Top 25 Big Ten Teams of the 2000's
This is a list that was started, but abandoned as I transitioned my site to Scout. When the list was abandoned, it had only 11 teams and included two teams that no longer will appear: two Purdue, teams that technically were Big Ten champs, but had miserable resumes relative to other league champs and were basically 3rd-4th place type teams who capitalized on a strange year in the Big Ten. There are 9 teams on the list (early years) where the commentary is basically unchanged, while the other 16 team commentaries were written in 2017.
The teams were selected according to the following criteria (in no particular order):
The teams were selected according to the following criteria (in no particular order):
- Overall Record
- Conference Record
- Conference Finish
- Strength of Schedule
- Strength of Conference
- Losses (to whom)
- Blowout Losses
- Significant Wins
- Record vs. Top 30 teams
- Power Ranking
- Personnel
TEAM #25: 2001 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 8-4
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .730
Strength of Schedule: .735
Big Ten Strength: .598
Losses to: Washington (26), Michigan State (45), Ohio State (37), Tennessee (3)
Blown out by: Tennessee
Significant Wins: Illinois (10)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-2
Average Pts Scored: 27
Average Pts Allowed: 20
Key Players: Marquise Walker, Jonathan Goodwin, Hayden Epstein, Larry Foote, Victor Hobson, Kurt Anderson, BJ Askew, Eric Brackins, Charles Drake, Cato June, Shantee Orr, Tony Pape, Dave Petruziello, Dan Rumishek, Bill Seymour
Summary/Comments: In some respects, it was a season that might have been for the Wolverines. While they were not as good as they had been in previous years, the Big Ten was there for the taking for the Wolverines, as evidenced by their destruction of champion Illinois. However, a key loss to a so-so Ohio State team and a screw-job by the timekeepers in East Lansing prevented another Big Ten title. On the plus side, other than their Citrus Bowl game against Tennessee, nobody handled Michigan with any authority, as their other 3 losses were all tight. However, while their schedule overall was decent, the conference as a whole was down and other than the Illinois win, they didn't really beat anybody of any quality. They very well could have lost the Iowa as well as the Wisconsin games.
TEAM #24: 2009 Wisconsin Badgers
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 5-3
Power Rating: .737
Strength of Schedule: .589
Big Ten Strength: .611
Losses to: Iowa (9), Ohio State (8), Northwestern (55)
Blown out by: Ohio State
Significant Wins: Miami (17)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-2
Average Pts Scored: 32
Average Pts Allowed: 22
Key Players: John Moffitt, Gabe Carimi, Lance Kendricks, Scott Tolzien, John Clay, JJ Watt, Aaron Henry, Montee Ball, James White
Summary/Comments: The talent was on hand for what would be back to back Rose Bowls the following two years. However, performance on the field was good, but not great, indicative of a team that was still growing/peaking. They really didn't have any awe-inspiring wins, with most of their wins and losses being of the close variety, the exception being Ohio State. However, even that OSU deficit was in part due to a kickoff return for a TD and two pick-sixes.
TEAM #23: 2000 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 9-3
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .747
Strength of Schedule: .561
Big Ten Strength: .579
Losses to: UCLA (38), Purdue (25), Northwestern (34)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Wisconsin (18), Ohio State (19), Auburn (30)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-1
Average Pts Scored: 34
Average Pts Allowed: 19
Key Players: Anthony Thomas, David Terrell, Steve Hutchinson, Jeff Backus, Larry Foote, Drew Henson
Summary/Comments: Michigan was the Big Ten tri-champ in 2000. On paper they were the best of the three champions by a pretty wide margin. Their schedule was not overly impressive, thanks in part to a down year in the Big Ten, but they did well against the top teams. In addition, all three of their losses were very close and could have gone either way, which leads one to believe that they should have probably been an elite level team. On the downside, two of their three losses came to non-top 30 teams, something that great teams cannot do.
TEAM #22: 2002 Penn State
Overall Record: 9-4
Conference Record: 5-3
Power Rating: .759
Strength of Schedule: .670
Big Ten Strength: .631
Losses to: Iowa (8), Michigan (10), Ohio State (1), Auburn (18)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Virginia (25)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-4
Average Pts Scored: 34
Average Pts Allowed: 18
Key Players: Larry Johnson, Bryant Johnson, Michael Haynes, Jimmy Kennedy, Gino Capone, Shawn Mayer
Summary/Comments: The Lions are one of only two four loss teams on the list and their lack of high quality wins also stands out. However, the Big Ten was loaded in 2002, and PSU's three conference losses, all in close games, were to top 10 teams. In a bad year, they win the conference. In a great year, they were still highly competitive and deserving of placement at the bottom of this list.
TEAM #21: 2005 Wisconsin Badgers
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 5-3
Power Rating: .748
Strength of Schedule: .658
Big Ten Strength: .651
Losses to: Northwestern (28), Penn State (3), Iowa (27)
Blown out by: Penn State
Significant Wins: Auburn (18), Michigan (21), Minnesota (25)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-3
Average Pts Scored: 34
Average Pts Allowed: 24
Key Players: Brian Calhoun, Joe Thomas, Brandon Williams, Ken Debauche, Roderick Rogers, Joe Stellmacher
Summary/Comments: Barry Alvarez's final team, the 2005 Badgers are the first team on the list to have 3 top 30 wins. 2005 was also the strongest year for the Big Ten during the decade as the Badgers played 5 top 30 teams in conference. Other than Joe Thomas, the team was lacking in front line talent, but they were a competitive bunch that capped off their season with a dominating performance over a favored Auburn team.
