nitramnaed
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This was actually written in honor of Ricky Fowlers breakthrough victory over the weekend, but I don't care about that, so I edited it. You can read the Fowler info at the link at the bottom.
We’ve ranked the following 13 B1G droughts in order of the likelihood that they’ll soon be snapped.
Joey Porter Jr. was poised to break the drought this year, but fell to the first pick of the second round.
The wait won’t be much longer, though.
Penn State teammate Kalen King is a top-5 cornerback in the 2024 draft class and may raise his stock even higher this fall. King’s name will be called earlier than any defensive back in Penn State history.
Even with the success of the past 2 seasons, 2023 marks Michigan’s best shot at winning a national championship since 1997.
Matt Rhule is going to fix that issue. However, in his prior stops at Temple and Baylor, major growth didn’t take place until Year 2. There’s a chance the Cornhuskers will have 1 last year on the struggle bus.
However, the transfer portal has allowed Rhule to stack the Huskers more than he could in Year 1 at either of those schools. So it won’t be a surprise if Big Red is back in a bowl this season.
It may be happening multiple times with Phil Longo running Wisconsin’s offense. His North Carolina quarterback, Drake Maye, threw for 448 yards against Wake Forest last year and crossed 380 yards on 2 other occasions.
Incoming quarterback Tanner Mordecai has 2 career 400-yard games as well as a 395-yard performance.
It’ll be tough to pull it off this year with Chase Brown, Sydney Brown and Devon Witherspoon all starting their NFL careers. But Bret Bielema has the program moving in the right direction. A true breakthrough season is somewhere around the corner.
Ever since Maryland ran off Friedgen as the head turtle for the sin of going 9-4 in 2010, the program has failed to hit 9 wins in a season. Be careful what you wish for.
Much of that failure is related to the elevated degree of difficulty in moving from the ACC to the Big Ten East. If you lose to Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, you have to run the table in order to finish 9-3.
This year’s roster could be equipped to handle that task. However, it’s more likely in the near future, when the Terrapins aren’t trapped playing the B1G’s 3 titans in divisional play every year.
Last year’s contribution to the streak was as baffling as they get. Purdue, which went on to win the Big Ten West, finally had a team that was demonstrably better than Wisconsin. But despite outgaining the Badgers by 50 yards, Purdue lost thanks to 3 interceptions and a 21-0 first-quarter hole.
Both programs have new coaches, so we’ll see if Wisconsin’s reign of dominance continues to beguile the Boilers. But if it didn’t happen last year, there’s no telling when Purdue’s next best chance to snap the drought will come.
It seemed over in 2015. But Indiana’s luck being what it is, the Hoosiers were playing in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Griffin Oakes’ apparent field goal to send the game to a second overtime went too high over the shorter-than-regulation goal post and was ruled no good. Naturally, it wasn’t a reviewable play.
The Hoosiers were in control of the 2020 Gator Bowl, but Tennessee took a late fourth-quarter lead by recovering an onside kick and scoring two touchdowns in 30 seconds. Indiana had another gasp, but missed a 52-yard field goal.
The 2021 Outback Bowl, a 26-20 loss to Ole Miss on a Rebels touchdown with 4 minutes left, was another painful near miss.
Indiana doesn’t look like a bowl team in 2023. And when the Hoosiers do get back to a bowl game, pain seems certain to follow.
This year may be the best chance for Minnesota to break through the window for a very long time. As always, the Big Ten West will be up for grabs in the final year of division play. From there, it just takes 60 minutes of being better than Michigan/Ohio State/Penn State for the Gophers to end one of the Big Ten’s defining droughts.
That sliver of possibility makes it more likely than the droughts that follow.
This is a matchup nightmare for the Spartans as both of these rosters are constructed, and that will continue as long as Ryan Day is in Columbus. Michigan State is built in a manner that’s competitive against Michigan, but it’s a completely different story against the Buckeyes.
