Which Big Ten schools had the best and worst years in the two major sports – football and men’s basketball? Which fan bases got the glory, and which ones didn’t have any fun?
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On the field and court – whose fans had the most fun?
Of course every school has sports outside of the big two that matter and generate revenue, but when it comes to what athletic departments need, it’s really all about college football and men’s basketball.
Which Big Ten schools had the best and worst seasons?
Here’s how these rankings work.
1) The top-ranked schools with teams that went to a bowl game and would’ve played in the NCAA Tournament.
2) The next group had stronger football seasons and were okay in basketball. The superstar basketball schools get credit, but football is the bigger revenue generator.
3) One or the other. Usually there’s a disparity with one good season in one sport an a clunker in the other. It’s sort of a catch-all before …
4) The disasters. No bowl game, there wouldn’t have been a trip to the NCAA Tournament, no fun.
The worst-to-best Big Ten schools in 2019-2020 in college football and college basketball …
Big Ten Hoops and Helmets: Losers In Both Sports
These schools suffered the indignity of failing to come up with a winning season in either of the two major sports. The fans didn’t get to have any fun.
14. Northwestern
Football: 3-9 overall, 1-8 in conference, 7th in Big Ten West
Basketball: 8-23 overall, 3-17 in conference, 13th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? Despite winning two of its last three games, the Northwestern football team came up with a stunningly miserable season. The defending Big Ten West champ started 1-8 scoring 15 points or fewer seven times. It was really, really bad, and then Northwestern basketball grabbed that beer.
Like the football team, the hoops side came up with two late-season wins, but a run of 12 straight Big Ten losses made it ugly. Two of the three conference victories came over …
13. Nebraska
Football: 5-7 overall, 3-6 in conference, 5th in Big Ten West
Basketball: 7-25 overall, 2-18 in conference, 14th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? 17 straight Big Ten basketball losses – who loses twice to 2019-2020 Northwestern? – with a depleted team was awful, but head coach Fred Hoiberg suffering from the flu on the sidelines in the Big Ten Tournament turned a horrible season frightening.
The football team lost five of its last six games, dropping the home finale to Iowa to miss out on a bowl game and close out a second straight losing season under Scott Frost.
12. Purdue
Football: 4-8 overall, 3-6 in conference, T5th in Big Ten West
Basketball: 16-15 overall, 9-11 in conference, T10th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? The Boilermakers could never get either season going. The basketball team looked like it might turn things up a few notches in early February, but it lost four straight and five of the last seven games to go the other way.
The football team played better than the 4-8 record. Decimated by injuries – and hurt by horrible performances against Nevada and Illinois – it was a struggle to get over a 2-6 start.
NEXT: Big Ten Hoops and Helmets: Good In One Sport, Not The Other
11. Rutgers
Football: 2-10 overall, 0-9 in conference, 7th in Big Ten East
Basketball: 20-11 overall, 11-9 in conference, T5th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? Rutgers boasted the worst Power Five team in college football with just two wins beating UMass and Liberty. How bad were things? It scored seven points or fewer seven times.
The basketball team, though, made up for the football side a wee bit by winning 20 games and being almost certain to go off to the NCAA Tournament. There was a rocky run over the second half of the year, but beating Maryland and Illinois cemented what would’ve been a bid.
10. Maryland
Football: 3-9 overall, 1-8 in conference, 6th in Big Ten East
Basketball: 24-7 overall, 14-6 in conference, T1st in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? Everything looked so promising for the football team with 142 points in the first two games in a 3-2 start, and then the wheels came flying off with seven straight losses to close out the year.
The basketball team lost three games late in the year, but it still ended up tying for the regular season title and looked poised to go on a massive run in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
9. Minnesota
Football: 11-2 overall, 7-2 in conference, T1st in Big Ten West
Basketball: 15-16 overall, 8-12 in conference, 12th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? The basketball team was just good enough to be interesting, but it got whacked in tough loss after tough loss. The last three wins of the season – going 3-6 in the run – came against a bad Northwestern team twice and a worse Nebraska squad.
The football team came up with the program’s best season since the early 1960s, coming within a game against Wisconsin of playing for the Big Ten title and a shot at the College Football Playoff. Even with the loss to the Badgers, whacking Auburn in the Outback Bowl was special.
NEXT: Big Ten Hoops and Helmets: Bowl and (would’ve made the) NCAA Tournament
Big Ten Hoops and Helmets: Bowl and (would’ve made the) NCAA Tournament … but just okay overall
8. Indiana
Football: 8-5 overall, 5-4 in conference, 4th in Big Ten East
Basketball: 20-12 overall, 9-11 in conference, T10th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? Yeah, both the basketball and football teams managed to be good enough to go to the post-season, but it wasn’t always pretty.