TEAM #20: 2001 Illinois Fighting Illini
Overall Record: 10-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .776
Strength of Schedule: .625
Big Ten Strength: .598
Losses to: Michigan (19) and LSU (9)
Blown out by: Michigan
Significant Wins: Louisville (15)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-2
Average Pts Scored: 33
Average Pts Allowed: 23
Key Players: Jay Kulaga, Tony Pashos, Kurt Kittner, Brandon Lloyd, Luke Butkus, Eugene Wilson, Bobby Jackson, Muhammad Abdullah, Peter Christofilakos, Steve Fitts, Brandon Moore, Christain Morton, Jerry Schumacher
Summary/Comments: The 2001 Illini were a step up from the 2000 mess of teams, but they were not your classically dominant team. Their schedule was weak, both in and out of conference, and they had just one win that could be called significant, that over a solid Louisville team. When facing their other two top notch foes, they were blown out by Michigan and were throttled badly by LSU before a late rally made the score respectable. Still, the Illini did what they had to do and beat the teams they needed to behind a pretty good offense on their way to the Big Ten title.
TEAM #19: 2004 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 9-3
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .750
Strength of Schedule: .675
Big Ten Strength: .600
Losses to: Notre Dame (34), Ohio State (23), Texas (6)
Blown out by: Ohio State
Significant Wins: Iowa (11), Purdue (26)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-2
Average Pts Scored: 31
Average Pts Allowed: 23
Key Players: Michael Hart, Braylon Edwards, David Baas, Matt Lentz, Tim Massaquoi, Jason Avant, Jake Long, Gabe Watson, Marlin Jackson, Lamarr Woodley, Adam Stenavich,
Summary/Comments: Ranks towards the lower end of this list despite being a Big Ten champion due to lack of high quality wins compared t some of the other teams. Despite a lot of front end talent, they were not a particularly dominating team due to an average defense. Perhaps if they pull out the Rose Bowl game vs. Texas, they would have warranted a higher placement.
TEAM #18: 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .768
Strength of Schedule: .644
Big Ten Strength: .588
Losses to: USC (2), Penn State (7), Texas (3)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Michigan State (26)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-3
Average Pts Scored: 28
Average Pts Allowed: 14
Key Players: Alex Boone, Beanie Wells, James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Freeman, Kurt Coleman
Summary/Comments: Only 1 really good win and a down year in the Big Ten. However, they did win 10 games and their average win was by two touchdowns despite an unspectacular offense. Their top flight defense allowed them to nearly pull off wins vs. two top 10 teams in PSU and Texas. On this list, there are truly great teams, and other teams that were good, but enough breaks got them onto this list. We are still in the latter type of teams.
TEAM #17: 2003 Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 5-3
Power Rating: .775
Strength of Schedule: .633
Big Ten Strength: .595
Losses to: Michigan State (35), Ohio State (8), and Purdue (23)
Blown out by: Purdue
Significant Wins: Michigan (9), Minnesota (25), Florida (18)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-2
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 16
Key Players: Robert Gallery, Fred Russell, Matt Roth, Bob Sanders, Howard Hodges, Chad Greenway, Abdul Hodge, Nate Kaeding
Summary/Comments: In a down year in the Big Ten, Iowa only finished 4th which put them at big disadvantage of even making this list. However, a dominating performance over Florida in their bowl game got them over that hump. Teams that lose 3 conference games aren't generally considered really really good, but Iowa had a nice victory margin, controlling all of their lesser opponents pretty easily, in large part due to a very good defense.
TEAM #16: 2009 Penn State Nittany Lions
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .806
Strength of Schedule: .519
Big Ten Strength: .611
Losses to: Iowa (9), Ohio State (8)
Blown out by: Ohio State
Significant Wins: LSU (11)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-2
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 12
Key Players: Daryll Clark, Evan Royster, Stefen Wisniewski, Dennis Landolt, Jared Odrick, Navorro Bowman, Sean Lee, Jeremy Boone, Josh Hull
Summary/Comments: Solid year in the Big Ten. Terrifc margin of victory. Great defense. However, the strength of schedule was poor and they did not have a win of significant in the conference, missing a good Wisconsin team, getting hammered by Ohio State, and coming up short vs. Iowa.
TEAM #15: 2002 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .790
Strength of Schedule: .786
Big Ten Strength: .631
Losses to: Notre Dame (13), Iowa (8), Ohio State (1)
Blown out by: Iowa
Significant Wins: Penn State (15), Wisconsin (31), Florida (26)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-3
Average Pts Scored: 28
Average Pts Allowed: 20
Key Players: David Baas, Tony Pape, Bennie Joppru, Braylon Edwards, Victor Hobson, Marlin Jackson, Adam Finley, Dan Rumishek, Shantee Orr, John Navarre, Grant Bowman, Cato June
Summary/Comments: Despite finishing third in the Big Ten, the '02 Wolverine squad was arguably better than the Big Ten winners over the prior couple years. They lost three games, but played an exceptionally tough schedule and all three losses were to top 13 teams. They weren't a dominant team by any stretch, but were consistently pretty good, finding a way to win tight games against a lot of solid top 50 type teams. They weren't in the class of the great teams, but deserve their fairly high ranking.
TEAM #14: 2009 Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .816
Strength of Schedule: .639
Big Ten Strength: .611
Losses to: Northwestern (55), Ohio State (8)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Penn State (10), Wisconsin (21), Georgia Tech (14)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-1
Average Pts Scored: 23
Average Pts Allowed: 15
Key Players: Dace Richardson, Bryan Bulaga, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Rafael Eubanks, Adrian Clayborn, Pat Angerer, Tyler Sash, Amari Spievey, AJ Edds, Jon Asamoah, Kyle Calloway, Tony Moeaki, Brett Greenwood
Summary/Comments: We are starting to get into the high quality teams at this point. 2009 Iowa was 3-1 vs. the top 30 (tarnished slightly be a loss to a mediocre Northwestern team following a 9-0 start). Iowa loaded up the All-Conference teams with good solid collegiate players, and their defense was outstanding.
