The 2009 Big Ten Conference football season was the 114th for the conference and saw Ohio State conclude the regular season as Big Ten Conference champion for the 5th consecutive time, their 34th Big Ten title. This earned them the conference's automatic selection to a Bowl Championship Series game in which it emerged victorious in the January 1, 2010 Rose Bowl against Oregon Ducks. Co-runner-up, Iowa, earned the conference's at-large BCS invitation to the January 5, 2010 Orange Bowl. The season started on Thursday, September 3, as conference member Indiana hosted Eastern Kentucky. The conference's other 10 teams began their respective 2009 season of NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) competition two days later. All teams started their season at home except Illinois who started their season on neutral turf for the third consecutive season against Missouri and Minnesota who traveled to Syracuse.
Although several players had post season All-star games remaining, the season concluded for Big Ten teams with the 2010 Orange Bowl in which Iowa defeated Georgia Tech. This was the seventh bowl game for the conference which compiled a 4–3 record. Over the course of 77 home games, the conference set a new attendance record. During the season, Minnesota opened a new athletic stadium, TCF Bank Stadium, and Purdue welcomed a new head coach, Danny Hope.
The season saw John Clay selected as offensive player of the year by both the coaches and the media. Jared Odrick and Greg Jones won defensive player of the year awards from the coaches and media, respectively. Chicago Tribune Silver Football recipients as the Big Ten co-MVPs were Daryll Clark and Brandon Graham. Jones was the conferences only consensus 2009 College Football All-America Team representative. The Big Ten Conference enjoyed two national statistical championships. Graham led the nation in tackles for a loss (TFL). Ray Fisher earned the national statistical championship in kickoff return average and established a new Big Ten single-season record with his performance. The Big Ten led the nation with six first team Academic All-Americans. After the season, 34 athletes were selected in the 2010 NFL draft including three in the first round and six each by Iowa and Penn State.
Previous season During the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, Ohio State won its fourth consecutive Big Ten championship while co-champion Penn State won its second in four years. Although the two teams tied with 7–1 conference records, Penn State earned the conference's automatic Bowl Championship Series selection due to a head-to-head victory. The two teams have been the only teams from the conference to win a Big Ten championship in the past four seasons.
During the season, every home game was televised nationally and 98 percent of the Big Ten's games were nationally aired far exceeding all other conferences, none of whom had even 75 percent of their games televised.
Preseason 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 each team and its two "no-plays" for 2009:
Illinois: Iowa, Wisconsin Indiana: Michigan State, Minnesota Iowa: Illinois, Purdue Michigan: Minnesota, Northwestern Michigan State: Indiana, Ohio State Minnesota: Indiana, Michigan Northwestern: Michigan, Ohio State Ohio State: Michigan State, Northwestern Penn State: Purdue, Wisconsin Purdue: Iowa, Penn State Wisconsin: Illinois, Penn State
The Big Ten Conference announced on July 27 that the big ten media had elected Ohio State as the preseason favorite for the 2009 football season. It had ranked Penn State second and Michigan State third. It chose Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Michigan State linebacker Greg Jones the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
In the Preseason Coaches' Poll released on August 7, the Big Ten was one of only three conferences with multiple teams ranked in the top ten.
The College Football Hall of Fame has selected Iowa's Larry Station (1982–85), Ohio State's Chris Spielman (1984–87) and Penn State's Curt Warner (1979–82) for December induction. 28 Big Ten athletes were selected in the 2009 National Football League Draft in late April, including four first-round picks. Two additional players were selected in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft.
Watchlists According to the Big Ten Conference at the beginning of the season: "The Big Ten now features 51 student-athletes on preseason watch lists for 19 different national awards. Among the honored conference players, 27 appear on more than one list and five Big Ten standouts lead the way by appearing on five different lists. Every Big Ten team has at least one player appearing on a watch list. Iowa, Ohio State and Penn State top all Big Ten schools with seven different players appearing on watch lists, followed by six nominees from Illinois and Michigan and five selections for Michigan State and Wisconsin.
On the offensive side of the ball, returning first-team All-Big Ten quarterback Daryll Clark of Penn State appears on the watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Manning, Maxwell, Davey O'Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards. Illinois signal caller Juice Williams, a second-team All-Big Ten choice last year, appears on four different lists for the Manning, Maxwell, Davey O'Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards. Illini wideout Arrelious Benn (Biletnikoff, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell) and Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor (Manning, Maxwell, Davey O'Brien) appear on three different watch lists. Players appearing on two lists include Iowa offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, Michigan running back Brandon Minor and offensive lineman David Molk, Michigan State center Joel Nitchman, Minnesota wideout Eric Decker and quarterback Adam Weber, Northwestern center Ben Burkett, Ohio State center Mike Brewster, Penn State running back Evan Royster and offensive lineman Stefan Wisniewski and the Wisconsin trio of running back John Clay, tight end Garrett Graham and center John Moffitt.
On the defensive side of the ball, four standouts appear on five different watch lists. Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and returning first-team All-Big Ten linebacker Greg Jones of Michigan State has been named to the watch lists for the Bednarik, Butkus and Rotary Lombardi Awards and the Lott and Nagurski Trophies. Fellow linebacker Sean Lee of Penn State, who missed last season due to injury after earning second-team All-Big Ten accolades in 2007, appears on the same five watch lists as Jones. Defensive ends Brandon Graham of Michigan and Corey Wootton of Northwestern were both tabbed for the Bednarik, Ted Hendricks, Rotary Lombardi, Lott and Nagurski watch lists. Wootton was a first-team All-Big Ten choice last year while Graham was named to the second team. Two more Nittany Lion standouts were named to four watch lists in linebacker NaVorro Bowman (Bednarik, Butkus, Lombardi, Nagurski) and defensive tackle Jared Odrick (Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski, Outland). Other defensive standouts to appear on multiple lists include Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson, Indiana defensive end Jammie Kirlew, Iowa linebacker Pat Angerer and Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman."
