| 1984 Big Ten Conference football season | |
| Sport: | American football |
| No Of Teams: | 10 |
| Tv: | ABC, CBS, PASS, SportsVision |
| Top Pick: | Kevin Allen |
| Season Champs: | Ohio State |
| Season Champ Name: | Champion |
| Second Place: | Illinois, Purdue |
| Mvp: | Keith Byars |
| Prevseason Year: | 1983 |
| Nextseason Year: | 1985 |
The 1984 Big Ten Conference football season was the 89th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season.
The 1984 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, under head coach Earle Bruce, compiled a 9–3 record, won the Big Ten championship, led the conference in scoring offense (32.6 points per game), lost the 1985 Rose Bowl to USC, and was ranked No. 13 in the final AP poll. Running back Keith Byars set a Big Ten record with 1,764 rushing yards, won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's most valuable player, was selected as a consensus All-American, and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Offensive guard Jim Lachey was also selected as a consensus All-American.
The 1984 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, under head coach Hayden Fry, compiled an 8–4–1 record, led the conference in scoring defense (15.5 points allowed per game), defeated Texas in the 1984 Freedom Bowl, and was ranked No. 15 in the final UPI poll. Linebacker Larry Station was a consensus All-American. Chuck Long was the first-team All-Big Ten quarterback and led the conference with a 156.4 passing efficiency rating, and Ronnie Harmon was a first-team All-Big Ten running back.
The 1984 Illinois Fighting Illini football team, under head coach Mike White, compiled a 7–3 record and finished in a tie for second place in the Big Ten. Wide receiver David Williams set Big Ten records with 101 receptions and 1,278 receiving yards and was a consensus All-American.
The 1984 Purdue Boilermakers football team compiled a 7–5 record, tied with Illinois for second place in the Big Ten, and lost to Virginia in the 1984 Peach Bowl. Leon Burtnett was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, and quarterback Jim Everett led the conference with 3,256 passing yards.
Six Big Ten teams played in bowl games, compiling a 1–5 record in those games.
| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | AP final | AP high | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG | MVP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | Earle Bruce |
|
| 9–3 | 7–2 | 32.6 | 16.7 | Keith Byars | |
| 2 (tie) | Illinois | Mike White | NR | NR | 7–3 | 6–3 | 29.4 | 19.0 | David Williams | |
| 2 (tie) | Purdue | Leon Burtnett | NR |
| 7–5 | 6–3 | 23.8 | 23.6 | Jim Everett | |
| 4 (tie) | Iowa | Bob Commings |
|
| 8–4–1 | 5–3–1 | 27.6 | 15.5 | Ronnie Harmon | |
| 4 (tie) | Wisconsin | Dave McClain | NR |
| 7–4–1 | 5–3–1 | 20.2 | 17.2 | Al Toon | |
| 6 (tie) | Michigan | Bo Schembechler | NR |
| 6–6 | 5–4 | 17.8 | 16.7 | Mike Mallory | |
| 6 (tie) | Michigan State | George Perles | NR | NR | 6–6 | 5–4 | 16.1 | 16.9 | James Morrissey | |
| 8 | Minnesota | Lou Holtz | NR | NR | 4–7 | 3–6 | 17.6 | 28.7 | Rickey Foggie | |
| 9 | Northwestern | Dennis Green | NR | NR | 2–9 | 2–7 | 12.5 | 31.7 | Keith Cruise | |
| 10 | Indiana | Bill Mallory | NR | NR | 0–11 | 0–9 | 16.8 | 30.7 | Joe Fitzgerald |
On September 1, 1984, the Big Ten football season began with a single conference game.
On September 8, 1984, the Big Ten football teams played 10 non-conference games, resulting in eight wins and two losses.
On September 15, 1984, the Big Ten teams played 10 non-conference games, resulting in two wins and eight losses.
On September 22, 1984, the Big Ten teams played five conference games.
On September 29, 1984, the Big Ten teams played five conference games.
On October 6, 1984, the Big Ten teams played five conference games.
On October 13, 1984, the Big Ten teams played five conference games.
On October 20, 1984, the Big Ten football teams played five conference games.
On October 27, 1984, the Big Ten teams played five conference games.
On November 3, 1984, the Big Ten football teams played five conference games.
On November 10, 1984, the Big Ten teams played five conference games.
On November 17, 1984, the Big Ten teams played four conference games. Illinois and Northwestern did not play.
On December 1, 1984, the Big Ten's regular season came to an end with a single non-conference game.
Six of ten Big Ten football teams participated in post-season bowl games.
See main article: 1985 Rose Bowl. On January 1, 1985, Ohio State (ranked No. 6 in the AP poll) lost to USC (ranked No. 18), 20-17, before a crowd of 102,594 in the 1985 Rose Bowl at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Ohio State quarterback Mike Tomczak threw three interceptions.
See main article: 1984 Peach Bowl. On December 31, 1984, Purdue lost to Virginia, 27-24, before a crowd of 41,107 in the 1984 Peach Bowl at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. Purdue quarterback Jim Everett passed for 253 yards and three touchdowns, but the Boilermakers gained just 75 yards rushing and committed four turnovers in their first bowl loss.
See main article: 1984 Hall of Fame Classic. On December 29, 1984, Wisconsin lost to Kentucky, 20-19, before a crowd of 47,300 in the 1984 Hall of Fame Classic at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
See main article: 1984 Freedom Bowl. On December 26, 1984, Iowa defeated Texas (ranked No. 19 in the AP poll), 55–17, in the 1984 Freedom Bowl at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California.
See main article: 1984 Cherry Bowl. On December 22, 1984, Michigan State lost to Army, 10–6, before a crowd of 70,336 at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.