TEAM #13: 2003 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .801
Strength of Schedule: .688
Big Ten Strength: .595
Losses to: Wisconsin (45) and Michigan (9)
Blown out by: Michigan
Significant Wins: Iowa (11), Purdue (23), NC State (29), Bowling Green (24), Kansas State (12)
Record vs. Top 30: 5-1
Average Pts Scored: 25
Average Pts Allowed: 18
Key Players: Alex Stepanovich, Shane Olivea, Ben Hartsock, Mike Nugent, Will Smith, Tim Anderson, AJ Hawk, Will Allen, BJ Sander, Chris Gamble, Michael Jenkins, Craig Krenzel, Dustin Fox
Summary/Comments: The Buckeyes followed up their 2002 national championship with a second place finish in the Big Ten. They boasted a strong record against the top 30 (5-1). They were not a dominant team, with only a marginal point differential, but they boasted a strong defense and generally played solid winning football. Despite a somewhat down year in the Big Ten, they still played a pretty good schedule thanks to a solid NC schedule.
TEAM #12: 2004 Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall Record: 10-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .798
Strength of Schedule: .710
Big Ten Strength: .600
Losses to: Arizona State (13), Michigan (17)
Blown out by: Arizona State
Significant Wins: Wisconsin (22), Ohio State (23), Purdue (26), LSU (15)
Record vs. Top 30: 4-2
Average Pts Scored: 24
Average Pts Allowed: 18
Key Players: Drew Tate, Matt Roth, Chad Greenway, Abdul Hodge, Jonathan Babineaux, Clinton Solomon
Summary/Comments: Four top 30 wins and a very solid SOS got the Hawkeyes to #12. After getting drilled by ASU early in the year, they finished with 8 straight wins. One could argue that without their Hail Mary vs. LSU in the Capital One Bowl, they drop down about 7-8 spots, but it is what it is.
TEAM #11: 2003 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .797
Strength of Schedule: .635
Big Ten Strength: .595
Losses to: Oregon (39), Iowa (11), USC (2)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Ohio State (8), Purdue (23), Minnesota (25), Michigan State (35)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-3
Average Pts Scored: 35
Average Pts Allowed: 17
Key Players: Chris Perry, John Navarre, Braylon Edwards, David Baas, Tony Pape, Jason Avant, Larry Stevens, Pierre Woods, Markus Curry, Jeremy LeSueur, Ernest Shazor, Dave Pearson, Grant Bowman
Summary/Comments: The 2003 Michigan squad was a disappointment in some ways. They probably had the most balanced/talented team in the conference and showed it with a solid margin of victory with some convincing wins over teams like Purdue and Ohio State. However, they lost narrow contests to Iowa and Oregon which put a tarnish on their season and prevented them from being considered one of the nationally elite. While their power rating is slightly lower than 2003 OSU, they were bumped ahead on the basis of being Big Ten champs as well as throttling the Buckeyes in the final regular season game of the year.
TEAM #10: 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .803
Strength of Schedule: .532
Big Ten Strength: .592
Losses to: Illinois (23) and LSU (1)
Blown out by: LSU
Significant Wins: Penn State (24) and Michigan (27)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-2
Average Pts Scored: 31
Average Pts Allowed: 13
Key Players: Beanie Wells, Kirk Barton, Vernon Gholston, James Laurainitis, Malcolm Jenkins, Alex Boone, Marcus Freeman, Todd Boeckman,
Summary/Comments: The 2007 Buckeyes were one of the harder teams to place. On one hand, they went to the BCS National Championship game, won 11 games, were dominant in their wins, etc. However, they did so without beating a top 25 team. They also had one of the worst strength of schedules of any team on the list.
TEAM #9: 2006 Wisconsin Badgers
Overall Record: 12-1
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .813
Strength of Schedule: .374
Big Ten Strength: .582
Losses to: Michigan (6)
Blown out by: Michigan
Significant Wins: Arkansas (15), Penn State (28)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-1
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 12
Key Players: Joe Thomas, Jack Ikegwuonu, PJ Hill, Taylor Mehlhaff, Matt Shaugnessy, Roderick Rogers, Travis Beckum,
Summary/Comments: And then we have another team, like '07 OSU, that makes that Buckeye schedule look like an utter gauntlet. The '06 Badgers lost just one game, to a top 6 team in Michigan, but before their bowl game, had only one keynote win to speak of. This was one of those teams that I suspect could have proven themselves to be a team deserving of a higher ranking, but based on the teams they DID play, it is harder to put them much higher than #9.
TEAM #8: 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .815
Strength of Schedule: .570
Big Ten Strength: .588
Losses to: Iowa (21), USC (2)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Ohio State (11), Michigan State (26), Oregon State (13)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-2
Average Pts Scored: 39
Average Pts Allowed: 14
Key Players: Daryll Clark, Derrick Williams, AQ Shipley, Rich Ohrnberger, Kevin Kelly, Aaron Maybin, Jared Odrick, Navorro Bowman, Anthony Scirrotto, Evan Royster, Stefan Wisniewski, Deon Butler, Lydell Sargeant
Summary/Comments: Impressive 25 point scoring margin with three solid high quality wins. Going 11-1 before getting outmanned by a talented USC in the Rose Bowl is nothing to sneeze at.
TEAM #7: 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .847
Strength of Schedule: .631
Big Ten Strength: .611
Losses to: USC (25), Purdue (69)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Iowa (9), Penn State (10), Wisconsin (21), Oregon (12)
Record vs. Top 30: 4-1
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 13
Key Players: Kurt Coleman, Justin Boren, Brandon Saine, Thaddeus Gibson, Cameron Heyward, Ross Homan,
Summary/Comments: Very tight loss to solid USC team early in the year and nothing but impressive performances everywhere else...4 top 30 wins, including 3 over top 12 teams...other than trying to figure out how they lost to a bad Purdue team, the worst loss by any team on the list. What is somewhat striking was the lack of star power relative to many Ohio State teams (which probably explains how they could lose to Purdue).
