After a 2010 NFL draft, which saw 34 Big Ten athletes selected,[4] 12 2009 first-team All-Big Ten selections, 8 second-team selections and 33 honorable mention selections returned for the 2010 season.[5] The Big Ten held the 2010 Football Media Days and 39th annual Kickoff Luncheon on Monday and Tuesday, August 2–3.[4]
Schedules
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 each team and its two "no-plays" for 2010:[6]
Illinois: Iowa, Wisconsin
Indiana: Michigan State, Minnesota
Iowa: Illinois, Purdue
Michigan: Minnesota, Northwestern
Michigan State: Indiana, Ohio State
Minnesota: Indiana, Michigan
Northwestern: Michigan, Ohio State
Ohio State: Michigan State, Northwestern
Penn State: Purdue, Wisconsin
Purdue: Iowa, Penn State
Wisconsin: Illinois, Penn State
Rankings
In Weeks 3 and 4, the Big Ten had six teams ranked in both polls for the first time since September 13, 2004.[7]
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
RV
C
RV
RV
Harris
Not released
RV
BCS
Not released
Indiana
AP
C
Harris
Not released
BCS
Not released
Iowa
AP
9
9
9
18
17
15
15
13
18
15
13
21
C
10
9
10
18
18
15
14
12
19
16
13
20
Harris
Not released
15
12
17
14
12
19
BCS
Not released
15
18
16
13
20
Michigan
AP
RV
20
21
19
18
RV
RV
RV
RV
C
RV
22
22
19
17
24
RV
25
RV
RV
RV
Harris
Not released
24
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
BCS
Not released
Michigan State
AP
RV
RV
25
24
17
13
8
5
16
10
11
11
7
7
C
RV
RV
RV
23
21
16
11
8
5
15
10
11
10
7
7
Harris
Not released
12
8
5
16
10
10
10
7
7
BCS
Not released
7
5
14
11
12
10
8
9
Minnesota
AP
C
Harris
Not released
BCS
Not released
Northwestern
AP
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
C
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
25
RV
RV
RV
RV
25
Harris
Not released
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
BCS
Not released
Ohio State
AP
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
11
10
8
8
8
C
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
10
10
8
7
7
Harris
Not released
1
10
10
8
7
7
BCS
Not released
10
11
11
9
9
Penn State
AP
19
18
22
23
22
RV
RV
C
14
14
20
20
20
RV
RV
RV
Harris
Not released
RV
RV
BCS
Not released
Purdue
AP
C
Harris
Not released
BCS
Not released
Wisconsin
AP
12
11
11
11
11
20
18
10
9
7
6
5
C
12
11
11
10
9
19
16
11
9
7
5
5
Harris
Not released
16
11
9
7
5
5
BCS
Not released
13
10
9
7
7
Spring games
April 17
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Purdue
Wisconsin
April 24
Illinois
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Season
Homecoming games
October 2
Penn State @ Iowa 7:05 p.m. CT (Iowa's record in homecoming games is 52-41-5) [8]
Northwestern @ Minnesota 11:00 a.m. CT (Minnesota's record in homecoming games is 54-33-3) [9]
October 9
Illinois @ Penn State 12:00 p.m. ET (Penn State's record in homecoming games is 65-20-5) [10]
Minnesota @ Wisconsin 11:00 a.m. ET (Wisconsin's record in homecoming games is 52-45-5) [11]
October 16
Arkansas State @ Indiana 12:00 p.m. ET (Indiana's record in homecoming games is 43-48-6) [12]
Iowa @ Michigan 3:30 p.m. ET (Michigan's record in homecoming games is 83–26) [13]
Illinois @ Michigan State 12:00 p.m. ET (Michigan State's record in homecoming games is 61-30-3) [14]
Minnesota @ Purdue 12:00 p.m. ET (Purdue's record in homecoming games is 48-35-4) [15]
October 23
Indiana @ Illinois 11:00 a.m. CT (Illinois's record in homecoming games is 42-55-2) [16]
Purdue @ Ohio State 12:00 p.m. ET (Ohio State's record in homecoming games is 64-19-5) [18]
On September 25, Joe Paterno became the fifth head coach to earn 150 victories as a member of the Big Ten Conference.[7] On October 9, Jim Tressel became the first Big Ten head coach to earn 100 victories in his first ten seasons, surpassing Bo Schembechler and Lloyd Carr who achieved the milestone in their 11th seasons and he did so in the third fewest games (121), behind Schembechler and Fielding Yost (119) and ahead of Henry Williams (123). (The wins for the 2010 season were later vacated.)[19] On November 6, Paterno became the first FBS coach to total 400 career wins.[20]
Week 3 attendance (September 18) set an all-time Big Ten single-day attendance record with an average of 78,844. All eight games had crowds of over 50,000; Michigan State (78,411), Wisconsin (81,332), Ohio State (105,075) and Michigan (110,187) had sellouts; and 100,610 patrons were in attendance for Penn State. It surpassed the September 3, 2005 eight-game single-day average of 76,475.[21] On October 9, the Big Ten set a five-game attendance record of 88,034, surpassing the 87,620, set on October 28, 1995. Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin all hosted sellouts.[19]
HONORABLE MENTION: ILLINOIS: Jeff Allen, Nate Bussey, Trulon Henry, Graham Pocic, Tavon Wilson; INDIANA: Damarlo Belcher, James Brewer, Mitch Ewald; IOWA: Christian Ballard, Mike Daniels, Adam Robinson, Ryan Donahue; MICHIGAN: Denard Robinson, Stephen Schilling; MICHIGAN STATE: Edwin Baker, Kirk Cousins, Mark Dell, Joel Foreman, Charlie Gantt, Marcus Hyde, Jerel Worthy; MINNESOTA: D.J. Burris; NORTHWESTERN: Drake Dunsmore, Jeremy Ebert, Brian Peters; OHIO STATE: Devin Barclay, DeVier Posey, Terrelle Pryor, John Simon; PENN STATE: Quinn Barham, Chris Colasanti, D'Anton Lynn, Derek Moye; PURDUE: Ricardo Allen, Dwayne Beckford, Carson Wiggs; WISCONSIN: Montee Ball, Niles Brinkley, Antonio Fenelus, Peter Konz, Bill Nagy, Blake Sorensen, Mike Taylor, Ricky Wagner, Philip Welch, James White, Kevin Zeitler.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Denard Robinson, Michigan
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR:
Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR:
Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
James White, Wisconsin
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees: Tavon Wilson, ILL; Tyler Replogle, IND; Ricky Stanzi, IOWA; Mark Moundros, MICH; Kirk Cousins, MSU; Jon Hoese, MINN; Corbin Bryant, NU; Bryant Browning, OSU; Brett Brackett, PSU; Ryan Kerrigan, PUR; Scott Tolzien, WIS.
* Additional honorees due to ties
# Second team reduced by one due to additional first-team honoree
^#61: New York Jets → San Diego (PD). The Jets traded this conditional selection to San Diego for cornerback Antonio Cromartie.[24]
^#72: Washington → New Orleans (PD). Washington traded this selection and a conditional 2012 sixth-round selection to New Orleans for offensive tackle Jammal Brown and a fifth-round selection.[25]
#135: Tampa Bay → Kansas City (PD). Tampa Bay traded this selection to Kansas City for Kansas City's 6th round selection (#187) and defensive tackle Alex Magee.[27]
References
^"Buckeyes vacate wins from last football season". ESPN.com. July 8, 2011. The measures taken by the school included vacating all the Buckeyes' wins from last season, a year in which Ohio State captured a record-tying sixth straight Big Ten title and won an unprecedented seventh straight game over Michigan.