See main article: 1984 Holiday Bowl. On December 21, 1984, Michigan lost to BYU (ranked No. 1 in the AP and UPI polls), 24-17, before a crowd of 61,248 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Robbie Bosco, playing with an injured leg, led BYU's winning touchdown drive in the final quarter, ending with a touchdown pass from Bosco to Kelly Smith with 1:23 remaining. After the bowl season, BYU was recognized as the 1984 consensus national champion.
The Big Ten's individual statistical leaders include the following:[1]
1. Jim Everett, Purdue (3,256)
2. Chuck Long, Iowa (2,871)
3. Jack Trudeau, Illinois (2,724)
4. Steve Bradley, Indiana (2,544)
5. Mike Howard, Wisconsin (2,127)[1]
1. Keith Byars, Ohio State (1,764)
2. Thomas Rooks, Illinois (1,056)
3. Owen Gill, Iowa (920)
4. Ronnie Harmon, Iowa (907)
5. Marck Harrison, Wisconsin (848)[1]
1. David Williams, Illinois (1,278)
2. Steve Griffin, Purdue (1,060)
3. Len Kenebrew, Indiana (750)
3. Al Toon, Wisconsin (750)
5. Randy Grant, Illinois (680)[1]
1. Jim Everett, Purdue (3,207)
2. Jack Trudeau, Illinois (2,797)
3. Chuck Long, Iowa (2,717)
4. Steve Bradley, Indiana (2,561)
5. Mike Howard, Wisconsin (2,138)[1]
1. Chuck Long, Iowa (156.4)
2. Jack Trudeau, Illinois (136.3)
3. Mike Tomczak, Ohio State (131.1)
4. Jim Everett, Purdue (127.6)
5. Mike Howard, Wisconsin (118.8)[1]
1. Larry Emery, Wisconsin (6.2)
2. John Wooldridge, Ohio State (5.9)
3. Keith Byars, Ohio State (5.2)
4. Bob Perryman, Michigan (5.2)
5. Casey Cummings, Northwestern (4.9)[1]
1. Dwayne McMullen, Minnesota (22.8)
2. Len Kenebrew, Indiana (18.3)
3. Randy Grant, Illinois (16.6)
4. Steve Griffin, Purdue (16.6)
5. Rick Brunner, Purdue (15.9)[1]
1. Keith Byars, Ohio State (144)
2. Chris White, Illinois (103)
3. Tom Nichol, Iowa (89)
4. Rich Spangler, Ohio State (87)
5. Todd Gregoire, Wisconsin (84)[1]
The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP) and/or the United Press International (UPI) as first-team players on the 1984 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
Offense
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | Chuck Long | Iowa | AP, UPI | |
| Running back | Keith Byars | Ohio State | AP, UPI | |
| Running back | Ronnie Harmon | Iowa | AP, UPI | |
| Running back | Thomas Rooks | Illinois | UPI | |
| Center | Kirk Lowdermilk | Ohio State | AP, UPI | |
| Guard | Chris Babyar | Illinois | AP, UPI | |
| Guard | Jim Lachey | Ohio State | AP, UPI | |
| Tackle | Jeff Dellenbach | Wisconsin | AP, UPI | |
| Tackle | Jim Juriga | Illinois | AP | |
| Tackle | Mark Krerowicz | Ohio State | UPI | |
| Tight end | Cap Boso | Illinois | AP | |
| Receiver | Al Toon | Wisconsin | AP, UPI | |
| Receiver | David Williams | Illinois | AP, UPI |
Defense
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defensive line | Keith Cruise | Northwestern | AP, UPI | |
| Defensive line | Paul Hufford | Iowa | AP, UPI | |
| Defensive line | George Little | Iowa | AP, UPI | |
| Defensive line | Kevin Brooks | Michigan | UPI | |
| Defensive line | Darryl Sims | Wisconsin | AP | |
| Linebacker | Pepper Johnson | Ohio State | AP, UPI | |
| Linebacker | Mike Mallory | Michigan | AP, UPI | |
| Linebacker | Larry Station | Iowa | AP, UPI | |
| Linebacker | Jim Morrissey | Michigan State | UPI | |
| Linebacker | Joe Fitzgerald | Indiana | AP | |
| Defensive back | Mike Stoops | Iowa | AP, UPI | |
| Defensive back | Rod Woodson | Purdue | AP | |
| Defensive back | Devon Mitchell | Iowa | AP | |
| Defensive back | Phil Parker | Michigan State | UPI | |
| Defensive back | Richard Johnson | Wisconsin | UPI |
At the end of the 1984 season, four Big Ten players were consensus first-team picks for the 1984 College Football All-America Team.[12] The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Running back | Keith Byars | Ohio State | AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC, GNS, NEA, TSN | |
| Receiver | David Williams | Illinois | AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WCFF, GNS, NEA, TSN | |
| Offensive guard | Jim Lachey | Ohio State | FWAA, UPI, GNS | |
| Linebacker | Larry Station | Iowa | AFCA, AP, UPI, WCFF |
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:
| Position | Name | Team | Selectors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tight end | Jon Hayes | Iowa | GNS | |
| Defensive back | Richard Johnson | Wisconsin | FWAA, NEA, TSN |
The 1985 NFL draft was held in New York on April 30 and May 1, 1985 in New York City, New York.[14] The following players were among the first 100 picks:[15]
| Name | Position | Team | Round | Overall pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Allen | Offensive tackle | Indiana | 1 | 9 |
| Al Toon | Wide Receiver | Wisconsin | 1 | 10 |
| Richard Johnson | Cornerback | Wisconsin | 1 | 11 |
| Jim Lachey | Offensive tackle | Ohio State | 1 | 12 |