TEAM #6: 2002 Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 8-0
Power Rating: .818
Strength of Schedule: .619
Big Ten Strength: .631
Losses to: Iowa State (43), USC (2)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Penn State (15), Michigan (10), Wisconsin (31)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-1
Average Pts Scored: 37
Average Pts Allowed: 20
Key Players: Brad Banks, Fred Russell, Bruce Nelson, Eric Steinbach, Robert Gallery, Dallas Clark, Nate Kaeding, Colin Cole, Fred Barr, Bob Sanders, Howard Hodges, Grant Steen, Derek Pagel, David Porter
Summary/Comments: The '02 Iowa squad's claim to fame was running the table in a strong Big Ten year to finish as co-champs with OSU. They had a dominant offense led by a stellar OL, racking up 37 PPG. On the downside, their SOS was only so-so despite a strong year in the Big Ten, thanks to a couple of stinker NC games as well as missing OSU. As a result, their record against top 30 teams was only 2-1, including a blowout at the hands of USC. Their other loss seemed like a solid defeat at the time, but ISU fell apart as the year went along, putting that "L" as another black mark against their record. Still, a clear cut very good team.
TEAM #5: 2006 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .857
Strength of Schedule: .686
Big Ten Strength: .582
Losses to: Ohio State (4), USC (3)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Wisconsin (11), Penn State (28), Notre Dame (20)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-2
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 16
Key Players: Mike Hart, Mario Manningham, Jake Long, Garrett Rivas, Alan Branch, LaMarr Woodley, David Harris, Leon Hall, Adam Kraus, Chad Henne, Mark Bihl, Shawn Crable, Jamar Adams
Summary/Comments: Started the year 11-0 before losing a shootout to an elite Ohio State team and then the Rose Bowl to USC. Good balance of offensive and defensive skill players. The 2006 Michigan teams is a good example of how small the line is between a terrific team and a memorable team.
TEAM #4: 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 12-1
Conference Record: 8-0
Power Rating: .885
Strength of Schedule: .594
Big Ten Strength: .582
Losses to: Florida (1)
Blown out by: Florida
Significant Wins: Michigan (6), Penn State (28), Texas (18)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-1
Average Pts Scored: 35
Average Pts Allowed: 13
Key Players: Troy Smith, Antonio Pittman, Anthony Gonzalez, Doug Datish, TJ Downing, Quinn Pitcock, James Laurinaitas, Malcolm Jenkins, Antonio Smith, Ted Ginn, Vernon Gholston, David Patterson, Brandon Mitchell, Kirk Barton
Summary/Comments: Only loss came in the national championship game where they were throttled by Florida. Not an elite schedule, but game to game they were dominant as they were not threatened in any game beyond the aformentioned Michigan and Illinois. They possessed a higher power rating than the next two teams, but without as many quality wins.
TEAM #3: 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 10-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .864
Strength of Schedule: .785
Big Ten Strength: .651
Losses to: Texas (1), Penn State (3)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Iowa (27), Minnesota (25), Northwestern (28), Michigan (21), Notre Dame (14)
Record vs. Top 30: 5-2
Average Pts Scored: 33
Average Pts Allowed: 15
Key Players: Santonio Holmes, Rob Sims, Josh Huston, Mike Kudla, AJ Hawk, Nate Salley, Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty, Nick Mangold, Quinn Pitcock, Bobby Carpenter
Summary/Comments: Two losses, but both to top 3 teams in highly competitive games. The Buckeyes won their last 7 games of the year and were convincing in all of them, with only Michigan hanging around. One of the two toughest strength of schedules on the list, with only one other team (2002 Michigan) being close. 2005 was also the strongest year of the Big Ten during the decade. Overall, a super team and deserving of their top 3 ranking.....even though they were not the best team in the Big Ten.
TEAM #2: 2005 Penn State Nittany Lions
Ovearll Record: 11-1
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .870
Strength of Schedule: .726
Big Ten Strength: .651
Losses to: Michigan (21)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Ohio State (4), Wisconsin (19), Minnesota (25), Northwestern (28), Florida State (24)
Record vs. Top 30: 5-1
Average Pts Scored: 34
Average Pts Allowed: 17
Key Players: Levi Brown, Tamba Hali, Scott Paxson, Paul Posluszny, Calvin Lowry, Alan Zemaitis, Michael Robinson, Tony Hunt, Jay Alford, Matthew Rice
Summary/Comments: Little to not like with this team. Toughest Big Ten season of the decade leads to 5 top 30 wins, a solid 17 point scoring margin, along with all the highly rated metrics.
TEAM #1: 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 14-0
Conference Record: 8-0
Power Rating: .923
Strength of Schedule: .730
Big Ten Strength: .631
Losses to: none
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Texas Tech (20), Washington St. (16), Wisconsin (31), Penn State (15), Purdue (38), Michigan (10), Miami (3)
Record vs. Top 30: 5-0
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 13
Key Players: Craig Krenzel, Maurice Clarett, Michael Jenkins, Shane Olivea, Mike Nugent, Darrion Scott, Matt Wilhelm, Mike Doss, Chris Gamble, Andy Groom, Tim Anderson, Kenny Peterson, Will Smith, Cie Grant
Summary/Comments: You can't argue with 14-0 against that kind of schedule. No, they weren't the most dominant team around in terms of margin of victory, pulling out reasonably close games against Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, and Miami. However, the bottom line is they were able to find a way to get the "W". Their overall strength of schedule was outstanding, with 5 wins against top 30 teams. It also should be noted that the Big Ten was rated as the toughest conference in the nation in 2002, so running the table has added significance. Their offense was solid, but their defense was truly special and should garner much of the credit for their well-deserved national title.