Award watch lists Award School Player Chuck Bednarik Award(Top Defensive Player) IND Jammie Kirlew IOWA Pat Angerer MICH Brandon Graham MSU Greg Jones NU Corey Wootton PSU Sean Lee Jared Odrick NaVorro Bowman Fred Biletnikoff Award(Best Wide Receiver) ILL Arrelious Benn MINN Eric Decker Butkus Award(Best Linebacker) ILL Martez Wilson MICH Obi Ezeh MSU Greg Jones PSU Sean Lee NaVorro Bowman IOWA Pat Angerer A.J. Edds Walter Camp Award(Top College Player) ILL Arrelious BennPSU Daryll Clark Evan Royster Lou Groza Award(Outstanding Place Kicker) MSU Brett Swenson OSU Aaron Pettrey PUR Carson Wiggs WIS Philip Welch Ray Guy Award(Outstanding Punter) IOWA Ryan Donahue MICH Zoltan Mesko Ted Hendricks Award(Outstanding Defensive End) ILL Doug Pilcher IND Jammie Kirlew Greg Middleton MICH Brandon Graham MSU Trevor Anderson NU Corey Wootton OSU Lawrence Wilson Lombardi Award(Outstanding Lineman) ILL Martez Wilson IND Jammie Kirlew IOWA Bryan Bulaga MICH Brandon Graham David Molk Stephen Schilling MSU Greg Jones Joel Nitchman NU Ben Burkett Corey Wootton OSU Mike BrewsterPSU NaVorro Bowman Sean Lee Jared Odrick Stefen WisniewskiWIS Gabe Carimi Garrett Graham John Moffitt Lott Trophy(Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year) IOWA Pat Angerer MICH Brandon Graham MSU Greg Jones NU Corey Wootton OSU Kurt Coleman PSU Sean Lee John Mackey Award(Outstanding Tight End) OSU Jake Ballard MSU Charlie Gantt WIS Garrett Graham ILL Michael Hoomanawanui IOWA Tony Moeaki PSU Andrew Quarless Manning Award(Outstanding Quarterback) ILL Juice Williams IOWA Ricky Stanzi MINN Adam Weber OSU Terrelle Pryor PSU Daryll Clark Maxwell Award(Top College Player) ILL Arrelious Benn Juice Williams MICH Brandon Minor MINN Eric Decker OSU Terrelle Pryor PSU Daryll Clark Evan Royster WIS John Clay Bronko Nagurski Trophy(Top Defensive Player) OSU Kurt Coleman MICH Brandon Graham MSU Greg Jones NU Corey Wootton PSU Sean Lee Jared Odrick NaVorro Bowman Davey O'Brien Award(Outstanding Quarterback) PSU Daryll Clark OSU Terrelle Pryor MINN Adam Weber ILL Juice Williams Outland Trophy(Outstanding Interior Lineman) ILL Jon Asamoah IOWA Bryan BulagaPSU Jared Odrick Stefen Wisniewski Dave Rimington Trophy(Outstanding Center) MICH David Molk MSU Joel Nitchman OSU Mike Brewster NU Ben Burkett WIS John Moffitt Jim Thorpe Award(Outstanding Defensive Back) OSU Kurt Coleman IOWA Amari Spievey Doak Walker Award(Outstanding Running Back) OSU Dan Herron MICH Brandon Minor WIS John Clay Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award(Top Senior Quarterback) ILL Juice Williams NU Mike Kafka PSU Daryll Clark Lott Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and Jim Thorpe Award watchlist candidate Kurt Coleman of Ohio State, was suspended by the Big Ten Conference for one game. The suspension was for a violation of the new 2009 NCAA football playing rule that required mandatory conference video review of an act where a player initiates helmet-to-helmet contact and targets a defenseless opponent. The incident occurred during the September 26 game against Illinois.
Midseason Obi Ezeh, Jones and Lee were among the sixteen selected to the midseason Butkus watchlist and Clark was named as one of ten finalists for the Unitas award. Eight Big Ten athletes were named as semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy: Illinois' Jon Asamoah, Indiana's Jammie Kirlew, Michigan's Zoltan Mesko, Minnesota's Eric Decker, Northwestern's Andrew Brewer, Ohio State's Jim Cordle, Penn State's Josh Hull and Wisconsin's Mickey Turner on October 1. Four Big Ten Players midseason watch list for the John Mackey Award: Moeaki, Gantt, Quarless and Graham. Three were quarterfinalists for the Lott Award: Angerer, Jones and Coleman. The Big Ten had two O'Brien Award semifinalists: Stanzi and Clark. Eric Decker was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award. Jones has been selected as a semifinalists for the Bednarik Award along with Angerer, Bowman and Wisconsin defensive end O'Brien Schofield. Hawkeyes' Tyler Sash was chosen as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Swenson and Northwestern's Stefan Demos were named semifinalists for the Groza Award. Mesko, Blair White, and Andrew Brewer were among the 12 finalists for the Wuerffel Trophy. Mesko, and Donahue were among 10 semifinalists for the Guy Award. Mesko was named one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award. Michigan's Graham was a finalist for the Henricks Award.
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