This continues our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.

via pennstategameday.com

I. Overview

The last ten years have been a tale of two programs for Penn State.  From 2000-2004 Penn State went through the worst stretch of the Paterno Era, widely regarded as "the Dark Years."  That five year span saw a record of 26-33, with just one bowl appearance (and a loss at that).  Calls for Paterno's retirement/head were loud.  In fact, Paterno felt compelled to publicly address the criticism:

Speaking first to a small table of media members, Paterno suggested that he would consider retirement if this [2005] season -- one he believes is filled with promise -- instead leads to disappointment.

"If we don't win some games, I've got to get my rear end out of here," Paterno said. "Simple as that."

The man delivered on his word: the 2005 season was a renaissance following the Dark Years, and the team posted a record of 51-13 in the second half of the decade with two Big Ten Championships and three top-10 finishes.

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I. Overview

If I could pick a word to define the decade of the Aughts for Northwestern, it would be "resilience." The Aughts weren't a remarkable decade for the Wildcats. While they had ups and downs like every other Big 10 team, their highs weren't quite as high as those of the 90's, and their lows (fortunately) weren't quite as low as the pits of the program in past decades. And yet... If any Big 10 team of the Aughts could lay claim to representing that old adage of, "It's not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up" it would have to be Northwestern. You could see this in their many stunning comeback victories, in their season saving win streaks, in their perseverance in the face of tragedy, and in their year-to-year records. It would have been easy, after the decline in 2001 for the 'Cats to return to their old losing ways and finish the decade in the bottom of the Big 10 barrel. But they didn't do that. They got back up. Over and over again. 

More of the Big Ten Decade in Review:

Purdue

Wisconsin

Indiana

Ohio State

Michigan State

Minnesota

Iowa

Michigan

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This continues our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.

I. Overview

For the Wolverines of the University of Michigan, the previous decade was one that saw the excellence, majesty, power and rich winning tradition historically associated with the Wolverines' football program displayed as prominently as it ever had, and then subsequently turned on its head. The same decade in which records were broken for career achievement in every statistical category would also see 50-year records broken of disappointment and failure. The Wolverines, as strong a brand name as there is in college football, have seen their ship take on water the last couple years. How soon will Ann Arbor again smell the sweet scent of football success?

More of the Big Ten Decade in Review:

Purdue

Wisconsin

Indiana

Ohio State

Michigan State

Minnesota

Iowa

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This continues our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.

I. Overview

Indiana football, the whipping boy of the Big Ten. And again, not to be rude, but the whipping boy is going to have words for me over that comparison. Some intriguing stats support this:

• 1 winning season in the Aughts (a Big Ten low)
• 0-21 record v. PSU, OSU, Michigan in the Aughts
• 0-10 record comparatively in individual matchups v. all Big Ten teams during this decade
• Six 1-7 single season in-conference records

Cam Cameron and Gerry DiNardo presided over this Crimson and Cream mess at the start of the decade and quickly gave way to Terry Hoeppner, whose renewed spirit brought some life to The Rock until he was felled by cancer. Bill Lynch inherited Terry's talent (and passion) and brought post-season play to the Hoosier masses before quickly falling back to the Big Ten's bottom.

If I was writing a cliched ridden script, it would include pointing at the above pictured Kellen Lewis and claiming his struggles and successes were typical of Indiana football in the Aughts. But...they weren't. Lewis presided over the only winning season of the decade.

Is there an issue here that needs to be resolved? Does some kind of cleansing process need to take place for IU to win some football games? I doubt it. The defensive talent is almost always lacking in Bloomington as top recruits find their way to bigger profile programs. The student body, basketball crazy as always, find their way to tailgate outside of Memorial but not actually into the stadium. And until increased talent meets decent coaching, the Hoosiers will remain at the bottom of the barrel.

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This continues our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.

1. Overview

"Envy assails the noblest: the winds howl around the highest peaks."