Overall Record: 8-4
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .730
Strength of Schedule: .735
Big Ten Strength: .598
Losses to: Washington (26), Michigan State (45), Ohio State (37), Tennessee (3)
Blown out by: Tennessee
Significant Wins: Illinois (10)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-2
Average Pts Scored: 27
Average Pts Allowed: 20
Key Players: Marquise Walker, Jonathan Goodwin, Hayden Epstein, Larry Foote, Victor Hobson, Kurt Anderson, BJ Askew, Eric Brackins, Charles Drake, Cato June, Shantee Orr, Tony Pape, Dave Petruziello, Dan Rumishek, Bill Seymour
Summary/Comments: In some respects, it was a season that might have been for the Wolverines. While they were not as good as they had been in previous years, the Big Ten was there for the taking for the Wolverines, as evidenced by their destruction of champion Illinois. However, a key loss to a so-so Ohio State team and a screw-job by the timekeepers in East Lansing prevented another Big Ten title. On the plus side, other than their Citrus Bowl game against Tennessee, nobody handled Michigan with any authority, as their other 3 losses were all tight. However, while their schedule overall was decent, the conference as a whole was down and other than the Illinois win, they didn't really beat anybody of any quality. They very well could have lost the Iowa as well as the Wisconsin games.
TEAM #24: 2009 Wisconsin Badgers
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 5-3
Power Rating: .737
Strength of Schedule: .589
Big Ten Strength: .611
Losses to: Iowa (9), Ohio State (8), Northwestern (55)
Blown out by: Ohio State
Significant Wins: Miami (17)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-2
Average Pts Scored: 32
Average Pts Allowed: 22
Key Players: John Moffitt, Gabe Carimi, Lance Kendricks, Scott Tolzien, John Clay, JJ Watt, Aaron Henry, Montee Ball, James White
Summary/Comments: The talent was on hand for what would be back to back Rose Bowls the following two years. However, performance on the field was good, but not great, indicative of a team that was still growing/peaking. They really didn't have any awe-inspiring wins, with most of their wins and losses being of the close variety, the exception being Ohio State. However, even that OSU deficit was in part due to a kickoff return for a TD and two pick-sixes.
TEAM #23: 2000 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 9-3
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .747
Strength of Schedule: .561
Big Ten Strength: .579
Losses to: UCLA (38), Purdue (25), Northwestern (34)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Wisconsin (18), Ohio State (19), Auburn (30)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-1
Average Pts Scored: 34
Average Pts Allowed: 19
Key Players: Anthony Thomas, David Terrell, Steve Hutchinson, Jeff Backus, Larry Foote, Drew Henson
Summary/Comments: Michigan was the Big Ten tri-champ in 2000. On paper they were the best of the three champions by a pretty wide margin. Their schedule was not overly impressive, thanks in part to a down year in the Big Ten, but they did well against the top teams. In addition, all three of their losses were very close and could have gone either way, which leads one to believe that they should have probably been an elite level team. On the downside, two of their three losses came to non-top 30 teams, something that great teams cannot do.
TEAM #22: 2002 Penn State
Overall Record: 9-4
Conference Record: 5-3
Power Rating: .759
Strength of Schedule: .670
Big Ten Strength: .631
Losses to: Iowa (8), Michigan (10), Ohio State (1), Auburn (18)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Virginia (25)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-4
Average Pts Scored: 34
Average Pts Allowed: 18
Key Players: Larry Johnson, Bryant Johnson, Michael Haynes, Jimmy Kennedy, Gino Capone, Shawn Mayer
Summary/Comments: The Lions are one of only two four loss teams on the list and their lack of high quality wins also stands out. However, the Big Ten was loaded in 2002, and PSU's three conference losses, all in close games, were to top 10 teams. In a bad year, they win the conference. In a great year, they were still highly competitive and deserving of placement at the bottom of this list.
TEAM #21: 2005 Wisconsin Badgers
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 5-3
Power Rating: .748
Strength of Schedule: .658
Big Ten Strength: .651
Losses to: Northwestern (28), Penn State (3), Iowa (27)
Blown out by: Penn State
Significant Wins: Auburn (18), Michigan (21), Minnesota (25)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-3
Average Pts Scored: 34
Average Pts Allowed: 24
Key Players: Brian Calhoun, Joe Thomas, Brandon Williams, Ken Debauche, Roderick Rogers, Joe Stellmacher
Summary/Comments: Barry Alvarez's final team, the 2005 Badgers are the first team on the list to have 3 top 30 wins. 2005 was also the strongest year for the Big Ten during the decade as the Badgers played 5 top 30 teams in conference. Other than Joe Thomas, the team was lacking in front line talent, but they were a competitive bunch that capped off their season with a dominating performance over a favored Auburn team.
TEAM #20: 2001 Illinois Fighting Illini
Overall Record: 10-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .776
Strength of Schedule: .625
Big Ten Strength: .598
Losses to: Michigan (19) and LSU (9)
Blown out by: Michigan
Significant Wins: Louisville (15)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-2
Average Pts Scored: 33
Average Pts Allowed: 23
Key Players: Jay Kulaga, Tony Pashos, Kurt Kittner, Brandon Lloyd, Luke Butkus, Eugene Wilson, Bobby Jackson, Muhammad Abdullah, Peter Christofilakos, Steve Fitts, Brandon Moore, Christain Morton, Jerry Schumacher
Summary/Comments: The 2001 Illini were a step up from the 2000 mess of teams, but they were not your classically dominant team. Their schedule was weak, both in and out of conference, and they had just one win that could be called significant, that over a solid Louisville team. When facing their other two top notch foes, they were blown out by Michigan and were throttled badly by LSU before a late rally made the score respectable. Still, the Illini did what they had to do and beat the teams they needed to behind a pretty good offense on their way to the Big Ten title.
