JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
The schedule for The Big Ten’s Greatest Games is as follows:
September 3, 6 PM ET
Jan. 1, 2001 – Citrus Bowl – #17 Michigan 31, #20 Auburn 28
Anthony Thomas rushed for 182 yards to become Michigan’s all-time leading rusher, while quarterback Drew Henson and wide receiver David Terrell provided additional firepower. But it was the Wolverines’ defense that forced an Auburn turnover on the game’s final possession to lock up this closely contested bowl game for Michigan and head coach Lloyd Carr.
September 10, 6 PM ET
Sept. 4, 1989 – #22 Illinois 14, #5 USC 13
Quarterback Jeff George led the Fighting Illini to an upset of fifth-ranked USC in the season opener. The victory put John Mackovic’s Illinois team on track for a 10-2 record, a 7-1 finish in Big Ten play and a win in the Citrus Bowl.
September 17, 6 PM ET
Sept. 21, 1991 – Indiana 13, Kentucky 10
Indiana running back Vaughn Dunbar rushed 39 times for 147 yards and the go-ahead touchdown to beat border rival Kentucky. Dunbar would later be named a first team All-American and finish sixth in the 1991 Heisman voting. As a team, the Hoosiers finished fourth in the Big Ten and topped Baylor in the Copper Bowl.
September 24, 6 PM ET
Oct. 18, 2003 – #13 Purdue 26, #14 Wisconsin 23
Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton was on fire, passing for 411 yards and completing 15 straight passes during one stretch. Wide receiver Taylor Stubblefield had 16 receptions for 130 yards. Scoring became difficult as this game wore on, and it took a field goal from the Boilermakers’ Ben Jones to win the game with three seconds remaining.
October 1, 6 PM ET
Oct. 8, 2005 – Northwestern 51, #14 Wisconsin 48
Northwestern set a school record with 674 yards of total offense en route to a 51-48 upset victory over previously undefeated Wisconsin. Freshman running back Tyrell Sutton enjoyed a breakout performance with 244 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Brett Basanez passed for more than 350 yards and three touchdowns.
October 8, 6 PM ET
Nov. 4, 1995 – Michigan State 28, #7 Michigan 25
One play changed the outcome of this contest between in-state rivals. Trailing late in the fourth quarter, Michigan State faced a fourth-and-11 scenario on its own 30-yard line. Quarterback Tony Banks converted the first down, however, and the Spartans continued their drive until Banks connected with wide receiver Nigea Carter on a 25-yard touchdown pass with just over a minute left to play to upset in-state rival and seventh-ranked Michigan.
October 15, 6 PM ET
Oct. 4, 2003 – #23 Iowa 30, #9 Michigan 27
Chris Perry and Braylon Edwards each scored touchdowns to stake Michigan to an early 14-point lead, but Iowa rallied to knock off ninth-ranked Michigan, 30-27. Iowa got back in the game with outstanding special teams play, getting a 43-yard punt return from Ramon Ochoa and a blocked Michigan punt in the second half.
October 22, 6 PM ET
Oct. 8, 2005 – Minnesota 23, #21 Michigan 20
Minnesota snatched away the Little Brown Jug in this rivalry game over Michigan, the first time the Golden Gophers had done so since 1986. Minnesota’s two-headed monster at the running back position dominated the pace of this game, as Laurence Maroney ran for 129 yards and Gary Russell tallied 128 rushing yards. The Wolverines, meanwhile, could only muster 110 yards of offense in the second half.
October 29, 6 PM ET
Oct. 12, 2002 – #13 Michigan 27, #15 Penn State 24, OT
Michigan quarterback John Navarre connected with Braylon Edwards for a second touchdown with just 3:24 remaining in the fourth quarter to force overtime. In the first overtime, Penn State recaptured the lead on a Robbie Gould field goal, but the Wolverines countered with a game-winning three-yard touchdown run by Chris Perry.
November 5, 6 PM ET
Oct. 10, 1998 – #12 Wisconsin 31, Purdue 24
A record-setting performance by Purdue quarterback Drew Brees was not enough to get his Boilermakers passed Ron Dayne and Wisconsin. Brees set an NCAA record with 83 passing attempts, and he tied the record for completions with 55. He threw for 494 yards, but Wisconsin intercepted four of Brees’ passes. Dayne carried 33 times for 127 yards to pace the Badgers.
November 12, 6 PM ET
Oct. 8, 2005 – #16 Penn State 17, #6 Ohio State 10
The second-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history, nearly 110,000 fans, saw a defensive battle on a rainy, windy night in Happy Valley. Penn State cornerback Calvin Lowry intercepted Troy Smith and returned it to the Buckeyes’ two-yard line, setting up a touchdown by Michael Robinson. Paul Posluszny led the Penn State defense with 14 tackles, and the win put the Nittany Lions atop the Big Ten standings.
November 19, 6 PM ET
Nov. 10, 2001 – #15 Illinois 33, Penn State 28
Trailing Penn State with just over three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Illinois mounted one last drive offensively that was punctuated by a 13-yard touchdown run by Rocky Harvey. Quarterback Kurt Kittner steered the team’s drive up until Harvey’s run, and the Fighting Illini earned their eighth win of the season in Champaign. It was the school’s first victory over the Nittany Lions since their entry into the Big Ten in 1993.
November 26, 6 PM ET
Nov. 19, 2005 – #9 Ohio State 25, #17 Michigan 21
To earn a Fiesta Bowl bid, Ohio State had to rally from a 21-12 deficit with just eight minutes to play in Ann Arbor. Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith piloted consecutive touchdown drives of 67 and 88 yards, while the Ohio State defense limited Michigan to only 19 rushing yards in the fourth quarter.
