The 1986 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of American football players chosen as All-Big Ten Conference players for the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season.

Three players were unanimously chosen as first-team players by the Associated Press media panel: quarterback Jim Harbaugh, receiver Cris Carter, and linebacker Chris Spielman.^[1]

Conference co-champions Michigan and Ohio State led the conference with seven first-team players each. Michigan's first-team selections included Harbaugh, Jumbo Elliott, Mark Messner and Andy Moeller. Ohio State's first-team selections included unanimous choices Carter and Spielman. Iowa followed with four first-team honorees, including running back Rick Bayless.^[1]

Offensive selections

Quarterbacks

• Jim Harbaugh, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Jim Karsatos, Ohio State (AP-2)

Running backs

• Darrell Thompson, Minnesota (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Rick Bayless, Iowa (AP-1)
• Jamie Morris, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Larry Emery, Wisconsin (AP-2)

Centers

• Bob Maggs, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Ray Hitchcock, Minnesota (AP-2)

Guards

• Mark Hammerstein, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Jeff Uhlenhake, Ohio State (AP-1)
• Bob Kratch, Iowa (UPI-1)
• Troy Wolcrow, Minnesota (AP-2)
• Scott Kehoe, Illinois (AP-2)

Tackles

• Dave Croston, Iowa (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Jumbo Elliott, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Jim Hobbins, Minnesota (AP-2)
• Bob Riley, Indiana (AP-2)

Tight ends

• Ed Taggert, Ohio State (AP-1)
• Rich Borresen, Northwestern (AP-2; UPI-1)

Receivers

• Cris Carter, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Andre Rison, Michigan State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Mark Ingram Sr., Michigan State (AP-2)
• Stephen Pierce, Illinois (AP-2)

Defensive selections

Linemen-outside linebackers

• Jeff Drost, Iowa (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Eric Kumerow, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Van Waiters, Indiana (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Dave Haight, Iowa (AP-1)
• Mark Messner, Michigan (AP-1)
• Bob Dirkes, Northwestern (AP-2)
• John Budde, Michigan State (AP-2)
• Kevin Holley, Purdue (AP-2)
• Mark Nichols, Michigan State (AP-2)
• Darryl Lee, Ohio State (AP-2)

Linebackers

• Andy Moeller, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Chris Spielman, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Shane Bullough, Michigan State (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Bruce Holmes, Minnesota (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Michael Reid, Wisconsin (AP-1)
• Fred Strickland, Purdue (AP-2)

Defensive backs

• Nate Odomes, Wisconsin (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Rod Woodson, Purdue (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Garland Rivers, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Sonny Gordon, Ohio State (AP-1)
• Leonard Bell, Indiana (AP-2)
• Alex Green, Indiana (AP-2)

Special teams

Kickers

• John Duvic, Northwestern (AP-1)
• Chip Lohmiller, Minnesota (UPI-1)
• Rob Houghtlin, Iowa (AP-2)

Punters

• Greg Montgomery, Michigan State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Tom Tupa, Ohio State (AP-2)

Key

AP = Associated Press, selected by a panel of 17 sports writers and broadcasters covering the Big Ten^[1]

UPI = United Press International, selected by the conference coaches^[2]

Bold = Consensus first-team selection of both the AP and UPI