No Hawkeye has passed for more than 3,000 yards since James Vanderburg did it in 2011. Hard to see that changing in a Brian Ferentz offense.
Indiana actually beat Ohio State in both 1987 and ’88. The 1988 game was one of the craziest results in the history of either program: Indiana 41, Ohio State 7.
And the Hoosiers haven’t won since. There were agonizingly close calls in 2012 and 2020, but Ohio State has mostly dominated this series. Indiana is 12-79 all-time against Ohio State, and the losses keep mounting.
saturdaytradition.com
Which Big Ten droughts will be snapped next?
Alex HickeyWe’ve ranked the following 13 B1G droughts in order of the likelihood that they’ll soon be snapped.
1. Penn State DB drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft (87 years)
Penn State has churned out great NFL players for generations at just about every position, including defensive back. But not 1 of those Nittany Lion DBs has ever been drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, which began in 1936. (To be fair, a defensive back was probably a pretty bad investment when teams were throwing 10 times per game, so the drought is a bit exaggerated.)Joey Porter Jr. was poised to break the drought this year, but fell to the first pick of the second round.
The wait won’t be much longer, though.
Penn State teammate Kalen King is a top-5 cornerback in the 2024 draft class and may raise his stock even higher this fall. King’s name will be called earlier than any defensive back in Penn State history.
2. Michigan wins a national championship (26 years)
After reaching the College Football Playoff back-to-back years, the Wolverines are looking to kick the door in this season. No other CFP contender returns more veteran talent than Michigan, so the opportunity is certainly presenting itself.Even with the success of the past 2 seasons, 2023 marks Michigan’s best shot at winning a national championship since 1997.
3. Nebraska finishing with a winning record (7 years)
It seems impossible that a program with Nebraska’s lineage hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2016, yet here we are.Matt Rhule is going to fix that issue. However, in his prior stops at Temple and Baylor, major growth didn’t take place until Year 2. There’s a chance the Cornhuskers will have 1 last year on the struggle bus.
However, the transfer portal has allowed Rhule to stack the Huskers more than he could in Year 1 at either of those schools. So it won’t be a surprise if Big Red is back in a bowl this season.
4. A Wisconsin QB passing for 400 yards in a game (30 years)
Darrell Bevell remains the most recent Wisconsin quarterback to pass for 400 yards in a single game, doing so at Minnesota in 1993. That was the only game the Badgers lost that season, which evidently scarred Barry Alvarez to the point that he would never allow for it to happen again.It may be happening multiple times with Phil Longo running Wisconsin’s offense. His North Carolina quarterback, Drake Maye, threw for 448 yards against Wake Forest last year and crossed 380 yards on 2 other occasions.
Incoming quarterback Tanner Mordecai has 2 career 400-yard games as well as a 395-yard performance.
5. Illinois finishing a season ranked (16 years)
The Illini snapped a 14-year drought without being ranked last season. However, their stumbles down the stretch prevented Illinois from finishing a season in the Top 25 for the first time since 2007.It’ll be tough to pull it off this year with Chase Brown, Sydney Brown and Devon Witherspoon all starting their NFL careers. But Bret Bielema has the program moving in the right direction. A true breakthrough season is somewhere around the corner.
6. Maryland winning 9 games (13 years)
Call it the Curse of Ralph Friedgen.Ever since Maryland ran off Friedgen as the head turtle for the sin of going 9-4 in 2010, the program has failed to hit 9 wins in a season. Be careful what you wish for.
Much of that failure is related to the elevated degree of difficulty in moving from the ACC to the Big Ten East. If you lose to Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, you have to run the table in order to finish 9-3.
This year’s roster could be equipped to handle that task. However, it’s more likely in the near future, when the Terrapins aren’t trapped playing the B1G’s 3 titans in divisional play every year.
