1971 Big Ten Conference football season
Position Name Team Selectors
Quarterback Maurie Daigneau Northwestern AP , UPI
Running back Eric Allen Michigan State AP , UPI
Running back Rufus Ferguson Wisconsin AP , UPI
Running back Billy Taylor Michigan AP , UPI
Offensive end Doug Kingsriter Illinois AP , UPI [ tight end ]
Offensive end Barry Pearson Northwestern AP , UPI [ wide receiver ]
Offensive tackle Tom Luken Purdue AP , UPI
Offensive tackle Tom McCreight Northwestern AP
Offensive tackle Rick Simon Ohio State UPI
Offensive guard Joe DeLamielleure Michigan State AP , UPI
Offensive guard Reggie McKenzie Michigan AP , UPI
Center Tom DeLeone Ohio State AP , UPI
Awards and honors -- All-Big Ten honors
For the complete All-Big Ten selections , see 1971 All-Big Ten Conference football team . The following players were picked by the Associated Press ( AP ) and/or the United Press International ( UPI ) as first-team players on the 1971 All-Big Ten Conference football team . [ 29 ] [ 30 ] [ 31 ] Offense
The 1971 Big Ten Conference football season was the 76th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. This was the first season in which Big Ten teams were permitted to schedule 11 games, one season after most schools first did so. Ohio State increased its schedule from nine games to 10, but did not play 11 until 1974, while Purdue first scheduled an 11th game in 1972. The 1971 Michigan Wolverines football team, under head coach Bo Schembechler, compiled an 11-0 record in the regular season but lost to Stanford, 13-12, on a field goal with 12 seconds remaining in the 1972 Rose Bowl. The Wolverines led the Big Ten in both scoring offense (35.1 points per game) and scoring defense (6.9 points allowed per game). The team was ranked No. 4 in the final Coaches Poll and No. 6 in the final AP Poll. Linebacker Mike Taylor and offensive guard Reggie McKenzie were consensus first-team All-Americans. Running back Billy Taylor rushed for 1,297 yards, was named as the team most valuable player, and was selected as a first-team All-American by the Football News. Defensive back Thom Darden was selected as a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and The Sporting News. The 1971 Northwestern Wildcats football team, under head coach Alex Agase, compiled a 7-4 record and finished in second place in the Big Ten.