year (Media) | Tom Allen | Indiana |
| Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award | Vincent Smith | Michigan |
| Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award | Napoleon Haris | Northwestern |

### All-Conference Teams

2020 Big Ten All-Conference Teams and Awards
| Position | Player | Team |
| First Team Offense (Coaches) |||
| QB | Justin Fields | Ohio State |
| RB | Tyler Goodson | Iowa |
| RB | Mohamed Ibrahim | Minnesota |
| WR | Chris Olave | Ohio State |
| WR | Garrett Wilson | Ohio State |
| TE | Pat Freiermuth | Penn State |
| C | Josh Myers | Ohio State |
| OG | Kendrick Green | Illinois |
| OG | Wyatt Davis | Ohio State |
| OT | Thayer Munford | Ohio State |
| OT | Alaric Jackson | Iowa |
| OT | Cole Van Lanen | Wisconsin |
| First Team Defense (Coaches) |||
| DL | Chauncey Golston | Iowa |
| DL | Daviyon Nixon | Iowa |
| DL | Odafe Oweh | Penn State |
| DL | Shaka Toney | Penn State |
| LB | Micah McFadden | Indiana |
| LB | Paddy Fisher | Northwestern |
| LB | Pete Werner | Ohio State |
| DB | Shakur Brown | Michigan State |
| DB | Brandon Joseph | Northwestern |
| DB | Greg Newsome II | Northwestern |
| DB | Shaun Wade | Ohio State |
| DB | – | – |
| First Team Special Teams (Coaches) |||
| PK | Connor Culp | Nebraska |
| P | Tory Taylor | Iowa |
| RS | Aron Cruickshank | Rutgers |
| Position | Player | Team |
| Second Team Offense (Coaches) |||
| QB | Michael Penix Jr. | Indiana |
| RB | Stevie Scott III | Indiana |
| RB | Master Teague | Ohio State |
| WR | Ty Fryfogle | Indiana |
| WR | David Bell | Purdue |
| TE | Jake Ferguson | Wisconsin |
| C | Tyler Linderbaum | Iowa |
| OG | Cole Banwart | Iowa |
| OG | Mike Miranda | Penn State |
| OT | Nicholas Petit-Frere | Ohio State |
| OT | Will Fries | Penn State |
| OT | – | – |
| Second Team Defense (Coaches) |||
| DL | Owen Carney | Illinois |
| DL | Jerome Johnson | Indiana |
| DL | Zach VanValkenburg | Iowa |
| DL | Zach Harrison | Ohio State |
| DL | Tommy Togiai | Ohio State |
| DL | George Karlaftis | Purdue |
| LB | Blake Gallagher | Northwestern |
| LB | Derrick Barnes | Purdue |
| LB | Olakunle Fatukasi | Rutgers |
| DB | Jamar Johnson | Indiana |
| DB | Tiawan Mullen | Indiana |
| DB | Jaylin Williams | Indiana |
| DB | Cam Taylor-Britt | Nebraska |
| DB | – | – |
| Second Team Special Teams (Coaches) |||
| PK | Charles Campbell | Indiana |
| P | Drue Chrisman | Ohio State |
| RS | Charlie Jones | Iowa |
| Position | Player | Team |
| Third Team Offense (Coaches) |||
| QB | Peyton Ramsey | Northwestern |
| RB | Jake Funk | Maryland |
| RB | Zander Horvath | Purdue |
| WR | Rashod Bateman | Minnesota |
| WR | Jahan Dotson | Penn State |
| TE | Peyton Hendershot | Indiana |
| C | Michal Menet | Penn State |
| OG | Harry Miller | Ohio State |
| OG | Logan Bruss | Wisconsin |
| OT | Peter Skoronski | Northwestern |
| OT | – | – |
| OT | – | – |
| Third Team Defense (Coaches) |||
| DL | Haskell Garrett | Ohio State |
| DL | Jonathon Cooper | Ohio State |
| DL | – | – |
| DL | – | – |
| DL | – | – |
| DL | – | – |
| LB | Jake Hansen | Illinois |
| LB | Antjuan Simmons | Michigan State |
| LB | Baron Browning | Ohio State |
| DB | Devon Matthews | Indiana |
| DB | Jack Koerner | Iowa |
| DB | Jaquan Brisker | Penn State |
| DB | Tre Avery | Rutgers |
