There is only one Big Ten football program which was better than the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2010s. No, Michigan State was not as good as Wisconsin, even though the Spartans did two things this past decade — win a Rose Bowl and make the College Football Playoff — the Badgers failed to do.
One can say that Michigan State had a more successful decade due to those two mountaintop achievements in two specific seasons (2013 and 2015), but Wisconsin was a much better program over a 10-season period. The Badgers and Spartans won two outright Big Ten titles apiece, but Wisconsin made more Rose Bowls (plural) and won three more Big Ten division titles than the Spartans. Michigan State was the better program from 2010 through 2015, but not over the full decade.
Ohio State is the only Big Ten program which was better on the gridiron than Wisconsin in the 2010s. As one decade ends and another begins, I asked Marcus Hartman — who covers Ohio State for @DaytonSports at the Dayton Daily News — to tell Badgers Wire readers about the biggest question facing the Buckeyes in the new decade.
Here is what Marcus Hartman said:
I’d say the biggest question is obviously what kind of staying power Ryan Day has. He says he wants to put down roots in Columbus for his family so I’ll take him at his word on that (some speculate he might want to go back to the NFL eventually), but obviously only time will tell if he can maintain what he’s done so far.
Don’t overthink this — Hartman is correct. Ryan Day has unquestionably done a great job with the 2019 Buckeyes, but he just lost his best assistant coach, Jeff Hafley, who took the head coaching job at Boston College. In 2021, Day will be coaching his recruits more than Urban Meyer’s players. Justin Fields won’t be around forever. Ohio State might not have a cheat-code-level quarterback. You get the point.
Yes, Day silenced his critics this season and proved he could handle the heat. He made a strong first impression and appears ready for any challenge that might come his way. Yet, there are some proving-ground moments awaiting him beyond this upcoming playoff semifinal against Clemson. The 2020s will be a fascinating time for Ohio State football and, by extension, the Big Ten.