The football team finally got over the hump under head coach Tom Allen to get to the Gator Bowl, but it lost to Tennessee in crushing fashion. The basketball team would’ve found a way into the NCAAs, but it was limping after losing three of its last four games before beating a miserable Nebraska team in the Big Ten Tournament.
7. Illinois
Football: 6-7 overall, 4-5 in conference, 4th in Big Ten West
Basketball: 21-10 overall, 13-7 in conference, 4th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? Illinois had a good sense of timing in both sports.
The football team wasn’t very good, but it managed to hang on against Wisconsin and came through in the clutch to pull off the fantastic win. It also roared back against Michigan State to come up with a big victory. Going bowling under Lovie Smith was great, but the team lost its last three games including a total clunker against a horrible Northwestern squad.
The basketball team’s season was slipping away into the abyss, but it won five of its last six games. It would’ve been a decent mid-seed in the NCAAs.
6. Michigan
Football: 9-4 overall, 6-3 in conference, 3rd in Big Ten East
Basketball: 19-12 overall, 10-10 in conference, 9th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? Both teams were good, but disappointing. The football team had several excellent moments, and it turned its season around at halftime of the loss to Penn State, but it got whacked by Ohio State (again) and was rocked by Alabama (predictable) in the Citrus Bowl.
The basketball team was fine, but it lost three of its last four games – the one win came against Nebraska – to limp into the Big Ten Tournament. It would’ve made the NCAAs, but this wasn’t quite the run it was supposed to be.
5. Iowa
Football: 10-3 overall, 6-3 in conference, 3rd in Big Ten West
Basketball: 20-11 overall, 11-9 in conference, T5th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? At 15-5, Iowa looked like a possible Big Ten title contender in basketball at the end of January, but there were too many misfires the rest of the way. Losing three of the last four games going into the Big Ten Tournament was bad, but it still would’ve been a decent-seeded team in the NCAAs.
The football team had a better season than it got credit for. Its three losses were to Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin by a total of 15 points. Blowing out USC in the Holiday Bowl closed out a ten-win campaign.
NEXT: Big Ten Hoops and Helmets: Bowl and (would’ve made the) NCAA Tournament
Big Ten Hoops and Helmets: Bowl and (would’ve made the) NCAA Tournament
4. Michigan State
Football: 7-6 overall, 4-5 in conference, 5th in Big Ten East
Basketball: 22-9 overall, 14-6 in conference, T1st in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? Just when it seemed like the basketball season was going to be a major disappointment – losing four games in five – it went on a five-game winning streak to close things out.
Just when it seemed like the football season was going to be a major disappointment – losing five straight games, including to Ohio State Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan by a combined score of 144-27 – it went on a three-game winning streak to close things out. Taking out Wake Forest in the Pinstripe Bowl ended a winning campaign.
3. Penn State
Football: 11-2 overall, 7-2 in conference, 2nd in Big Ten East
Basketball: 21-10 overall, 11-9 in conference, 5th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? It was a fantastic football season with only a tough-fight loss at Ohio State and in a great battle against an inspired Minnesota. The Nittany Lions won everything else, including a 53-39 Cotton Bowl shootout over Memphis.
Just when it seemed like the basketball team might be the Big Ten champion, it took a 20-5 start and fumbled it away losing five of its last six games. Even so, it would’ve been around a 7-seed in the big tournament.
2. Ohio State
Football: 13-1 overall, 9-0 in conference, 1st in Big Ten East
Basketball: 21-10 overall, 11-9 in conference, T5th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? This was a national championship-level season that came up just short, but the Buckeye football team 1) rim-rocked Michigan again, 2) won another conference championship, and 3) came up with a great battle in a College Football Playoff loss to Clemson. By any reasonable measure, it was an outstanding year.
The basketball team suffered a run of six losses in seven midseason games, but turned it on to go 9-3 over the final 12 games. It would’ve earned around a 5-seed in the NCAAs.
1. Wisconsin
Football: 10-4 overall, 7-2 in conference, T1st in Big Ten West
Basketball: 21-10 overall, 14-6 in conference, T1st in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? Once again, Wisconsin won a whole lot without anything really, really big.
The football team got to the Big Ten Championship, but it lost to Ohio State – no shame there. However, they gave away the Rose Bowl to Oregon.
The basketball side looked like the NCAA Tournament might be a problem. UW was 13-10 in early February, but it all kicked in with an eight-game winning streak to win a piece of the Big Ten regular season championship.