| DB | Caesar Williams | Wisconsin |
| Third Team Special Teams (Coaches) |||
| PK | Keith Duncan | Iowa |
| P | Adam Korsak | Rutgers |
| RS | Giles Jackson | Michigan |
Coaches Honorable Mention: ILLINOIS: Chase Brown, Mike Epstein, Blake Hayes, Doug Kramer, Vederian Lowe, James McCourt, Roderick Perry II; INDIANA: Harry Crider, Cam Jones, Whop Philyor, Reese Taylor, Haydon Whitehead; IOWA: Dane Belton, Riley Moss, Mekhi Sargent, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Cody Ince, Kyler Schott, Sam LaPorta; MARYLAND: Chance Campbell, Nick Cross, Jaelyn Duncan, Mo Kite, Tarheeb Still; MICHIGAN: Hassan Haskins, Daxton Hill, Carlo Kemp, Kwity Paye, Brad Robbins, Andrew Stueber; MICHIGAN STATE: Drew Beesley, Matt Coghlin; MINNESOTA: Coney Durr, Boye Mafe, Tanner Morgan, John Michael Schmitz, Conner Olson, Blaise Andries, Sam Schlueter; NEBRASKA: Marquel Dismuke, JoJo Domann, Matt Farniok, Will Honas, Brenden Jaimes, Wan'Dale Robinson, Ben Stille, Deontai Williams; NORTHWESTERN: Derek Adams, Chris Bergin, Earnest Brown IV, Charlie Kuhbander, Eku Leota, John Raine; OHIO STATE: Sevyn Banks, Tuf Borland, Luke Farrell, Marcus Hooker, Josh Proctor, Jeremy Ruckert, Trey Sermon, Tyreke Smith, Marcus Williamson; PENN STATE: Tariq Castro-Fields, Jahan Dotson, P. J. Mustipher, Joey Porter Jr., Antonio Shelton, Brandon Smith, Lamont Wade, Rasheed Walker; PURDUE: Jaylan Alexander, Cam Allen, J.D. Dellinger, Payne Durham, Gus Hartwig, Grant Hermanns, Spencer Holstege, Lorenzo Neal, Rondale Moore; RUTGERS: Michael Dwumfour, Christian Izien, Bo Melton, Reggie Sutton, Julius Turner, Mike Tverdov, Brendon White; WISCONSIN: Tyler Beach, Eric Burrell, Leo Chenal, Faion Hicks, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Jack Sanborn, Mason Stokke, Andy Vujnovich.
| Position | Player | Team |
| First Team Offense (Media) |||
| QB | Justin Fields | Ohio State |
| RB | Tyler Goodson | Iowa |
| RB | Mohamed Ibrahim | Minnesota |
| WR | Ty Fryfogle | Indiana |
| WR | David Bell | Purdue |
| TE | Jake Ferguson | Wisconsin |
| C | Tyler Linderbaum | Iowa |
| OG | Kendrick Green | Illinois |
| OG | Wyatt Davis | Ohio State |
| OT | Thayer Munford | Ohio State |
| OT | Alaric Jackson | Iowa |
| First Team Defense (Media) |||
| DL | Jerome Johnson | Indiana |
| DL | Chauncey Golston | Iowa |
| DL | Daviyon Nixon | Iowa |
| DL | Shaka Toney | Penn State |
| DL | – | – |
| LB | Micah McFadden | Indiana |
| LB | Paddy Fisher | Northwestern |
| LB | Olakunle Fatukasi | Rutgers |
| DB | Jamar Johnson | Indiana |
| DB | Tiawan Mullen | Indiana |
| DB | Brandon Joseph | Northwestern |
| DB | Greg Newsome II | Northwestern |
| DB | Shaun Wade | Ohio State |
| First Team Special Teams (Media) |||
| PK | Connor Culp | Nebraska |
| P | Tory Taylor | Iowa |
| RS | Aron Cruickshank | Rutgers |
| Position | Player | Team |
| Second Team Offense (Media) |||
| QB | Michael Penix Jr. | Indiana |
| RB | Stevie Scott III | Indiana |
| RB | Master Teague | Ohio State |
| WR | Chris Olave | Ohio State |
| WR | Garrett Wilson | Ohio State |
| TE | Pat Freiermuth | Penn State |
| C | Josh Myers | Ohio State |
| OG | Cole Banwart | Iowa |
| OG | Mike Miranda | Penn State |
| OT | Peter Skoronski | Northwestern |
| OT | Cole Van Lanen | Wisconsin |
| Second Team Defense (Media) |||
