CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1963 Illinois

8–⁠1–⁠1 (5–⁠1–⁠1 Big Ten), coached by Pete Elliott, finished No. 3 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Illinois in 1963, game by game: won vs. California 10–0; won vs. No. 4 Northwestern 10–9; tied at No. 8 Ohio State 20–20; won vs. Minnesota 16–6; won at UCLA 18–12; won vs. Purdue 41–21; lost vs. Michigan 8–14; won at Wisconsin 17–7; won at No. 4 Michigan State 13–0; won vs. Washington 17–7+20−6Won 10–0 vs. California+10CaliforniaWon 10–9 vs. No. 4 Northwestern+1No. 4 NorthwesternTied 20–20 at No. 8 Ohio State0No. 8 Ohio StateWon 16–6 vs. Minnesota+10MinnesotaWon 18–12 at UCLA+6UCLAWon 41–21 vs. Purdue+20PurdueLost 8–14 vs. Michigan-6MichiganWon 17–7 at Wisconsin+10WisconsinWon 13–0 at No. 4 Michigan State+13No. 4 Michigan StateWon 17–7 vs. Washington+10Washington
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below; orange marks an upset win.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 28vsCaliforniaW 10–⁠059%
Oct 5vs4NorthwesternW 10–⁠932%
Oct 12at8Ohio StateT 20–⁠2018%
Oct 19vsMinnesotaW 16–⁠637%
Oct 25atUCLAW 18–⁠1251%
Nov 2vsPurdueW 41–⁠2145%
Nov 9vsMichiganL 8–⁠1466%
Nov 16atWisconsinW 17–⁠725%
Nov 28at4Michigan StateW 13–⁠024%
Jan 1Bowls & playoffvsWashingtonRose BowlW 17–⁠747%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Washington 17–⁠7 in the Rose Bowl; No. 3 in the final AP poll; Big Ten champions.

In program history: The 22nd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 135 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 5: 7
  2. Wk 6: 4
  3. Wk 7: 2
  4. Wk 8: 2
  5. Wk 9: 8
  6. Wk 10: 8
  7. Wk 11: 8
  8. Wk 12: 3
  9. Final: 3

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1963.

Big Ten champions5–⁠1–⁠1 in the conference

Consensus All-AmericanDick Butkus, C

Record
8–⁠1–⁠1
Conference
5–⁠1–⁠1 first in Big Ten
AP final
No. 3 peak No. 2
Points
170–⁠96
Coach
Pete Elliott
Elo
1614 +202 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
18.0 No. 7 of 120 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captains
Mike Taliaferro and Dick Deller
Most valuable player
Dick Butkus

All-Big Ten

2 first team, 1 second team

First team

Second team

From Wikipedia’s 1963 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1963 Big Ten standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
Illinois5–⁠1–⁠18–⁠1–⁠13
Michigan State4–⁠1–⁠16–⁠2–⁠19
Ohio State4–⁠1–⁠15–⁠3–⁠1
Purdue4–⁠35–⁠4
Wisconsin3–⁠45–⁠4
Northwestern3–⁠45–⁠4
Michigan2–⁠3–⁠23–⁠4–⁠2
Iowa2–⁠3–⁠13–⁠3–⁠2
Minnesota2–⁠53–⁠6
Indiana1–⁠53–⁠6

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.