The 1936 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team, under head coach Bernie Bierman, compiled a 7–1 record and was ranked No.
Tackle Ed Widseth was a consensus first-team All-American and was the first Big Ten player taken in the 1937 NFL draft with the fourth overall pick.
The 1936 Northwestern Wildcats football team, under head coach Pappy Waldorf, compiled a 7–1 record, won the Big Ten championship, and was ranked No.
The 1936 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, under head coach Francis Schmidt, compiled a 5–3 record, led the Big Ten in scoring defense (3.4 points allowed per game), and outscored opponents 160 to 27.
End Merle Wendt, tackle Charley Hamrick, and guard Inwood Smith were first-team All-Big Ten players.