| DL | Owen Carney | Illinois |
| DL | Zach VanValkenburg | Iowa |
| DL | Kwity Paye | Michigan |
| DL | Tommy Togiai | Ohio State |
| DL | Odafe Oweh | Penn State |
| LB | Jake Hansen | Illinois |
| LB | Antjuan Simmons | Michigan State |
| LB | Blake Gallagher | Northwestern |
| DB | Jaylin Williams | Indiana |
| DB | Jack Koerner | Iowa |
| DB | Shakur Brown | Michigan State |
| DB | – | – |
| DB | – | – |
| Second Team Special Teams (Media) |||
| PK | Charles Campbell | Indiana |
| P | Adam Korsak | Rutgers |
| RS | Giles Jackson | Michigan |
| Position | Player | Team |
| Third Team Offense (Media) |||
| QB | Peyton Ramsey | Northwestern |
| RB | Chase Brown | Illinois |
| RB | Zander Horvath | Purdue |
| WR | Rashod Bateman | Minnesota |
| WR | Jahan Dotson | Penn State |
| TE | Peyton Hendershot | Indiana |
| C | Michal Menet | Penn State |
| OG | Conner Olson | Minnesota |
| OG | Logan Bruss | Wisconsin |
| OT | Blaise Andries | Minnesota |
| OT | Rasheed Walker | Penn State |
| Third Team Defense (Media) |||
| DL | Eku Leota | Northwestern |
| DL | Jonathon Cooper | Ohio State |
| DL | Isaiahh Loudermilk | Wisconsin |
| DL | – | – |
| DL | – | – |
| LB | Pete Werner | Ohio State |
| LB | Derrick Barnes | Purdue |
| LB | Jack Sanborn | Wisconsin |
| DB | Devon Matthews | Indiana |
| DB | Joey Porter Jr. | Penn State |
| DB | Lamont Wade | Penn State |
| DB | Tre Avery | Rutgers |
| DB | – | – |
| Third Team Special Teams (Media) |||
| PK | Keith Duncan | Iowa |
| P | Blake Hayes | Illinois |
| RS | Charlie Jones | Iowa |
Media Honorable Mention: ILLINOIS: Mike Epstein, Doug Kramer, Vederian Lowe, James McCourt, Roderick Perry II; INDIANA: Harry Crider, Cam Jones, Whop Philyor, Reese Taylor, Haydon Whitehead; IOWA: Dane Belton, Seth Benson, Shaun Beyer, Matt Hankins, Cody Ince, Mark Kallenberger, Sam LaPorta, Riley Moss, Nick Niemann, Spencer Petras, Mekhi Sargent, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Kyler Schott; MARYLAND: Chance Campbell, Nick Cross, Dontay Demus, Jaelyn Duncan, Jake Funk, Rakim Jarrett, Johnny Jordan, Mo Kite, Tarheeb Still, Taulia Tagovailoa; MICHIGAN: Michael Barrett, Hassan Haskins, Brad Hawkins, Daxton Hill, Brad Robbins; MICHIGAN STATE: Drew Beesley, Matt Coghlin, Jayden Reed; MINNESOTA: Coney Durr, Boye Mafe, Tanner Morgan, Sam Schlueter, John Michael Schmitz; NEBRASKA: Dicaprio Bootle, Marquel Dismuke, JoJo Domann, Matt Farniok, Will Honas, Brenden Jaimes, Ben Stille, Cam Taylor-Britt, Deontai Williams; NORTHWESTERN: Derek Adams, Chris Bergin, Earnest Brown IV, Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman, Charlie Kuhbander, JR Pace, John Raine; OHIO STATE: Sevyn Banks, Tuf Borland, Baron Browning, Drue Chrisman, Zach Harrison, Haskell Garrett, Marcus Hooker, Harry Miller, Nicholas Petit-Frere, Trey Sermon, Tyreke Smith; PENN STATE: Jaquan Brisker, Tariq Castro-Fields, Jahan Dotson, Will Fries, P. J. Mustipher, Antonio Shelton, Brandon Smith; PURDUE: Cam Allen, J.D. Dellinger, Gus Hartwig, Grant Hermanns, Spencer Holstege, George Karlaftis, Greg Long, Lorenzo Neal, Rondale Moore, Brennan Thieneman; RUTGERS: Michael Dwumfour, Tyshon Fogg, Christian Izien, Bo Melton, Raiqwon O'Neil, Julius Turner, Mike Tverdov, Avery Young; WISCONSIN: Eric Burrell, Leo Chenal, Faion Hicks, Caesar Williams.

