The 1953 Michigan State Spartans football team, under head coach Clarence Munn, won the Big Ten championship in the program's first year of participating in the Big Ten. The Spartans compiled a 9–1 record and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP and UPI polls. End Don Dohoney was a consensus first-team All-American. Halfback Leroy Bolden was selected as the team's most valuable player.
The 1953 Illinois Fighting Illini football team, under head coach Ray Eliot, finished in second place in the Big Ten with a 7–1–1, led the conference with 25.3 points allowed per game, and was ranked No. 7 in the final AP Poll. Halfback J. C. Caroline was a consensus first-team All-American.
Minnesota quarterback Paul Giel was a consensus first-team All-American and received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the Big Ten's most valuable player for the second consecutive year.
Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1953 season[1]
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1953 season[1]
PPG = Average of points scored per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold[1]
PAG = Average of points allowed per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold[1]
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
Regular season
September 26
Michigan State 21, Iowa 7.
Illinois 21, Nebraska 21.
Wisconsin 20, Penn State 0.
Ohio State 36, Indiana 12.
USC 17, Minnesota 7.
Michigan 50, Washington 0.
Missouri 14, Purdue 7.
Northwestern 35, Iowa State 0.
October 3
Michigan State 21, Minnesota 0.
Illinois 33, Stanford 21.
Wisconsin 13, Marquette 11.
Ohio State 33, California 19.
Michigan 26, Tulane 7.
Iowa 54, Washington 12.
USC 27, Indiana 14 (game played October 2).
Notre Dame 37, Purdue 7.
Northwestern 33, Army 20.
October 10
Michigan State 26, TCU 19.
Illinois 41, Ohio State 20.
UCLA 13, Wisconsin 0 (game played October 9).
Minnesota 30, Northwestern 13.
Michigan 14, Iowa 13.
Indiana 21, Marquette 20.
Duke 20, Purdue 14.
October 17
Michigan State 47, Indiana 18.
Illinois 27, Minnesota 7.
Wisconsin 28, Purdue 19.
Ohio State 12, Penn 6.
Michigan 20, Northwestern 12.
Iowa 21, Wyoming 17.
October 24
Purdue 6, Michigan State 0.
Illinois 20, Syracuse 13.
Ohio State 20, Wisconsin 19.
Minnesota 22, Michigan 0.
Iowa 19, Indiana 13.
Northwestern 27, Pittsburgh 21 (game played October 25).
On January 1, 1954, Michigan State defeated the UCLA, 28–20, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Michigan State halfback Billy Wells was named the Rose Bowl player of the game. The 1954 Rose Bowl had the first color television "colorcast", viewable on 200 sets across the United States.[2]
Post-season developments
Two Big Ten teams changed head coaches between the 1953 and 1954 seasons:
In December 1953, Wes Fesler resigned as Minnesota's head coach to accept a position as a partner, vice president and sports director at Minneapolis radio station WDGY.[3] In January 1954, Murray Warmath signed a four-year contract as Minnesota's new head football coach.[4]
In January 1954, Michigan State's head coach Clarence Munn was elevated to a new position as the school's athletic director. Longtime line coach Duffy Daugherty became the new head football coach.[5]
At the end of the 1953 season, Big Ten players secured three of 11 consensus first-team picks for the 1953 College Football All-America Team.[6] The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were:
Three Big Ten players finished among the top 10 in the voting for the 1953 Heisman Trophy: Minnesota running back Paul Giel (second); Wisconsin running back Alan Ameche (sixth); and Illinois running back J. C. Caroline (seventh).[7]
1954 NFL Draft
The following Big Ten players were among the first 100 picks in the 1954 NFL draft:[8]
