2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game

2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game
Conference Championship
Championship Game Logo
1234 Total
Nebraska 100714 31
Wisconsin 2121217 70
DateDecember 1, 2012
Season2012
StadiumLucas Oil Stadium
LocationIndianapolis, Indiana
MVPMontee Ball, Wisconsin
FavoriteNebraska by 12
RefereeJohn O'Neill
Halftime showUniversity of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band, University of Wisconsin Marching Band
Attendance41,260
United States TV coverage
NetworkFox
AnnouncersGus Johnson, (Play-by-play) Charles Davis (Color Analyst) and Julie Alexandria (Sideline Reporter)
Nielsen ratings3.0 (4.9 million viewers)
Big Ten Football Championship Game
 < 2011  2013
2012 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Legends Division
No. 25 Nebraska xy   7 1     10 4  
No. 24 Michigan   6 2     8 5  
No. 17 Northwestern   5 3     10 3  
Michigan State   3 5     7 6  
Iowa   2 6     4 8  
Minnesota   2 6     6 7  
Leaders Division
No. 3 Ohio State* x   8 0     12 0  
Penn State*   6 2     8 4  
Wisconsin y$   4 4     8 6  
Purdue   3 5     6 7  
Indiana   2 6     4 8  
Illinois   0 8     2 10  
Championship: Wisconsin 70, Nebraska 31
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * Ohio State and Penn State ineligible for conference championship game and post-season bowl games due to NCAA sanctions.
Rankings from AP Poll
LB Chris Borland tackles QB Taylor Martinez

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, at that time, required 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.

  1. ^ "No. 17 Nebraska beats Iowa 13-7, advances to Big Ten championship game vs. Wisconsin as Rex Burkhead scores TD in return from injury - College Football News | FOX Sports on MSN". Archived from the original on November 28, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  2. ^ "Ball helps Badgers rush past No. 14 Nebraska 70–31". Sports Illustrated. December 1, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  3. ^ "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. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2012.