Sports season
The 1966 Big Ten Conference football season was the 71st season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1966 NCAA University Division football season .
The 1966 Michigan State Spartans football team , under head coach Duffy Daugherty , won the Big Ten football championship, compiled a 9–0–1 record, and was ranked No. 2 in the final AP Poll. Four Spartans' players were among the first eight selections in the 1967 NFL/AFL Draft : defensive tackle Bubba Smith (first); running back Clinton Jones (second); linebacker George Webster (fifth); and flanker Gene Washington (eighth).
The 1966 Purdue Boilermakers football team , under head coach Jack Mollenkopf , finished in second place with a 9–2 record and was ranked No. 7 in the final AP Poll. The Boilermakers received the conference's berth to play in the 1967 Rose Bowl because of the Big Ten's "no-repeat" rule and defeated USC, 14–13. Purdue quarterback Bob Griese led the conference in passing yards and total yards and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's most valuable player and the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation's top collegiate passer. Griese also finished second behind Steve Spurrier in the voting for the 1966 Heisman Trophy .
Season overview
Results and team statistics
Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1966 season[ 1]
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1966 season[ 1]
PPG = Average of points scored per game[ 1]
PAG = Average of points allowed per game[ 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[ 2]
Preseason
Regular season
Bowl games
Post-season developments
Statistical leaders
The Big Ten's individual statistical leaders for the 1966 season include the following:[ 1]
Passing yards
Rank
Name
Team
Yards[ 1]
1
Bob Griese
Purdue
1,749
2
Dick Vidmer
Michigan
1,609
3
Frank Stavroff
Indiana
1,406
4
William Long
Ohio State
1,180
5
Bill Melzer
Northwestern
1,171
Rushing yards
Receiving yards
Total yards
Scoring
Awards and honors
All-Big Ten honors
The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP) and/or the United Press International (UPI) as first-team players on the 1966 All-Big Ten Conference football team .
Offense
Position
Name
Team
Selectors
Quarterback
Bob Griese
Purdue
AP, UPI
Running back
Clinton Jones
Michigan State
AP, UPI [halfback]
Running back
Jim Detwiler
Michigan
AP, UPI [halfback]
Running back
Dave Fisher
Michigan
UPI [fullback]
Running back
Bob Apisa
Michigan State
AP
End
Gene Washington
Michigan State
AP, UPI
End
Jack Clancy
Michigan
AP, UPI
Tackle
Jack Calcaterra
Purdue
AP, UPI
Tackle
Jerry West
Michigan State
AP, UPI
Guard
Chuck Erlenbaugh
Purdue
AP
Guard
Tom Schuette
Indiana
AP
Guard
Donald Bailey
Michigan
UPI
Guard
Anthony Conti
Michigan State
UPI
Center
Ray Pryor
Ohio State
AP, UPI
Defense
Position
Name
Team
Selectors
Defensive end
Bubba Smith
Michigan State
AP, UPI
Defensive end
Ken Kmiec
Illinois
AP
Defensive end
George Olion
Purdue
UPI
Defensive tackle
Lance Olssen
Purdue
AP, UPI
Defensive tackle
Nick Jordan
Michigan State
AP
Defensive tackle
Richard Himes
Ohio State
UPI
Defensive guard
Chuck Kyle
Purdue
UPI
Linebacker
Frank Nunley
Michigan
AP, UPI
Linebacker
Chuck Thornhill
Michigan State
AP, UPI
Linebacker
George Webster
Michigan State
AP [def. back], UPI
Linebacker
Bob Richter
Wisconsin
AP
Defensive back
Bruce Sullivan
Illinois
AP, UPI
Defensive back
Rich Volk
Michigan
AP, UPI
Defensive back
Phil Clark
Northwestern
AP
Defensive back
Jess Philips
Michigan State
UPI [safety]
All-American honors
At the end of the 1966 season, four Big Ten players secured consensus first-team honors on the 1966 College Football All-America Team .[ 3] The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were:
Position
Name
Team
Selectors
Offensive end
Jack Clancy
Michigan
AFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA [split end], UPI, Time, TSN, WCFF
Running back
Clinton Jones
Michigan State
AP, CP, NEA, Time, TSN, WCFF
Defensive end
Bubba Smith
Michigan State
AFCA, AP, CP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, Time, TSN, WCFF
Defensive back
George Webster
Michigan State
AFCA, AP, CP [linebacker], FWAA, NEA [linebacker], UPI, Time, TSN, WCFF
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:
Position
Name
Team
Selectors
Offensive end
Gene Washington
Michigan State
AFCA, UPI, Time, TSN
Offensive end
Jim Beirne
Purdue
CP
Offensive tackle
Jerry West
Michigan State
NEA
Center
Ray Pryor
Ohio State
FWAA
Quarterback
Bob Griese
Purdue
AFCA [tie]
Defensive back
Rick Volk
Michigan
Time, TSN
Defensive back
John Charles
Purdue
Time, TSN
Other awards
Purdue quarterback Bob Griese received the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation's top collegiate passer. He also finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy .[ 4]
1967 NFL/AFL Draft
The following Big Ten players were among the first 100 picks in the 1967 NFL/AFL Draft :[ 5]
References
Current teams Championships & awards Seasons