2008 Big Ten Conference football season

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

Schedule

Akron @ Wisconsin
Coastal Carolina @ Penn State
Maine @ Iowa
Syracuse @ Northwestern
Western Kentucky @ Indiana
Youngstown State @ Ohio State
Utah @ Michigan
Northern Illinois @ Minnesota
Michigan State @ California
Illinois @ Missouri

Eastern Illinois @ Illinois
Eastern Michigan @ Michigan State
Marshall @ Wisconsin
Miami (Ohio) @ Michigan
Northern Colorado @ Purdue
Ohio @ Ohio State
Florida International @ Iowa
Oregon State @ Penn State
Murray State @ Indiana
Northwestern @ Duke
Minnesota @ Bowling Green

Florida Atlantic @ Michigan State
Louisiana @ Illinois
Montana State @ Minnesota
Southern Illinois @ Northwestern
Iowa State @ Iowa
Oregon @ Purdue
Penn State @ Syracuse
Michigan @ Notre Dame
Ohio State @ Southern California
Wisconsin @ Fresno State

Central Michigan @ Purdue
Florida Atlantic @ Minnesota
Iowa @ Pittsburgh
Ohio @ Northwestern
Temple @ Penn State
Troy @ Ohio State
Notre Dame @ Michigan State
Ball State @ Indiana

Michigan State @ Indiana
Minnesota @ Ohio State
Northwestern @ Iowa
Purdue @ Notre Dame
Wisconsin @ Michigan
Illinois @ Penn State

Indiana @ Minnesota
Iowa @ Michigan State
Penn State @ Purdue
Illinois @ Michigan
Ohio State @ Wisconsin

Iowa @ Indiana
Minnesota @ Illinois
Toledo @ Michigan
Michigan State @ Northwestern
Purdue @ Ohio State
Penn State @ Wisconsin

Purdue @ Northwestern
Wisconsin @ Iowa
Ohio State @ Michigan State
Michigan @ Penn State
Indiana @ Illinois

Illinois @ Wisconsin
Minnesota @ Purdue
Northwestern @ Indiana
Penn State @ Ohio State
Michigan State @ Michigan

Northwestern @ Minnesota
Central Michigan @ Indiana
Iowa @ Illinois
Michigan @ Purdue
Wisconsin @ Michigan State

Illinois @ Western Michigan
Michigan @ Minnesota
Ohio State @ Northwestern
Penn State @ Iowa
Purdue @ Michigan State
Wisconsin @ Indiana

Indiana @ Penn State
Minnesota @ Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Michigan
Ohio State @ Illinois
Purdue @ Iowa

Iowa @ Minnesota
California Polytechnic State @ Wisconsin
Illinois @ Northwestern
Indiana @ Purdue
Michigan @ Ohio State
Michigan State @ Penn State

April 12

April 19

April 25

April 26

September 27

October 4

October 11

October 18

October 25

November 1

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.

* denotes Ohio Stadium record vs. Penn State on October 25.