### All-Americans

The 2020 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following College Football All-American first teams chosen by the following selector organizations: Associated Press (AP), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Walter Camp Foundation (WCFF), The Sporting News (TSN), Sports Illustrated (SI), USA Today (USAT) ESPN, CBS Sports (CBS), FOX Sports (FOX) College Football News (CFN), Bleacher Report (BR), Scout.com, Phil Steele (PS), SB Nation (SB), Athlon Sports, Pro Football Focus (PFF), The Athletic, and Yahoo! Sports (Yahoo!).
Currently, the NCAA compiles consensus all-America teams in the sports of Division I-FBS football and Division I men's basketball using a point system computed from All-America teams named by coaches associations or media sources. The system consists of three points for a first-team honor, two points for second-team honor, and one point for third-team honor. Honorable mention and fourth team or lower recognitions are not accorded any points. Football consensus teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named first team consensus all-American. Currently, the NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF to determine Consensus and Unanimous All-Americans. Any player named to the First Team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is deemed a Unanimous All-American.
| Position | Player | School | Selector | Unanimous | Consensus |
| First Team All-Americans ||||||
| C | Tyler Linderbaum | Iowa | Athletic, USAT | | |
| OG | Wyatt Davis | Ohio State | AFCA, AP, ESPN, FWAA, PS, TSN, WCFF | * | * |
| DL | Haskell Garrett | Ohio State | CBS | | |
| DL | Daviyon Nixon | Iowa | AFCA, AP, Athletic, ESPN, FWAA, PS, TSN, WCFF, USAT | * | * |
| CB | Greg Newsome II | Northwestern | Athletic | | |
| CB | Shaun Wade | Ohio State | AFCA, AP, ESPN, TSN | | * |
| S | Brandon Joseph | Northwestern | AFCA, AP, CBS, TSN, WCFF, USAT | | * |
| DB | Tiawan Mullen | Indiana | FWAA, PS | | |
| Position | Player | School | Selector |
| Second Team All-Americans ||||
| WR | Chris Olave | Ohio State | Athletic, PS |
| WR | Garrett Wilson | Ohio State | FWAA |
| C | Tyler Linderbaum | Iowa | AP, CBS, FWAA, PS, WCFF |
| C | Josh Myers | Ohio State | TSN |
| OG | Wyatt Davis | Ohio State | CBS, USAT |
| OG | Kendrick Green | Illinois | USAT |
| OT | Alaric Jackson | Iowa | AFCA |
| DL | Jonathon Cooper | Ohio State | AFCA |
| DL | Daviyon Nixon | Iowa | CBS |
| DT | Haskell Garrett | Ohio State | AP, Athletic, TSN, WCFF |
| LB | Paddy Fisher | Northwestern | AFCA, CBS |
| LB | Micah McFadden | Indiana | PS |
| CB | Tiawan Mullen | Indiana | Athletic |
| CB | Greg Newsome II | Northwestern | FWAA, PS, USAT |
| CB | Shaun Wade | Ohio State | CBS, FWAA, PS, WCFF |
| S | Jaquan Brisker | Penn State | CBS |
| CB | Brandon Joseph | Northwestern | Athletic |
| DB | Shakur Brown | Michigan State | WCFF |
| P | Tory Taylor | Iowa | Athletic |
| Position | Player | School | Selector |
| Third Team All-Americans ||||
| RB | Mohamed Ibrahim | Minnesota | AP |
| RB | Trey Sermon | Ohio State | PS |
| WR | Ty Fryfogle | Indiana | AP |
| WR | Garrett Wilson | Ohio State | PS |
| OL | Alaric Jackson | Iowa | PS |
| DL | Haskell Garrett | Ohio State | PS |
| LB | Micah McFadden | Indiana | AP |
| LB | Blake Gallagher | Northwestern | PS |
| CB | Greg Newsome II | Northwestern | AP |
| CB | Brandon Joseph | Northwestern | PS |
| Position | Player | School | Selector |
| Fourth Team All-Americans ||||
| QB | Justin Fields | Ohio State | PS |
| RB | Mohamed Ibrahim | Minnesota | PS |
| WR | Ty Fryfogle | Indiana | PS |
| OL | Josh Myers | Ohio State | PS |
| LB | Paddy Fisher | Northwestern | PS |
*Associated Press All-America Team (AP) *CBS Sports All-America Team (CBS) *ESPN Sports All-America Team (ESPN) *The Athletic All-America Team (Athletic) *USA Today All-America Team (USAT) *The Sporting News All-America Team (TSN) *Football Writers Association of America All-America Team (FWAA) *American Football Coaches Association All-America Team (AFCA) *Phil Steele All-America Team (PS) Archived December 1, 2021, at the Wayback Machine *Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Team (WCFF)

#### All–Academic
### National award winners
## Home attendance

Due to COVID-19, the Big Ten is not allowing fans into stadiums for the 2020 season. Family members and limited staff are permitted. Some schools count and track those numbers and some do not.