TEAM #19: 2004 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 9-3
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .750
Strength of Schedule: .675
Big Ten Strength: .600
Losses to: Notre Dame (34), Ohio State (23), Texas (6)
Blown out by: Ohio State
Significant Wins: Iowa (11), Purdue (26)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-2
Average Pts Scored: 31
Average Pts Allowed: 23
Key Players: Michael Hart, Braylon Edwards, David Baas, Matt Lentz, Tim Massaquoi, Jason Avant, Jake Long, Gabe Watson, Marlin Jackson, Lamarr Woodley, Adam Stenavich,
Summary/Comments: Ranks towards the lower end of this list despite being a Big Ten champion due to lack of high quality wins compared t some of the other teams. Despite a lot of front end talent, they were not a particularly dominating team due to an average defense. Perhaps if they pull out the Rose Bowl game vs. Texas, they would have warranted a higher placement.
TEAM #18: 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .768
Strength of Schedule: .644
Big Ten Strength: .588
Losses to: USC (2), Penn State (7), Texas (3)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Michigan State (26)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-3
Average Pts Scored: 28
Average Pts Allowed: 14
Key Players: Alex Boone, Beanie Wells, James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Freeman, Kurt Coleman
Summary/Comments: Only 1 really good win and a down year in the Big Ten. However, they did win 10 games and their average win was by two touchdowns despite an unspectacular offense. Their top flight defense allowed them to nearly pull off wins vs. two top 10 teams in PSU and Texas. On this list, there are truly great teams, and other teams that were good, but enough breaks got them onto this list. We are still in the latter type of teams.
TEAM #17: 2003 Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 5-3
Power Rating: .775
Strength of Schedule: .633
Big Ten Strength: .595
Losses to: Michigan State (35), Ohio State (8), and Purdue (23)
Blown out by: Purdue
Significant Wins: Michigan (9), Minnesota (25), Florida (18)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-2
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 16
Key Players: Robert Gallery, Fred Russell, Matt Roth, Bob Sanders, Howard Hodges, Chad Greenway, Abdul Hodge, Nate Kaeding
Summary/Comments: In a down year in the Big Ten, Iowa only finished 4th which put them at big disadvantage of even making this list. However, a dominating performance over Florida in their bowl game got them over that hump. Teams that lose 3 conference games aren't generally considered really really good, but Iowa had a nice victory margin, controlling all of their lesser opponents pretty easily, in large part due to a very good defense.
TEAM #16: 2009 Penn State Nittany Lions
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .806
Strength of Schedule: .519
Big Ten Strength: .611
Losses to: Iowa (9), Ohio State (8)
Blown out by: Ohio State
Significant Wins: LSU (11)
Record vs. Top 30: 1-2
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 12
Key Players: Daryll Clark, Evan Royster, Stefen Wisniewski, Dennis Landolt, Jared Odrick, Navorro Bowman, Sean Lee, Jeremy Boone, Josh Hull
Summary/Comments: Solid year in the Big Ten. Terrifc margin of victory. Great defense. However, the strength of schedule was poor and they did not have a win of significant in the conference, missing a good Wisconsin team, getting hammered by Ohio State, and coming up short vs. Iowa.
TEAM #15: 2002 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .790
Strength of Schedule: .786
Big Ten Strength: .631
Losses to: Notre Dame (13), Iowa (8), Ohio State (1)
Blown out by: Iowa
Significant Wins: Penn State (15), Wisconsin (31), Florida (26)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-3
Average Pts Scored: 28
Average Pts Allowed: 20
Key Players: David Baas, Tony Pape, Bennie Joppru, Braylon Edwards, Victor Hobson, Marlin Jackson, Adam Finley, Dan Rumishek, Shantee Orr, John Navarre, Grant Bowman, Cato June
Summary/Comments: Despite finishing third in the Big Ten, the '02 Wolverine squad was arguably better than the Big Ten winners over the prior couple years. They lost three games, but played an exceptionally tough schedule and all three losses were to top 13 teams. They weren't a dominant team by any stretch, but were consistently pretty good, finding a way to win tight games against a lot of solid top 50 type teams. They weren't in the class of the great teams, but deserve their fairly high ranking.
TEAM #14: 2009 Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .816
Strength of Schedule: .639
Big Ten Strength: .611
Losses to: Northwestern (55), Ohio State (8)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Penn State (10), Wisconsin (21), Georgia Tech (14)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-1
Average Pts Scored: 23
Average Pts Allowed: 15
Key Players: Dace Richardson, Bryan Bulaga, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Rafael Eubanks, Adrian Clayborn, Pat Angerer, Tyler Sash, Amari Spievey, AJ Edds, Jon Asamoah, Kyle Calloway, Tony Moeaki, Brett Greenwood
Summary/Comments: We are starting to get into the high quality teams at this point. 2009 Iowa was 3-1 vs. the top 30 (tarnished slightly be a loss to a mediocre Northwestern team following a 9-0 start). Iowa loaded up the All-Conference teams with good solid collegiate players, and their defense was outstanding.
