1978 Big Ten Conference football season
Position Name Team Selectors
Quarterback Rick Leach Michigan AP , UPI
Running back Marion Barber , Jr Minnesota AP , UPI [ tailback ]
Running back Russell Davis Michigan AP , UPI [ fullback ]
Receiver Kirk Gibson Michigan State AP [ flanker ] , UPI [ wingback ]
Receiver Eugene Byrd Michigan State AP [ wide receiver ] , UPI [ split end ]
Tight end Mark Brammer Michigan State AP , UPI
Center Mark Heidel Indiana AP , UPI
Guard Ken Fritz Ohio State AP , UPI
Guard John Arbeznik Michigan UPI
Tackle Jon Giesler Michigan AP [ guard ] , UPI
Tackle Jim Hinsley Michigan State AP , UPI
Tackle Joe Robinson Ohio State AP
Awards and honors -- All-Big Ten honors
For the complete All-Big Ten selections , see 1978 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 1978 All-Big Ten Conference football team . [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Offense
The 1978 Big Ten Conference football season was the 83rd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. The 1978 Michigan Wolverines football team, under head coach Bo Schembechler, compiled a 10-2 record, tied with Michigan State for the Big Ten championship, led the conference in scoring defense (8.8 points allowed per game), lost to national champion USC in the Rose Bowl, and was ranked No. 5 in the final AP and UPI polls. Quarterback Rick Leach won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the most valuable player in the Big Ten, finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, and was selected as a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. The 1978 Michigan State Spartans football team, under head coach Darryl Rogers, compiled an 8-3, tied with Michigan for the conference championship, led the conference in scoring offense (37.4 points per game), and was ranked No. 12 in the final AP Poll. Ed Smith led the conference with 2,226 passing yards and Kirk Gibson led the conference with 806 receiving yards. Gibson was selected as a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association, and The Sporting News. Tight end Mark Brammer was selected as a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. The 1978 Purdue Boilermakers football team, under head coach Jim Young, compiled a 9-2-1 record, finished in third place in the Big Ten, defeated Georgia Tech in the 1978 Peach Bowl, and was ranked No. 13 in the final AP and UPI polls. Jim Young was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.