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Total | Average | % of Capacity |
| Illinois | Memorial Stadium | 60,670 | 838 | 863 | (Canceled) | 875 | 2,576 | 859 | 1.4% |
| Indiana | Memorial Stadium | 52,656 | 995 | 1,034 | 963 | (Canceled) | – | 2,992 | 997 | 1.9% |
| Iowa | Kinnick Stadium | 69,250 | 1,432 | 1,441 | 1,469 | 1,445 | – | 5,787 | 1,447 | 2.1% |
| Maryland | Maryland Stadium | 51,802 | 0 | (Canceled) | (Canceled) | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Michigan | Michigan Stadium | 107,601 | 615 | 605 | 0 | (Canceled) | – | 1,220 | 407 | 0.4% |
| Michigan State | Spartan Stadium | 75,005 | 376 | 340 | 0 | 0 | – | 716 | 179 | 0.2% |
| Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium | 50,805 | 589 | 771 | 593 | (Canceled) | – | 1,953 | 651 | 1.3% |
| Nebraska | Memorial Stadium | 85,458 | (Canceled) | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northwestern | Ryan Field | 47,130 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Ohio State | Ohio Stadium | 102,780 | 1,344 | 1,275 | 635 | (Canceled) | – | 3,254 | 1,085 | 1.1% |
| Penn State | Beaver Stadium | 106,572 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 0 | 0 | 4,500 | 900 | 0.8% |
| Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium | 57,236 | 900 | 886 | 728 | 808 | – | 3,322 | 831 | 1.5% |
| Rutgers | SHI Stadium | 52,454 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium | 80,321 | 0 | (Canceled) | (Canceled) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |

## 2021 NFL Draft

The Big Ten had 44 players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, the second-most of any conference, trailing only the SEC who had 65.
| Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Total |
| Illinois | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 |
| Indiana | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Iowa | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 4 |
| Maryland | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan | 1 | – | 3 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 8 |
| Michigan State | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Minnesota | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Nebraska | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 2 |
| Northwestern | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | 10 |
| Penn State | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 |
| Purdue | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2 |
| Rutgers | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wisconsin | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | 3 |
| * | compensatory selection |
| × | 2020 Resolution JC-2A selection |
| Rnd. | Pick No. | NFL team | Player | Pos. | College | Conf. | Notes |
| 1 | 11 | Chicago Bears | Justin Fields | QB | Ohio State | Big Ten | from N.Y. Giants |
| 1 | 12 | Dallas Cowboys | Micah Parsons | LB | Penn State | Big Ten | from San Francisco via Miami and Philadelphia |
| 1 | 13 | Los Angeles Chargers | Rashawn Slater | OT | Northwestern | Big Ten | |
| 1 | 21 | Indianapolis Colts | Kwity Paye | DE | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 1 | 26 | Cleveland Browns | Greg Newsome II | CB | Northwestern | Big Ten | |
| 1 | 27 | Baltimore Ravens | Rashod Bateman | WR | Minnesota | Big Ten | |
| 1 | 31 | Baltimore Ravens | Odafe Oweh | DE | Penn State | Big Ten | from Kansas City |
| 2 | 49 | Arizona Cardinals | Rondale Moore | WR | Purdue | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 55 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Pat Freiermuth | TE | Penn State | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 60 | New Orleans Saints | Pete Werner | LB | Ohio State | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 62 | Green Bay Packers | Josh Myers | C | Ohio State | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 68 | Atlanta Falcons | Jalen Mayfield | OT | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 74 | Washington Football Team | Benjamin St-Juste | CB | Minnesota | Big Ten | from San Francisco |
| 3 | 84 | Dallas Cowboys | Chauncey Golston | DE | Iowa | Big Ten | from Indianapolis via Philadelphia |
| 3 | 86 | Minnesota Vikings | Wyatt Davis | OG | Ohio State | Big Ten | from Seattle via N.Y. Jets |
| 3 | 87 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Kendrick Green | OG | Illinois | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 88 | San Francisco 49ers | Trey Sermon | RB | Ohio State | Big Ten | from L.A. Rams |