September 3, 6 PM ET
Jan. 1, 2001 – Citrus Bowl – #17 Michigan 31, #20 Auburn 28
Anthony Thomas rushed for 182 yards to become Michigan’s all-time leading rusher, while quarterback Drew Henson and wide receiver David Terrell provided additional firepower. But it was the Wolverines’ defense that forced an Auburn turnover on the game’s final possession to lock up this closely contested bowl game for Michigan and head coach Lloyd Carr.
September 10, 6 PM ET
Sept. 4, 1989 – #22 Illinois 14, #5 USC 13
Quarterback Jeff George led the Fighting Illini to an upset of fifth-ranked USC in the season opener. The victory put John Mackovic’s Illinois team on track for a 10-2 record, a 7-1 finish in Big Ten play and a win in the Citrus Bowl.
September 17, 6 PM ET
Sept. 21, 1991 – Indiana 13, Kentucky 10
Indiana running back Vaughn Dunbar rushed 39 times for 147 yards and the go-ahead touchdown to beat border rival Kentucky. Dunbar would later be named a first team All-American and finish sixth in the 1991 Heisman voting. As a team, the Hoosiers finished fourth in the Big Ten and topped Baylor in the Copper Bowl.
September 24, 6 PM ET
Oct. 18, 2003 – #13 Purdue 26, #14 Wisconsin 23
Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton was on fire, passing for 411 yards and completing 15 straight passes during one stretch. Wide receiver Taylor Stubblefield had 16 receptions for 130 yards. Scoring became difficult as this game wore on, and it took a field goal from the Boilermakers’ Ben Jones to win the game with three seconds remaining.
October 1, 6 PM ET
Oct. 8, 2005 – Northwestern 51, #14 Wisconsin 48
Northwestern set a school record with 674 yards of total offense en route to a 51-48 upset victory over previously undefeated Wisconsin. Freshman running back Tyrell Sutton enjoyed a breakout performance with 244 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Brett Basanez passed for more than 350 yards and three touchdowns.
October 8, 6 PM ET
Nov. 4, 1995 – Michigan State 28, #7 Michigan 25
One play changed the outcome of this contest between in-state rivals. Trailing late in the fourth quarter, Michigan State faced a fourth-and-11 scenario on its own 30-yard line. Quarterback Tony Banks converted the first down, however, and the Spartans continued their drive until Banks connected with wide receiver Nigea Carter on a 25-yard touchdown pass with just over a minute left to play to upset in-state rival and seventh-ranked Michigan.
October 15, 6 PM ET
Oct. 4, 2003 – #23 Iowa 30, #9 Michigan 27
Chris Perry and Braylon Edwards each scored touchdowns to stake Michigan to an early 14-point lead, but Iowa rallied to knock off ninth-ranked Michigan, 30-27. Iowa got back in the game with outstanding special teams play, getting a 43-yard punt return from Ramon Ochoa and a blocked Michigan punt in the second half.
October 22, 6 PM ET
Oct. 8, 2005 – Minnesota 23, #21 Michigan 20
Minnesota snatched away the Little Brown Jug in this rivalry game over Michigan, the first time the Golden Gophers had done so since 1986. Minnesota’s two-headed monster at the running back position dominated the pace of this game, as Laurence Maroney ran for 129 yards and Gary Russell tallied 128 rushing yards. The Wolverines, meanwhile, could only muster 110 yards of offense in the second half.
October 29, 6 PM ET
Oct. 12, 2002 – #13 Michigan 27, #15 Penn State 24, OT
Michigan quarterback John Navarre connected with Braylon Edwards for a second touchdown with just 3:24 remaining in the fourth quarter to force overtime. In the first overtime, Penn State recaptured the lead on a Robbie Gould field goal, but the Wolverines countered with a game-winning three-yard touchdown run by Chris Perry.
November 5, 6 PM ET
Oct. 10, 1998 – #12 Wisconsin 31, Purdue 24
A record-setting performance by Purdue quarterback Drew Brees was not enough to get his Boilermakers passed Ron Dayne and Wisconsin. Brees set an NCAA record with 83 passing attempts, and he tied the record for completions with 55. He threw for 494 yards, but Wisconsin intercepted four of Brees’ passes. Dayne carried 33 times for 127 yards to pace the Badgers.
November 12, 6 PM ET
Oct. 8, 2005 – #16 Penn State 17, #6 Ohio State 10
The second-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history, nearly 110,000 fans, saw a defensive battle on a rainy, windy night in Happy Valley. Penn State cornerback Calvin Lowry intercepted Troy Smith and returned it to the Buckeyes’ two-yard line, setting up a touchdown by Michael Robinson. Paul Posluszny led the Penn State defense with 14 tackles, and the win put the Nittany Lions atop the Big Ten standings.
November 19, 6 PM ET
Nov. 10, 2001 – #15 Illinois 33, Penn State 28
Trailing Penn State with just over three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Illinois mounted one last drive offensively that was punctuated by a 13-yard touchdown run by Rocky Harvey. Quarterback Kurt Kittner steered the team’s drive up until Harvey’s run, and the Fighting Illini earned their eighth win of the season in Champaign. It was the school’s first victory over the Nittany Lions since their entry into the Big Ten in 1993.
November 26, 6 PM ET
Nov. 19, 2005 – #9 Ohio State 25, #17 Michigan 21
To earn a Fiesta Bowl bid, Ohio State had to rally from a 21-12 deficit with just eight minutes to play in Ann Arbor. Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith piloted consecutive touchdown drives of 67 and 88 yards, while the Ohio State defense limited Michigan to only 19 rushing yards in the fourth quarter.
