The 2008 Big Ten Conference football season was the 113th season for the Big Ten.
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 entered his final season, while Michigan's Rich Rodriguez began 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:
TeamâÂÂDoes not play
Akron @ Wisconsin<br> 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
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
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
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
Michigan State @ Indiana<br> Minnesota @ Ohio State<br> Northwestern @ Iowa<br> Purdue @ Notre Dame<br> Wisconsin @ Michigan<br> Illinois @ Penn State
Indiana @ Minnesota<br> Iowa @ Michigan State<br> Penn State @ Purdue<br> Illinois @ Michigan<br> Ohio State @ Wisconsin
Iowa @ Indiana<br> Minnesota @ Illinois<br> Toledo @ Michigan<br> Michigan State @ Northwestern<br> Purdue @ Ohio State<br> Penn State @ Wisconsin
Purdue @ Northwestern<br> Wisconsin @ Iowa<br> Ohio State @ Michigan State<br> Michigan @ Penn State<br> Indiana @ Illinois
Illinois @ Wisconsin<br> Minnesota @ Purdue<br> Northwestern @ Indiana<br> Penn State @ Ohio State<br> Michigan State @ Michigan
Northwestern @ Minnesota<br> Central Michigan @ Indiana<br> Iowa @ Illinois<br> Michigan @ Purdue<br> Wisconsin @ Michigan State
Illinois @ Western Michigan<br> Michigan @ Minnesota<br> Ohio State @ Northwestern<br> Penn State @ Iowa<br> Purdue @ Michigan State<br> Wisconsin @ Indiana
Indiana @ Penn State<br> Minnesota @ Wisconsin<br> Northwestern @ Michigan<br> Ohio State @ Illinois<br> Purdue @ Iowa
Iowa @ Minnesota<br> California Polytechnic State @ Wisconsin<br> Illinois @ Northwestern<br> Indiana @ Purdue<br> Michigan @ Ohio State<br> Michigan State @ Penn State
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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)
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.
* denotes Ohio Stadium record vs. Penn State on October 25.