| 3 | 89 | Houston Texans | Nico Collins | WR | Michigan | Big Ten | from Cleveland via Carolina |
| 3× | 102 | San Francisco 49ers | Ambry Thomas | CB | Michigan | Big Ten | 2020 Resolution JC-2A selection |
| 3× | 105 | Denver Broncos | Baron Browning | LB | Ohio State | Big Ten | 2020 Resolution JC-2A selection via New Orleans |
| 4 | 113 | Detroit Lions | Derrick Barnes | LB | Purdue | Big Ten | from Carolina via Cleveland |
| 4 | 132 | Cleveland Browns | Tommy Togiai | OT | Ohio State | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 145 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Luke Farrell | TE | Ohio State | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 156 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Isaiahh Loudermilk | DT | Wisconsin | Big Ten | from Dallas via Philadelphia, Miami, and Philadelphia |
| 5 | 157 | Minnesota Vikings | Ihmir Smith-Marsette | WR | Iowa | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 158 | Carolina Panthers | Daviyon Nixon | DT | Iowa | Big Ten | from New England via Houston |
| 5 | 159 | Los Angeles Chargers | Brenden Jaimes | OT | Nebraska | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 160 | Baltimore Ravens | Shaun Wade | CB | Ohio State | Big Ten | from Arizona |
| 5 | 164 | Denver Broncos | Jamar Johnson | S | Indiana | Big Ten | from Chicago via N.Y. Giants |
| 5 | 167 | Las Vegas Raiders | Nate Hobbs | CB | Illinois | Big Ten | from Seattle |
| 5 | 174 | Los Angeles Rams | Earnest Brown IV | DE | Northwestern | Big Ten | from Buffalo via Houston |
| 5* | 177 | New England Patriots | Cameron McGrone | LB | Michigan | Big Ten | 33rd compensatory selection |
| 5* | 184 | Baltimore Ravens | Ben Mason | FB | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 185 | Los Angeles Chargers | Nick Niemann | LB | Iowa | Big Ten | from Jacksonville via Tennessee |
| 6 | 202 | Cincinnati Bengals | Chris Evans | RB | Michigan | Big Ten | from Miami via Houston |
| 6 | 213 | Buffalo Bills | Rachad Wildgoose | CB | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 214 | Green Bay Packers | Cole Van Lanen | OG | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| 6* | 225 | Washington Football Team | Camaron Cheeseman | LS | Michigan | Big Ten | from Philadelphia |
| 7 | 233 | Los Angeles Rams | Jake Funk | RB | Maryland | Big Ten | from Cincinnati via Houston |
| 7 | 238 | Dallas Cowboys | Matt Farniok | OG | Nebraska | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 239 | Denver Broncos | Jonathon Cooper | DE | Ohio State | Big Ten | from N.Y. Giants |
| 7 | 246 | Washington Football Team | Shaka Toney | DE | Penn State | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 247 | Arizona Cardinals | Michal Menet | C | Penn State | Big Ten | from Chicago via Las Vegas |
| 7 | 248 | Indianapolis Colts | Will Fries | OG | Penn State | Big Ten | |
Draft Notes
* ↑ San Francisco received 2021, 2022, and 2023 third-round selections when its defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was hired by the New York Jets as head coach and its vice president of player personnel Martin Mayhew was hired by Washington as general manager.
* ↑ New Orleans received 2021 and 2022 third-round selections when its director of pro scouting Terry Fontenot was hired by Atlanta as general manager.
* 1 2 "Chicago Bears select QB Justin Fields with No. 11 pick in NFL draft after making deal with New York Giants". ESPN.com. April 30, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
* ↑ Shook, Nick (March 26, 2021). "49ers acquire No. 3 overall pick from Dolphins; Miami gets No. 12 pick, two future firsts". NFL.com. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
* 1 2 Patra, Kevin (March 26, 2021). "Dolphins acquire No. 6 pick in 2021 draft from Eagles for No. 12 pick, 2022 first-rounder". NFL.com. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
* 1 2 "Eagles trade up, get Bama WR Smith at No. 10". ESPN.com. April 30, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
* ↑ Lambert, Ivan (April 25, 2020). "Goodbye Trent". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 26, 2020. Williams will now become a member of the San Francisco 49ers; while in return the Redskins received a fifth round choice in this year's draft (156th overall) and also a third round choice in the 2021 draft.
