The 1980 Big Ten Conference football season was the 85th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. The 1980 Big Ten champion was Michigan. The Wolverines lost two of their first three games but went undefeated thereafter, culminating in a 23–6 victory over the Washington Huskies in the 1981 Rose Bowl (the program's first bowl victory under head coach Bo Schembechler). Michigan was ranked No. 4 in the final AP Poll, led the Big Ten in scoring defense (10.8 points per game), and did not allow a touchdown in the final 22 quarters of the season. Schembechler was selected as the Big Ten Coach of the Year.