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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?
Contact @PeteFiutak
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.