* ↑ "Philadelphia Eagles trade QB Carson Wentz to Indianapolis Colts for two draft picks". ESPN. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
* ↑ Cimini, Rich (July 25, 2020). "New York Jets trade Jamal Adams to Seattle Seahawks, get two first-round picks". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
* ↑ Smith, Eric (April 29, 2021). "Vikings Trade Down with Jets in 2021 NFL Draft's 1st Round". Minnesota Vikings. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
* 1 2 3 4 5 "2021 NFL Draft trade tracker: Full details of every move". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
* ↑ Archer, Todd (April 25, 2020). "Dallas Cowboys make rare trade with Eagles to draft center Tyler Biadasz". ESPN. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
* ↑ "Here Are Reported Details On Patriots' Marcus Cannon Trade To Texans". NES. March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
* ↑ Eisen, Michael (April 30, 2021). "Giants trade up for UCF CB Aaron Robinson". Giants.com.
* ↑ Boyle, John (March 21, 2021). "Seahawks Acquire Guard Gabe Jackson In Trade With Raiders". Seahawks.com.
* ↑ Davenport, Turron (October 14, 2020). "Unhappy LB Correa traded by Titans to Jaguars". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
* ↑ Comway, Tyler (November 2, 2020). "Desmond King Traded to Titans; Chargers Acquire 6th-Round Draft Pick". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
* ↑ Patra, Kevin (August 31, 2019). "Texans trade for Dolphins' Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills". NFL.com. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
* 1 2 "Bengals Trade Quarterback Ryan Finley To Texans". Sports Illustrated. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
* ↑ O'Halloran, Ryan (September 2, 2020). "Broncos trade cornerback Isaac Yiadom to New York Giants". The Denver Post. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
* ↑ "Sources: Bears trade for Raiders kicker Pineiro". ESPN. May 6, 2019.
* ↑ "Cardinals Make Trade For 3-Time Pro Bowl Center Rodney Hudson". azcardinals.com. March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
* ↑ Hensley, Jamison (April 23, 2021). "Sources: Chiefs shipping first-round pick, 3 others to Ravens for package highlighted by Orlando Brown Jr". ESPN. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
* ↑ No. 11: NY Giants → Chicago (D). NY Giants traded its first-round selection (11th overall) to Chicago in exchange for first- and fifth-round selections (20th and 164th overall), alongside their first and fourth-round selections in 2022.
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 12: San Francisco → Miami (PD). See No. 3: Miami → San Francisco.    No. 6: Philadelphia → Miami (PD).No. 12: Miami → Philadelphia (PD). See    No. 12: Philadelphia → Dallas (D). See No. 10: Dallas → Philadelphia.
* ↑ No. 31: Kansas City → Baltimore (PD). Kansas City traded a first, third, and fourth-round selection (31st, 94th, and 136th overall) and a 2022 fifth-round selection to Baltimore in exchange for a second-round selection (58th overall), a 2022 sixth-round selection, and offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
* ↑ No. 74: San Francisco → Washington (PD). San Francisco traded third-round and 2020 fifth-round selections to Washington in exchange for offensive tackle Trent Williams.
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 84: Indianapolis → Philadelphia (PD). Indianapolis traded a third-round selection and a 2022 conditional second-round selection, which could go up to the first round, to Philadelphia in exchange for quarterback Carson Wentz.    No. 84: Philadelphia → Dallas (D). See No. 10: Dallas → Philadelphia.
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 86: Seattle → N.Y. Jets (PD). See No. 23: Seattle → N.Y. Jets.    No. 86: N.Y. Jets → Minnesota (D). See No. 14: Minnesota → N.Y. Jets.
* ↑ No. 88: L.A. Rams → San Francisco (D). The L.A. Rams traded a third-round selection (88th overall) to San Francisco in exchange for two fourth-round selections (117th and 121st overall).
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 89: Cleveland → Carolina (D). See No. 52: Carolina → Cleveland.    No. 89: Carolina → Houston (D). Carolina traded a third-round selection (89th overall) to Houston in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round selections (109th and 158th overall) and a 2022 fourth-round selection.
* ↑ No. 113: Carolina → Cleveland (D). See No. 52: Carolina → Cleveland.
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 156: Dallas → Philadelphia (PD). Dallas traded 2020 and 2021 fifth-round selections to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round selection.    No. 156: Philadelphia → Miami (PD). See No. 6: Philadelphia → Miami.
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 158: New England → Houston (PD). See No. 122: Houston → New England.    No. 158: Houston → Carolina (D). See No. 89: Carolina → Houston.
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 164: Chicago → N.Y. Giants (D). See No. 11: N.Y. Giants → Chicago.    No. 164: N.Y. Giants → Denver (D). See No. 71: Denver → N.Y. Giants.