TEAM #13: 2003 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 6-2
Power Rating: .801
Strength of Schedule: .688
Big Ten Strength: .595
Losses to: Wisconsin (45) and Michigan (9)
Blown out by: Michigan
Significant Wins: Iowa (11), Purdue (23), NC State (29), Bowling Green (24), Kansas State (12)
Record vs. Top 30: 5-1
Average Pts Scored: 25
Average Pts Allowed: 18
Key Players: Alex Stepanovich, Shane Olivea, Ben Hartsock, Mike Nugent, Will Smith, Tim Anderson, AJ Hawk, Will Allen, BJ Sander, Chris Gamble, Michael Jenkins, Craig Krenzel, Dustin Fox
Summary/Comments: The Buckeyes followed up their 2002 national championship with a second place finish in the Big Ten. They boasted a strong record against the top 30 (5-1). They were not a dominant team, with only a marginal point differential, but they boasted a strong defense and generally played solid winning football. Despite a somewhat down year in the Big Ten, they still played a pretty good schedule thanks to a solid NC schedule.
TEAM #12: 2004 Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall Record: 10-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .798
Strength of Schedule: .710
Big Ten Strength: .600
Losses to: Arizona State (13), Michigan (17)
Blown out by: Arizona State
Significant Wins: Wisconsin (22), Ohio State (23), Purdue (26), LSU (15)
Record vs. Top 30: 4-2
Average Pts Scored: 24
Average Pts Allowed: 18
Key Players: Drew Tate, Matt Roth, Chad Greenway, Abdul Hodge, Jonathan Babineaux, Clinton Solomon
Summary/Comments: Four top 30 wins and a very solid SOS got the Hawkeyes to #12. After getting drilled by ASU early in the year, they finished with 8 straight wins. One could argue that without their Hail Mary vs. LSU in the Capital One Bowl, they drop down about 7-8 spots, but it is what it is.
TEAM #11: 2003 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .797
Strength of Schedule: .635
Big Ten Strength: .595
Losses to: Oregon (39), Iowa (11), USC (2)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Ohio State (8), Purdue (23), Minnesota (25), Michigan State (35)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-3
Average Pts Scored: 35
Average Pts Allowed: 17
Key Players: Chris Perry, John Navarre, Braylon Edwards, David Baas, Tony Pape, Jason Avant, Larry Stevens, Pierre Woods, Markus Curry, Jeremy LeSueur, Ernest Shazor, Dave Pearson, Grant Bowman
Summary/Comments: The 2003 Michigan squad was a disappointment in some ways. They probably had the most balanced/talented team in the conference and showed it with a solid margin of victory with some convincing wins over teams like Purdue and Ohio State. However, they lost narrow contests to Iowa and Oregon which put a tarnish on their season and prevented them from being considered one of the nationally elite. While their power rating is slightly lower than 2003 OSU, they were bumped ahead on the basis of being Big Ten champs as well as throttling the Buckeyes in the final regular season game of the year.
TEAM #10: 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .803
Strength of Schedule: .532
Big Ten Strength: .592
Losses to: Illinois (23) and LSU (1)
Blown out by: LSU
Significant Wins: Penn State (24) and Michigan (27)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-2
Average Pts Scored: 31
Average Pts Allowed: 13
Key Players: Beanie Wells, Kirk Barton, Vernon Gholston, James Laurainitis, Malcolm Jenkins, Alex Boone, Marcus Freeman, Todd Boeckman,
Summary/Comments: The 2007 Buckeyes were one of the harder teams to place. On one hand, they went to the BCS National Championship game, won 11 games, were dominant in their wins, etc. However, they did so without beating a top 25 team. They also had one of the worst strength of schedules of any team on the list.
TEAM #9: 2006 Wisconsin Badgers
Overall Record: 12-1
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .813
Strength of Schedule: .374
Big Ten Strength: .582
Losses to: Michigan (6)
Blown out by: Michigan
Significant Wins: Arkansas (15), Penn State (28)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-1
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 12
Key Players: Joe Thomas, Jack Ikegwuonu, PJ Hill, Taylor Mehlhaff, Matt Shaugnessy, Roderick Rogers, Travis Beckum,
Summary/Comments: And then we have another team, like '07 OSU, that makes that Buckeye schedule look like an utter gauntlet. The '06 Badgers lost just one game, to a top 6 team in Michigan, but before their bowl game, had only one keynote win to speak of. This was one of those teams that I suspect could have proven themselves to be a team deserving of a higher ranking, but based on the teams they DID play, it is harder to put them much higher than #9.
TEAM #8: 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .815
Strength of Schedule: .570
Big Ten Strength: .588
Losses to: Iowa (21), USC (2)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Ohio State (11), Michigan State (26), Oregon State (13)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-2
Average Pts Scored: 39
Average Pts Allowed: 14
Key Players: Daryll Clark, Derrick Williams, AQ Shipley, Rich Ohrnberger, Kevin Kelly, Aaron Maybin, Jared Odrick, Navorro Bowman, Anthony Scirrotto, Evan Royster, Stefan Wisniewski, Deon Butler, Lydell Sargeant
Summary/Comments: Impressive 25 point scoring margin with three solid high quality wins. Going 11-1 before getting outmanned by a talented USC in the Rose Bowl is nothing to sneeze at.
TEAM #7: 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .847
Strength of Schedule: .631
Big Ten Strength: .611
Losses to: USC (25), Purdue (69)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Iowa (9), Penn State (10), Wisconsin (21), Oregon (12)
Record vs. Top 30: 4-1
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 13
Key Players: Kurt Coleman, Justin Boren, Brandon Saine, Thaddeus Gibson, Cameron Heyward, Ross Homan,
Summary/Comments: Very tight loss to solid USC team early in the year and nothing but impressive performances everywhere else...4 top 30 wins, including 3 over top 12 teams...other than trying to figure out how they lost to a bad Purdue team, the worst loss by any team on the list. What is somewhat striking was the lack of star power relative to many Ohio State teams (which probably explains how they could lose to Purdue).
