2008 Big Ten Conference football season The 2008 Big Ten Conference football season is the 113th season for the Big Ten . Preseason . Ohio State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference with Wisconsin and Illinois second and third , respectively by the Media . Ohio State running back Chris Wells was chosen as the Preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the year while fellow Buckeye linebacker James Laurinaitis was named the Preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the year . Purdue Head Coach Joe Tiller will enter his final season , while Michigan ' s Rich Rodriguez will begin his first in Ann Arbor . In a given year , each Big Ten team will play eight of the other Big Ten teams . Thus for any given team in a given year , there are two others which will not be competed against . Below is the breakdown of " no - plays " for 2008 : Team — Does not play Akron @ Wisconsin < br > Schedule . Coastal Carolina @ Penn State < br > Maine @ Iowa < br > Syracuse @ Northwestern < br > Western Kentucky @ Indiana < br > Youngstown State @ Ohio State < br > Utah @ Michigan < br > Northern Illinois @ Minnesota < br > Michigan State @ California < br > Illinois @ Missouri < br > Eastern Illinois @ Illinois < br > Eastern Michigan @ Michigan State < br > Marshall @ Wisconsin < br > Miami ( Ohio ) @ Michigan < br > Northern Colorado @ Purdue < br > Ohio @ Ohio State < br > Florida International @ Iowa < br > Oregon State @ Penn State < br > Murray State @ Indiana < br > Northwestern @ Duke < br > Minnesota @ Bowling Green < br > Florida Atlantic @ Michigan State < br > Louisiana @ Illinois < br > Montana State @ Minnesota < br > Southern Illinois @ Northwestern < br > Iowa State @ Iowa < br > Oregon @ Purdue < br > Penn State @ Syracuse < br > Michigan @ Notre Dame < br > Ohio State @ Southern California < br > Wisconsin @ Fresno State < br > Central Michigan @ Purdue < br > Florida Atlantic @ Minnesota < br > Iowa @ Pittsburgh < br > Ohio @ Northwestern < br > Temple @ Penn State < br > Troy @ Ohio State < br > Notre Dame @ Michigan State < br > Ball State @ Indiana < br > Michigan State @ Indiana < br > Minnesota @ Ohio State < br > Northwestern @ Iowa < br > Purdue @ Notre Dame < br > Wisconsin @ Michigan < br > Illinois @ Penn State < br > Indiana @ Minnesota < br > Iowa @ Michigan State < br > Penn State @ Purdue < br > Illinois @ Michigan < br > Ohio State @ Wisconsin < br > Iowa @ Indiana < br > Minnesota @ Illinois < br > Toledo @ Michigan < br > Michigan State @ Northwestern < br > Purdue @ Ohio State < br > Penn State @ Wisconsin < br > Purdue @ Northwestern < br > Wisconsin @ Iowa < br > Ohio State @ Michigan State < br > Michigan @ Penn State < br > Indiana @ Illinois < br > Illinois @ Wisconsin < br > Minnesota @ Purdue < br > Northwestern @ Indiana < br > Penn State @ Ohio State < br > Michigan State @ Michigan < br > Northwestern @ Minnesota < br > Central Michigan @ Indiana < br > Iowa @ Illinois < br > Michigan @ Purdue < br > Wisconsin @ Michigan State < br > Illinois @ Western Michigan < br > Michigan @ Minnesota < br > Ohio State @ Northwestern < br > Penn State @ Iowa < br > Purdue @ Michigan State < br > Wisconsin @ Indiana < br > Indiana @ Penn State < br > Minnesota @ Wisconsin < br > Northwestern @ Michigan < br > Ohio State @ Illinois < br > Purdue @ Iowa < br > Iowa @ Minnesota < br > California Polytechnic State @ Wisconsin < br > Illinois @ Northwestern < br > Indiana @ Purdue < br > Michigan @ Ohio State < br > Michigan State @ Penn State Statistical leaders . Team . < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > Individual . < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > < br > All - Big Ten Conference Team . Awards . National awards . Doak Walker Award Rimington Trophy Lott Trophy Jim Thorpe Award Conference honors . Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year Big Ten Freshman of the Year Dave McClain Coach of the Year ( Big Ten Coach of the Year ) Attendance . The overall attendance for the Big Ten was a total of 5 , 399 , 659 fans attending 77 contests this year . This meant that conference schools averaged 70 , 125 fans per home contest this season . Each Big Ten team has seven home games during the season with two exceptions ; Indiana played eight games in Memorial Stadium and Illinois played two neutral sites to limit the Illini to six games in Memorial Stadium . Below are the figures for each game , the total for the team ' s season and the average attendance per game . The rankings below are by average attendance per game .