1951 Big Ten Conference football season


The 1951 Big Ten Conference football season was the 56th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1951 college football season.
The 1951 Illinois Fighting Illini football team, under head coach Ray Eliot, compiled a 9–0–1 record, won the Big Ten championship, was ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll, and defeated Stanford 40–7 in the 1952 Rose Bowl. The lone setback was a scoreless tie with Ohio State. Halfback Johnny Karras was the Big Ten's only consensus first-team All-American. Linebacker Chuck Boerio was selected as the team's most valuable player.
The 1951 Wisconsin Badgers football team, under head coach Ivy Williamson, compiled a 7–1–1 record, led the conference in scoring defense, and was ranked No. 8 in the final AP poll. Quarterback John Coatta was the first-team All-Big Ten quarterback. Defensive end Pat O'Donahue was selected as a first-team All-American by multiple selectors.

Season overview

Results and team statistics

Conf. RankTeamHead coachAP finalAP highOverall recordConf. recordPPGPAGMVP
1IllinoisRay Eliot#4#29–0–15–0–122.08.3Chuck Boerio
2PurdueStu HolcombNRNR5–44–117.016.9Pete Brewster
3WisconsinIvy Williamson#8#77–1–15–1–121.85.9Hal Faverty
4MichiganBennie OosterbaanNR#154–54–215.013.6Don Peterson
5Ohio StateWoody HayesNR#34–3–22–3–212.111.6Vic Janowicz
6NorthwesternBob VoigtsNR#135-42-412.413.8John Steeb
7MinnesotaWes FeslerNRNR2–6–11–4–118.028.7Ron Engel
8IndianaBernie CrimminsNRNR2–71–515.924.9Gene Gedman
9IowaLeonard RaffenspergerNRNR2–5–20–5–117.925.9Bill Reichardt

Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1951 season
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1951 season
PPG = Average of points scored per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold
PAG = Average of points allowed per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold
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 29

Post-season developments

Awards and honors

All-Big Ten honors

The following players were picked by the Associated Press as first-team players on the 1951 All-Big Ten Conference football team. The AP picked separate offensive and defensive units, whereas the UP selected a single, eleven man unit.
AP offense and UP overall selections
PositionNameTeamSelectors
QuarterbackJohn CoattaWisconsinAP, UP
HalfbackJohnny KarrasIllinoisAP, UP
HalfbackPaul GielMinnesotaAP
HalfbackVic JanowiczOhio StateUP
FullbackBill ReichardtIowaAP, UP
EndLowell PerryMichiganAP, UP
EndRex SmithIllinoisAP
EndLeo SugarPurdueAP , UP
TackleTom JohnsonMichiganAP, UP
TackleChuck UlrichIllinoisAP, UP
GuardDon MacRaeNorthwesternAP, UP
GuardChuck StudleyIllinoisAP, UP
CenterWayne RobinsonMinnesotaAP
CenterChuck BoerioIllinoisAP , UP

AP defensive unit
PositionNameTeamSelectors
Defensive endPat O'DonahueWisconsinAP
Defensive endLeo SugarPurdueAP , UP
Defensive tackleDick LoganOhio StateAP
Defensive tackleJerry SmithWisconsinAP
Defensive guardRobert KennedyWisconsinAP
Defensive guardDeral TeteakWisconsinAP
LinebackerChuck BoerioIllinoisAP , UP
LinebackerRoger ZatkoffMichiganAP
Defensive backVic JanowiczOhio StateAP
Defensive backAl BroskyIllinoisAP
Defensive backFred BruneyOhio StateAP

All-American honors

At the end of the 1951 season, only one Big Ten player secured a consensus first-team pick on the 1951 College Football All-America Team. The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were:
PositionNameTeamSelectors
HalfbackJohnny KarrasIllinoisAFCA, AAB, FWAA, TSN, UP, CP, WCFF

Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:
PositionNameTeamSelectors
Offensive endHal FavertyWisconsinINS
Offensive tackleChuck UlrichIllinoisINS
CenterChuck BoerioIllinoisNEA
Defensive endPat O'DonahueWisconsinAP, FWAA, NEA
Defensive endLeo SugarPurdueCT
Defensive tackleTom JohnsonMichiganCT
Defensive backAl BroskyIllinoisAP , FWAA

Other awards

Illinois running back Johnny Karras finished sixth in the voting for the 1951 Heisman Trophy.

1952 NFL Draft

The following Big Ten players were among the first 100 picks in the 1952 NFL Draft:
NamePositionTeamRoundOverall pick
Johnny KarrasBackIllinois216
Pete BrewsterEndPurdue221
Joe CampanellaTackleOhio State336
Chuck UlrichTackleIllinois441
Pat O'DonahueEndWisconsin557
Tom JohnsonTackleMichigan663
Bill ReichardtBackIowa776
Vic JanowiczBackOhio State779
Mel BecketCenterIndiana887
Wayne RobinsonCenterMinnesota889
Hubert JohnstonTackleIowa891
Jerry SmithTackleWisconsin894
Deral TeteakGuardWisconsin9100