The Big Ten ends a well-represented postseason with a total of nine teams competing in bowl games. The league collectively finished with a final bowl game record of 4-5.
Unfortunately for the conference, the most important games at the top were won by other Power 5 schools: Ohio State’s loss to Clemson, Wisconsin’s heartbreaker against Oregon, and Alabama’s handling of Michigan.
Positively, the middle of the Big Ten earned impressive wins. Penn State crushed No. 17 Memphis, Minnesota snuck by No. 12 Auburn, and Iowa never sweated against No. 22 USC. With teams like Minnesota and Indiana becoming contenders within the league, and the expected improvement of teams like Purdue and Nebraska who missed the postseason, the Big Ten is going to be very exciting to watch next season.
Big Ten Football Power Rankings
No. 14 Rutgers (2-10, 0-9 B1G)
Previous: No. 14; Last: No Bowl Game
The Scarlet Knights have as much optimism as it’s possible to have considering they went 0-9 in the Big Ten this season. With Greg Schiano back at the helm, Rutgers has already started their rebuilding process. The next couple of years may still be rough, but if the recruiting can match up with the coaching, this may be a dangerous trap team that other Big Ten schools will want to avoid.
No. 13 Maryland (3-9, 1-8 B1G)
Previous: No. 13; Last: No Bowl Game
After losing seven consecutive games to finish off the season, Maryland missed out on bowl eligibility for the third season in a row. A 2-0 record and a No. 21 AP ranking transformed into a 3-9 finish with a second to last place finish in the East Division.
No. 12 Northwestern (3-9, 1-8 B1G)
Previous: No. 12; Last: No Bowl Game
After a poor campaign, Pat Fitzgerald shook up his staff by letting go of OC Mick McCall and bringing in BC OC Mike Bajakian. WR Bennett Skowronek, who had 45 receptions in 2017 and 2018 before an injury-riddled 2019, transferred to Notre Dame, leaving a starting spot open opposite established wideout Riley Lees. DE Joe Gaziano punctuated his college career by being selected all-Big Ten first team by the coaches.
First, congrats to IU for a terrific year. Love the way the team played and made each other better. I’m quibbling with ranking PSU over the gophers, since the gophers won the head-to-head matchup. A second quibble, Minnesota didn’t sneak by Auburn, despite the close score. The gophers played better than Auburn on both sides of the ball. Finally, felt bad for the badgers, buckeyes, and hoosiers; those were all close, winnable games. Next year should be fun in both divisions of the Big Ten.