When Ovid penned these simple, and infamous words in Remedia Amoris, he could have had a distinctive decade in Ohio State football in mind.  A program soaked in historical superlatives lived and died by the sword in 2000-2009, winning national championships, and losing national respect.  Yet, even for this power-turned-pariah, the decade can hardly be considered anything but a delightful success.

Fourteen All Americans, seven ten plus win seasons (five eleven plus win seasons), six Big Ten Championships, six Top Ten finishes (Five in the Top Five), four BCS bowl wins, one Heisman Trophy winner, and a National Championship ensure that the Columbus faithful will always remember the aughts as one of the richest periods in the program's history.

Yet, it wasn't all roses for the Buckeyes.  Ask any fan outside of the Midwest, and they'll recall a plodding, endangered species that was thoroughly outclassed in back-to-back BCS national championship games, lost three consecutive BCS bowls, and was embarrassed 35-3 by the USC Trojans, another of the decade's starlets.  They'll mention a questionable pass interference call that allowed Ohio State to steal the title, and argue that the Buckeyes benefited by playing in a relic of a conference.  They'll criticize buttoned-up, predictable play calling, and point to a lack of team speed to explain the scarlet's struggles against the south.

No team in college football faced as much criticism as Ohio State over the past decade.  And no team in college football was as consistently relevant.

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This continues our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.

I. Overview

It's January 1, 2000. Your computer didn't explode, the house is still standing, and MSU football fans are pretty damn happy. A bowl defeat of Florida has made the 10-2 Spartans the #8 ranked team in America. Who knew that, as The Only Colors volunteered, this would be "our last major triumph before heading into the college football wilderness for the better part of the decade."

A conference record of 32-48 would follow, highlighted by incompetent coaches, famously bad choke jobs, and a six game losing streak to arch-rival Michigan. A calming influence was needed and it seemed the Spartans found that in the droll Mark Dantonio, who rung up a couple victories over Michigan and a Capitol One Bowl berth.

At an after work gathering in Los Angeles with Law Buckeye's colleagues, I pleasantly chided a Cal Alum by referring to Cal as the "Michigan State of the West: Heavy on talent and expectations, low on results." After reviewing the tremendous mediocrity the Spartans had been through these last ten years, that statement feels like an insult to Cal. Here's to a better '10's for East Lansing, with more bowls and less embarrassments.

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This continues our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.

Be sure to check out Bama Hawkeye's Iowa Summation.

I.  Overview 

When looking at how the Gopher Football program faired during the first decade of the 21^st Century, it's almost a Tale of Two Expectations scenario.  An outsider looking at the program, and the program's history, would probably believe that the Gophers did a serviceable job in the Oh's. 

But to someone who follows the program very closely, the decade may feel like a bit of a wasted opportunity.  The outsider looks at the fact that the Gophers made 8 bowl games in the decade, and assumes it successful.  The insider looks at the Gophers and sees that, including those 8 bowl games, the Gophers were 62-62 in the decade, had 6 winning seasons, 4 losing seasons, and never finished better than tied for 4^th in the conference. 

A further look reveals that the Gophers only once managed a winning record against the conference, and a 30-50 record overall against Big Ten foes the 0's.  It was a serviceable decade to the outside, but to the insider, it felt like we should have accomplished much more.

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This continues our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.  This starts the review of the individual teams.

I. Overview

On January 1, 2000, it would have been hard to envision a more successful decade for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Coming off Kirk Ferentz's first season, a 1-10 (0-8) season, there were few reasons to dream big.  And then, things fell into place.  After one more losing season, the team made the Alamo Bowl in 2001.  2002 provided one of the most incredible joy rides that the school has ever known - ending with an 8-0 conference record, a Heisman runner-up, and a trip to the Orange Bowl.  The Hawkeyes were back.  The three year run from 2002-04 saw three top ten finishes, something the school had never accomplished before.  The next three years were ones of increasing disappointment, as Iowa failed to live up to their increased expectations.  But, just as the bottom seemed ready to drop out, Iowa rallied for a strong 2008, a remarkable 2009, and designs on concluding another strong three-year run in 2010.  It wasn't a perfect decade, but for Iowa, it may have been one of the two best in the school's history.

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