TEAM #6: 2002 Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 8-0
Power Rating: .818
Strength of Schedule: .619
Big Ten Strength: .631
Losses to: Iowa State (43), USC (2)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Penn State (15), Michigan (10), Wisconsin (31)
Record vs. Top 30: 2-1
Average Pts Scored: 37
Average Pts Allowed: 20
Key Players: Brad Banks, Fred Russell, Bruce Nelson, Eric Steinbach, Robert Gallery, Dallas Clark, Nate Kaeding, Colin Cole, Fred Barr, Bob Sanders, Howard Hodges, Grant Steen, Derek Pagel, David Porter
Summary/Comments: The '02 Iowa squad's claim to fame was running the table in a strong Big Ten year to finish as co-champs with OSU. They had a dominant offense led by a stellar OL, racking up 37 PPG. On the downside, their SOS was only so-so despite a strong year in the Big Ten, thanks to a couple of stinker NC games as well as missing OSU. As a result, their record against top 30 teams was only 2-1, including a blowout at the hands of USC. Their other loss seemed like a solid defeat at the time, but ISU fell apart as the year went along, putting that "L" as another black mark against their record. Still, a clear cut very good team.
TEAM #5: 2006 Michigan Wolverines
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .857
Strength of Schedule: .686
Big Ten Strength: .582
Losses to: Ohio State (4), USC (3)
Blown out by: USC
Significant Wins: Wisconsin (11), Penn State (28), Notre Dame (20)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-2
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 16
Key Players: Mike Hart, Mario Manningham, Jake Long, Garrett Rivas, Alan Branch, LaMarr Woodley, David Harris, Leon Hall, Adam Kraus, Chad Henne, Mark Bihl, Shawn Crable, Jamar Adams
Summary/Comments: Started the year 11-0 before losing a shootout to an elite Ohio State team and then the Rose Bowl to USC. Good balance of offensive and defensive skill players. The 2006 Michigan teams is a good example of how small the line is between a terrific team and a memorable team.
TEAM #4: 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 12-1
Conference Record: 8-0
Power Rating: .885
Strength of Schedule: .594
Big Ten Strength: .582
Losses to: Florida (1)
Blown out by: Florida
Significant Wins: Michigan (6), Penn State (28), Texas (18)
Record vs. Top 30: 3-1
Average Pts Scored: 35
Average Pts Allowed: 13
Key Players: Troy Smith, Antonio Pittman, Anthony Gonzalez, Doug Datish, TJ Downing, Quinn Pitcock, James Laurinaitas, Malcolm Jenkins, Antonio Smith, Ted Ginn, Vernon Gholston, David Patterson, Brandon Mitchell, Kirk Barton
Summary/Comments: Only loss came in the national championship game where they were throttled by Florida. Not an elite schedule, but game to game they were dominant as they were not threatened in any game beyond the aformentioned Michigan and Illinois. They possessed a higher power rating than the next two teams, but without as many quality wins.
TEAM #3: 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 10-2
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .864
Strength of Schedule: .785
Big Ten Strength: .651
Losses to: Texas (1), Penn State (3)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Iowa (27), Minnesota (25), Northwestern (28), Michigan (21), Notre Dame (14)
Record vs. Top 30: 5-2
Average Pts Scored: 33
Average Pts Allowed: 15
Key Players: Santonio Holmes, Rob Sims, Josh Huston, Mike Kudla, AJ Hawk, Nate Salley, Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty, Nick Mangold, Quinn Pitcock, Bobby Carpenter
Summary/Comments: Two losses, but both to top 3 teams in highly competitive games. The Buckeyes won their last 7 games of the year and were convincing in all of them, with only Michigan hanging around. One of the two toughest strength of schedules on the list, with only one other team (2002 Michigan) being close. 2005 was also the strongest year of the Big Ten during the decade. Overall, a super team and deserving of their top 3 ranking.....even though they were not the best team in the Big Ten.
TEAM #2: 2005 Penn State Nittany Lions
Ovearll Record: 11-1
Conference Record: 7-1
Power Rating: .870
Strength of Schedule: .726
Big Ten Strength: .651
Losses to: Michigan (21)
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Ohio State (4), Wisconsin (19), Minnesota (25), Northwestern (28), Florida State (24)
Record vs. Top 30: 5-1
Average Pts Scored: 34
Average Pts Allowed: 17
Key Players: Levi Brown, Tamba Hali, Scott Paxson, Paul Posluszny, Calvin Lowry, Alan Zemaitis, Michael Robinson, Tony Hunt, Jay Alford, Matthew Rice
Summary/Comments: Little to not like with this team. Toughest Big Ten season of the decade leads to 5 top 30 wins, a solid 17 point scoring margin, along with all the highly rated metrics.
TEAM #1: 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 14-0
Conference Record: 8-0
Power Rating: .923
Strength of Schedule: .730
Big Ten Strength: .631
Losses to: none
Blown out by: none
Significant Wins: Texas Tech (20), Washington St. (16), Wisconsin (31), Penn State (15), Purdue (38), Michigan (10), Miami (3)
Record vs. Top 30: 5-0
Average Pts Scored: 29
Average Pts Allowed: 13
Key Players: Craig Krenzel, Maurice Clarett, Michael Jenkins, Shane Olivea, Mike Nugent, Darrion Scott, Matt Wilhelm, Mike Doss, Chris Gamble, Andy Groom, Tim Anderson, Kenny Peterson, Will Smith, Cie Grant
Summary/Comments: You can't argue with 14-0 against that kind of schedule. No, they weren't the most dominant team around in terms of margin of victory, pulling out reasonably close games against Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, and Miami. However, the bottom line is they were able to find a way to get the "W". Their overall strength of schedule was outstanding, with 5 wins against top 30 teams. It also should be noted that the Big Ten was rated as the toughest conference in the nation in 2002, so running the table has added significance. Their offense was solid, but their defense was truly special and should garner much of the credit for their well-deserved national title.