7. Purdue beating Wisconsin (20 years)
Frankly, it’s the most inexplicable drought in the Big Ten, if not all of college football. Wisconsin may be a better program than Purdue, but not so much better that the Boilermakers haven’t been able to beat the Badgers since 2004.Last year’s contribution to the streak was as baffling as they get. Purdue, which went on to win the Big Ten West, finally had a team that was demonstrably better than Wisconsin. But despite outgaining the Badgers by 50 yards, Purdue lost thanks to 3 interceptions and a 21-0 first-quarter hole.
Both programs have new coaches, so we’ll see if Wisconsin’s reign of dominance continues to beguile the Boilers. But if it didn’t happen last year, there’s no telling when Purdue’s next best chance to snap the drought will come.
8. Rutgers finishing .500 in conference play (11 years)
The Scarlet Knights haven’t had a winning record in conference play since their penultimate year in the Big East. Getting over that hump will become a great deal easier with the elimination of divisions in 2024.9. Indiana winning a bowl game (32 years)
A drought that breaks the laws of physics.It seemed over in 2015. But Indiana’s luck being what it is, the Hoosiers were playing in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Griffin Oakes’ apparent field goal to send the game to a second overtime went too high over the shorter-than-regulation goal post and was ruled no good. Naturally, it wasn’t a reviewable play.
The Hoosiers were in control of the 2020 Gator Bowl, but Tennessee took a late fourth-quarter lead by recovering an onside kick and scoring two touchdowns in 30 seconds. Indiana had another gasp, but missed a 52-yard field goal.
The 2021 Outback Bowl, a 26-20 loss to Ole Miss on a Rebels touchdown with 4 minutes left, was another painful near miss.
Indiana doesn’t look like a bowl team in 2023. And when the Hoosiers do get back to a bowl game, pain seems certain to follow.
10. Minnesota winning an outright Big Ten title (82 years)
The Golden Gophers shared Big Ten titles in 1967 and 1960, but they have not stood alone as Big Ten football champions since 1941.This year may be the best chance for Minnesota to break through the window for a very long time. As always, the Big Ten West will be up for grabs in the final year of division play. From there, it just takes 60 minutes of being better than Michigan/Ohio State/Penn State for the Gophers to end one of the Big Ten’s defining droughts.
That sliver of possibility makes it more likely than the droughts that follow.
11. Michigan State beating Ohio State (8 years)
Michigan State has had terrible pass defense under Mel Tucker, ranking last nationally in yards allowed in 2021 and interceptions in 2022. Ohio State has the best receiving corps in college football and will continue to do so as long as Brian Hartline is the receivers coach.This is a matchup nightmare for the Spartans as both of these rosters are constructed, and that will continue as long as Ryan Day is in Columbus. Michigan State is built in a manner that’s competitive against Michigan, but it’s a completely different story against the Buckeyes.
12. An Iowa QB passing for 3,000 yards in a season (12 years)
Cade McNamara is a step up at quarterback for the Hawkeyes, but he was not exactly tossing the ball around the yard at Michigan. McNamara is a game manager who ranked seventh in the B1G with 7.9 yards per attempt in 2021.No Hawkeye has passed for more than 3,000 yards since James Vanderburg did it in 2011. Hard to see that changing in a Brian Ferentz offense.
13. Indiana beating Ohio State (35 years)
The most defining characteristic of Indiana’s losing drought against Ohio State is that the Hoosiers have tied the Buckeyes more recently than they’ve beaten them. It hasn’t been possible finish a college football game with a tie since 1995.Indiana actually beat Ohio State in both 1987 and ’88. The 1988 game was one of the craziest results in the history of either program: Indiana 41, Ohio State 7.
And the Hoosiers haven’t won since. There were agonizingly close calls in 2012 and 2020, but Ohio State has mostly dominated this series. Indiana is 12-79 all-time against Ohio State, and the losses keep mounting.
In honor of Rickie Fowler, which Big Ten droughts will be snapped next?
In honor of golfer Rickie Fowler snapping his winless drought, we grade the chances of several Big Ten football droughts coming to an end.
saturdaytradition.com
