The 1946 Illinois Fighting Illini football team, under head coach Ray Eliot, won the Big Nine championship, compiled an 8–2 record, was ranked No.
Illinois guard Alex Agase was a consensus first-team All-American and received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the most valuable player in the conference.
Indiana, under head coach Bo McMillin, compiled a 6–3 record, finished third in the conference, and was ranked No.
Key AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1946 season[1] AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1946 season[1] PPG = Average of points scored per game[1] PAG = Average of points allowed per game[1] MVP = Most valuable player as voted by players on each team as part of the voting process to determine the winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy In 1946, the Big Nine dropped its long-standing ban on participation in bowl games.
[2][3] At the end of the 1946 season, Big Nine players secured two of the consensus first-team picks for the 1946 College Football All-America Team.