* ↑ No. 167: Seattle → Las Vegas (PD). Seattle traded a fifth-round selection to Las Vegas in exchange for offensive guard Gabe Jackson.
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 185: Jacksonville → Tennessee (PD). Jacksonville traded a sixth-round selection to Tennessee in exchange for a seventh-round selection and linebacker Kamalei Correa.    No. 185: Tennessee → L.A. Chargers (PD). Tennessee traded Jacksonville's six-round selection to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for cornerback Desmond King.
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 202: Miami → Houston (PD). See No. 3: Houston → Miami.    No. 202: Houston → Cincinnati (PD). Houston traded Miami's sixth-round pick in exchange for a seventh-round selection and quarterback Ryan Finley.
* ↑ No. 233: Cincinnati → Houston. See No. 202: Houston → Cincinnati.
* ↑ No. 239: N.Y. Giants → Denver (PD). The New York Giants traded a seventh-round selection to Denver in exchange for cornerback Isaac Yiadom.
* ↑ Multiple trades:    No. 247: Chicago → Las Vegas (PD). Chicago traded a conditional seventh-round selection to Las Vegas, based in Oakland at the time of trade, in exchange for kicker Eddy Piñeiro.    No. 247: Las Vegas → Arizona (PD). See No. 79: Arizona → Las Vegas.
* ↑ The NFL originally announced 32 compensatory selections. On March 19, it released a revised list of 33 selections. After correcting an error in the original calculation, the Patriots earned an additional fifth-round compensatory selection. The NFL Management Council and NFLPA agreed to add an extra compensatory selection instead of removing a previously awarded one.

## Head coaches

Current through January 11, 2021
| Team | Head coach | Years at school | Overall record | Record at school | B1G record |
| Illinois | Lovie Smith* | 5 | 17–39 (.304) | 17–39 (.304) | 10–33 (.233) |
| Illinois | Rod Smith* | 1 | 0–1 (.000) | 0–1 (.000) | 0–1 (.000) |
| Indiana | Tom Allen* | 4 | 24–22 (.522) | 24–22 (.522) | 15–19 (.441) |
| Iowa | Kirk Ferentz | 22 | 180–127 (.586) | 168–106 (.613) | 103–77 (.572) |
| Maryland | Mike Locksley* | 2 | 8–43 (.157) | 6–17 (.261) | 4–16 (.200) |
| Michigan | Jim Harbaugh | 6 | 107–49 (.686) | 49–22 (.690) | 34–16 (.680) |
| Michigan State | Mel Tucker | 1 | 7–12 (.368) | 2–5 (.286) | 2–5 (.286) |
| Minnesota | P. J. Fleck | 4 | 56–41 (.577) | 26–19 (.578) | 15–19 (.441) |
| Nebraska | Scott Frost | 3 | 31–27 (.534) | 12–20 (.375) | 9–17 (.346) |
| Northwestern | Pat Fitzgerald | 15 | 106–81 (.567) | 106–81 (.567) | 63–60 (.512) |
| Ohio State | Ryan Day* | 2 | 23–2 (.920) | 23–2 (.920) | 15–0 (1.000) |
| Penn State | James Franklin | 7 | 84–43 (.661) | 60–28 (.682) | 38–23 (.623) |
| Purdue | Jeff Brohm | 4 | 49–35 (.583) | 19–25 (.432) | 14–19 (.424) |
| Rutgers | Greg Schiano* | 12 | 71–73 (.493) | 71–73 (.493) | 3–6 (.333) |
| Wisconsin | Paul Chryst | 6 | 75–38 (.664) | 56–19 (.747) | 37–13 (.740) |
* Tom Allen was hired to replace Kevin Wilson in December 2016 at Indiana and coached the Hoosiers in their 2016 bowl game, going 0–1.
* Mike Locksley served as interim head coach at Maryland in 2015 and coached for six games, going 1–5.
* Ryan Day served as interim head coach at Ohio State for the first three games of the 2018 season while Urban Meyer served a three-game suspension and went 3–0.
* Greg Schiano served as head coach at Rutgers from 2001 through 2011 then left for the NFL. Following the conclusion of the 2019 season, Schiano returned to Rutgers for his second stint as head coach. The Scarlet Knights competed in the Big East Conference in his previous stay at the school.
* Lovie Smith was relieved of his coaching duties at Illinois on December 13. Offensive coordinator Rod Smith was named interim coach for the final game of the 2020 season.