1990 Big Ten Conference football season

1990 Big Ten Conference football season
LeagueNCAA Division I-A
SportFootball
Number of teams10
TV partner(s)ESPN/ABC, Raycom
Top draft pickBobby Wilson
Picked byWashington Redskins
Co-championsIowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois
Season MVPNick Bell
Top scorerJ.D. Carlson
Football seasons
← 1989
1991 →
1990 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Michigan + 6 2 0 9 3 0
No. 16 Michigan State + 6 2 0 8 3 1
No. 25 Illinois + 6 2 0 8 4 0
No. 18 Iowa + 6 2 0 8 4 0
Ohio State 5 2 1 7 4 1
Minnesota 5 3 0 6 5 0
Indiana 3 4 1 6 5 1
Northwestern 1 7 0 2 9 0
Purdue 1 7 0 2 9 0
Wisconsin 0 8 0 1 10 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1990 Big Ten Conference football season was the 95th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season.

The Iowa Hawkeyes won a four-way tie for the Big Ten Conference championship by defeating the three other teams atop the conference standings – Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois – in their respective head-to-head matchups. The Hawkeyes earned their third trip to Pasadena in ten seasons, but lost 46-34 to Washington in the 1991 Rose Bowl.

Michigan defeated Ole Miss 35-3 in the Gator Bowl to finish 9-3 on the season. The #7 Wolverines were the highest ranked Big Ten team in the final AP poll. Joining Michigan in the final rankings were the other conference co-champions – #16 Michigan State, #18 Iowa, and #25 Illinois.

Iowa running back Nick Bell received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the conference's most valuable player. Michigan defensive back Tripp Welborne and Illinois defensive lineman Moe Gardner were consensus first-team All-Americans for the second straight season.