The 1972 Big Ten Conference football season was the 77th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1972 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1972 Michigan Wolverines football team, under coach Bo Schembechler, compiled a 10–1 record, tied for the Big Ten championship, led the conference in scoring defense (5.2 points allowed per game), and was ranked No. 6 in the final AP and Coaches Polls. Michigan won its first ten games with four conference shutouts, and was ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll prior to its 14–11 road loss to Ohio State. Defensive back Randy Logan and offensive tackle Paul Seymour were consensus first-team All-Americans. Schembecher won the first Big Ten Football Coach of the Year award.
The 1972 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, under head coach Woody Hayes, compiled a 9–2 record, tied with Michigan for the Big Ten championship, led the conference in scoring offense (25.5 points per game), and was ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll. The Buckeyes received the conference's berth in the 1973 Rose Bowl and lost to national champion USC, 42–17. Linebacker Randy Gradishar was a consensus first-team All-American.
Purdue running back Otis Armstrong led the Big Ten with 1,361 rushing yards, received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the conference's most valuable player, and was a consensus first-team All-American.
Season overview
Results and team statistics
Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1972 season
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1972 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
Regular season
September 16
On September 16, 1972, the Big Ten football teams played four conference games and two non-conference teams. The non-conference games resulted in one win and one loss.
Michigan 7, Northwestern 0. Michigan defeated Northwestern, 7–0, before a crowd of 71,757 at Michigan Stadium. Dennis Franklin threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Bo Rather. The touchdown was set up by an interception by Michigan linebacker Craig Mutch which he returned 18 yards to Northwestern's 31-yard line. Northwestern's Jim Trimble rushed for 103 yards on 20 carries. Dennis Franklin, starting his first game, became the first African-American quarterback to play for Michigan. Ohio State 21, Iowa 0 Indiana 27, Minnesota 23 Michigan State 24, Illinois 0 Bowling Green 17, Purdue 14 Wisconsin 31, Northern Illinois 7
September 23
On September 23, 1972, the Big Ten football teams played nine non-conference games, resulting in three wins and six losses. Ohio State had a bye week.
Michigan 26, UCLA 9. Michigan (ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll) defeated UCLA (ranked No. 6), 26–9, in front of a crowd of 57,129 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. UCLA was led by quarterback Mark Harmon, a junior college transfer and the son of Michigan legend Tom Harmon, and had opened the season two weeks earlier with an upset of No. 1 Nebraska, halting the Huskers' unbeaten streak at 32 games. Michigan rushed for 381 yards, including 115 yards and two touchdowns by Ed Shuttlesworth. Washington 22, Purdue 21 Colorado 38, Minnesota 6 TCU 31, Indiana 28 Iowa 19, Oregon State 11 Wisconsin 31, Syracuse 7 Notre Dame 37, Northwestern 0 Georgia Tech 21, Michigan State 16 USC 55, Illinois 20
September 30
On September 30, 1972, the Big Ten teams played 10 non-conference games, resulting in four wins and six losses.