Michigan won the Big Ten Conference championship for the first time since 1950, defeated Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl, and had five players who were selected as first-team honorees by either the AP or UPI.
Two Michigan players were consensus first-team picks by the AP and UPI: quarterback Bob Timberlake and defensive tackle Bill Yearby.
Three of the Ohio State honorees were consensus picks by the AP and UPI: offensive guard Dan Poretta, linebacker Dwight "Ike" Kelly, and defensive back Arnie Chonko.
Nine players from teams other than Michigan and Ohio State received consensus All-Big Ten honors in 1964.
They are: (1) Illinois linebacker, Dick Butkus, who was a consensus All-American and was named Sporting News College Football Player of the Year; (2) Illinois fullback and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Jim Grabowski; (3) Michigan State halfback Dick Gordon; (4) Iowa end Karl Noonan; (5) Indiana end Bill Malinchak; (6) Illinois' offensive tackle Archie Sutton; (7) Indiana guard Don Croftcheck; (8) Northwestern center Joe Cerne; (9) Purdue defensive tackle Jim Garcia; and (10) Illinois defensive back George Donnelly.