The 1919 Big Ten Conference football season was the 24th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference (also known as the Western Conference) and was a part of the 1919 college football season. The 1919 Illinois Fighting Illini football team, under head coach Robert Zuppke, compiled a 6–1 record, won the Big Ten championship, and was selected retroactively as the national champion by the Billingsley Report and Boand System, and as a co-national champion by the College Football Researchers Association, Parke H. Davis, and Jeff Sagarin (using his alternate ELO-Chess methodology). Fullback Jack Crangle and guard Jack Depler received first-team All-Big Ten honors. The 1919 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, under head coach John Wilce, also compiled a 6–1 record and led the conference in scoring defense (1.7 points allowed per game). Ohio State defeated Michigan for the first time in the history of the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry. However, the Buckeyes lost to Illinois by two points in the final game of the season and finished in second place in the conference standings. Halfback Chic Harley was selected, for the third time, as a consensus first-team All-American. Wisconsin center Charles Carpenter was a consensus first-team All-American. Chicago led the Big Ten in scoring offense with 29.3 points per game. Season overview Results and team statistics Key PPG = Average of points scored per game; team with highest average in bold PAG = Average of points allowed per game; team with lowest average in bold Regular season September 27 On September 27, 1919, the Big Ten season opened with one non-conference game. Indiana 20, Wabash 7 October 4 On October 4, 1919, the Big Ten football teams played seven non-conference games, resulting in five wins, one loss, and a tie. Chicago, Illinois, and Northwestern had bye weeks. Ohio State 38, Ohio Wesleyan 0 Wisconsin 37, Ripon 0 Minnesota 39, North Dakota 0 Iowa 18, Nebraska 0 Michigan 34, Case 0 Centre 12, Indiana 3 Purdue 14, Franklin 14 October 11 On October 11, 1919, the Big Ten teams played one conference game and six non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in six victories, giving the Big ten a 12–1–1 record up to that point in the season. Michigan and Iowa had a bye week. Illinois 14, Purdue 7 Ohio State 46, Cincinnati 0 Chicago 123, Great Lakes Navy 0 Wisconsin 13, Marquette 0