2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game
| 2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference Championship | |||||||||||||||||||
|
LB Chris Borland tackles QB Taylor Martinez | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Date | December 1, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Lucas Oil Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Montee Ball, Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | John O'Neill | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | University of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band, University of Wisconsin Marching Band | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 41,260 | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Fox | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Gus Johnson, (Play-by-play) Charles Davis (Color Analyst) and Julie Alexandria (Sideline Reporter) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 Big Ten football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Legends Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #25 Nebraska x | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #24 Michigan | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #17 Northwestern | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 2 | – | 6 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leaders Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #3 Ohio State* x | 8 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State* | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin $ | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 0 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Wisconsin 70, Nebraska 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game was a college football game. It was played on December 1, 2012, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, to determine the 2012 champion of the Big Ten Conference. It was played between the Wisconsin Badgers of the Leaders Division and the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Legends Division.[1] Wisconsin defeated Nebraska, 70–31.[2]
The game was the second football championship game ever played in the Big Ten's 116-year history; the Big Ten expanded to twelve teams the year before thus becoming eligible under NCAA rules which require conferences to have a membership of at least 12 to have a conference championship game. The game was played in prime time and televised by Fox,[3] with kickoff scheduled for 8:17 PM Eastern Time. In only the second year of the Big Ten Championship game, one team entered the game unranked in the BCS standings, AP poll, and Coaches' poll.
In 2014, both Nebraska and Wisconsin were placed in the new Big Ten West division for football, and thus it will no longer be possible for them to meet in the conference championship game without conference re-alignment.
Teams
Wisconsin
Wisconsin finished third place in the Leaders division, but division champion Ohio State and second-place Penn State were ineligible to play in the championship game because of postseason bans. Teams that play in the conference championship game must be eligible for the postseason.[4][5]
The 2012 Big Ten football championship game would be the last time Bret Bielema coached the Badgers. He departed Wisconsin three days after the Big Ten championship game to accept the head coaching position at Arkansas.[6][7] Wisconsin's Athletic Director, and former football head coach, Barry Alvarez went on to coach the Badgers at the 2013 Rose Bowl against Stanford.
Nebraska
Scoring Summary
- 1st Quarter
- WIS - Melvin Gordon 56 Yd Run (Kyle French Kick) (13:01) (7-0 WIS)
- WIS - Marcus Cromartie 29 Yd Interception Return (Kyle French Kick) (12:53) (14-0 WIS)
- NEB - Taylor Martinez 76 Yd Run (Brett Maher Kick) (10:58) (14-7 WIS)
- NEB - Brett Maher 32 Yd (04:46) (14-10 WIS)
- WIS - James White 9 Yd Run (Kyle French Kick) (01:01) (21-10 WIS)
- 2nd Quarter
- WIS - James White 1 Yd Run (Kyle French Kick) (11:11) (27-10 WIS)
- WIS - Montee Ball 16 Yd Run (Kyle French Kick) (07:15) (35-10 WIS)
- WIS - Sam Arneson 3 Yd Pass From James White (Kyle French Kick) (00:02) (42-10 WIS)
- 3rd Quarter
- WIS - Montee Ball 9 Yd Run (Jack Russell Kick) (14:13) (49-10 WIS)
- NEB - Taylor Martinez 11 Yd Run (Brett Maher Kick) (10:47) (49-17 WIS)
- WIS - Montee Ball 57 Yd Run (Jack Russell Kick) (09:27) (56-17 WIS)
- WIS - James White 68 Yd Run (Jack Russell Kick) (06:42) (63-17 WIS)
- 4th Quarter
- NEB - Braylon Heard 9 Yd Run (Brett Maher Kick) (12:14) (63-24 WIS)
- WIS - James White 10 Yd Run (Jack Russell Kick) (08:57) (70-24 WIS)
- NEB - Imani Cross 26 Yd Run (Brett Maher Kick) (00:51) (70-31 WIS)
Statistics
| Statistics | WIS | NEB |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 24 | 23 |
| Total offense | 640 | 477 |
| Rushes-yards (net) | 539 | 282 |
| Rushing, Attempts–Yards per rush | 50–10.8 | 44–6.4 |
| Passing yards (net) | 101 | 195 |
| Passes, Completions–Attempts | 8–10 | 18–34 |
| Turnovers, Fumbles–Interceptions | 0–0 | 1–2 |
| Penalties–Yards | 4–51 | 4–40 |
| Time of Possession | 29:45 | 30:15 |
Records
Montee Ball took over as the record holder for Football Bowl Subdivision "career rushing touchdowns record" from Travis Prentice with 76 touchdowns (Ball scored one touchdown in the 2013 Rose Bowl thus extending the record).[9] Wisconsin set multiple school records in the game; first by scoring eight rushing touchdowns during the game.[10] The second school record for Wisconsin was having two 200-yard rushers in one game.[9] Nebraska set a record for the most rushing touchdowns allowed in a game.[10] Wisconsin's redshirt freshman running back Melvin Gordon ran for a career high of 216 yards on just nine possessions, averaging 24 yards per carry. A select group of Stoughton Wisconsin residents will forever remember this game as Melvin Gordon's coming out party.[11]
See also
References
- ↑ Associated Press (November 23, 2012). "'Huskers Will Play for Big Ten Title", Fox Sports. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ↑ "Ball helps Badgers rush past No. 14 Nebraska 70-31". Sports Illustrated. 2012-12-01. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
- ↑ "Big Ten Announces Media Agreement with FOX Sports to Televise 2011-16 Big Ten Football Championship Games". BigTen.org: The Big Ten Conference Official Site. 2010-11-17. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
- ↑ Lesmerises, Doug (September 5, 2012). "Ohio State can win Leaders Division title and earn trophy, despite postseason ban". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ↑ "Ohio State stays perfect after beating Wisconsin in OT". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 17, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ↑ "Bret Bielema, head coach of Wisconsin Badgers, accepts position to coach Arkansas Razorbacks - ESPN". Espn.go.com. 2012-12-15. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- ↑ "University To Introduce New Coach Bielema Wednesday". 5NEWSOnline.com. 2012-12-04. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- ↑ "Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Wisconsin Badgers - Box Score - December 01, 2012 - ESPN". Scores.espn.go.com. 2012-12-01. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- 1 2 3 CBSSports.com wire reports. "NCAA College Football Recap - Nebraska Cornhuskers at Wisconsin Badgers - Dec 01, 2012". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- 1 2 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1429256-big-ten-championship-nebraska-vs-wisconsin-live-scores-analysis-and-results
- ↑ "Postgame Notes: Big Ten Championship Game - UWBadgers.com - The Official Athletic Site of the Wisconsin Badgers". UWBadgers.com. Retrieved 2014-05-23.