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Topic: 126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships

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medinabuckeye1

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126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships
« on: December 06, 2021, 11:55:09 AM »
The 126 years from 1896-2021 divide evenly in thirds of 42 years each and in those thirds:

Championships in the first third, 1896-1937:

  • 15 - Michigan
  • 13 - Minnesota
  • 8 - Illinois
  • 7 - Chicago
  • 5 - Wisconsin
  • 5 - Northwestern
  • 4 - Ohio State
  • 4 - Purdue
  • 3 - Iowa


Championships in the middle third, 1938-1979:
  • 18 - Ohio State
  • 14 - Michigan
  • 5 - Minnesota
  • 4 - Illinois
  • 4 - Michigan State
  • 3 - Wisconsin
  • 3 - Iowa
  • 3 - Purdue
  • 2 - Indiana

Championships in the current third, 1980-2021:
  • 17 - Ohio State
  • 14 - Michigan
  • 6 - Wisconsin
  • 5 - Michigan State
  • 4 - Iowa
  • 4 - Penn State
  • 3 - Illinois
  • 3 - Northwestern
  • 1 - Purdue

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Mdot21

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Re: 126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2021, 12:00:25 PM »
seems like it's always been a big 2 little 8. Michigan was always one of the two. Minnesota was the other, but they got replaced by Ohio State.
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Brutus Buckeye

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Re: 126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2021, 12:10:19 PM »
If you divide it into fifths, you have nice succinct 25 year ranges. 
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rolltidefan

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Re: 126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2021, 12:12:14 PM »
i'll be honest, the illini are a lot better represented in these stats than i'd have guessed. kudos
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betarhoalphadelta

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Re: 126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2021, 12:17:45 PM »
Quote from: rolltidefan on December 06, 2021, 12:12:14 PM
i'll be honest, the illini are a lot better represented in these stats than i'd have guessed. kudos
Illinois' history is pretty much long stretches of suckitude combined with random years of "where the eff did that come from?!" where they're really good for no explainable reason...
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847badgerfan

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Re: 126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2021, 01:51:07 PM »
Wisconsin won the first two. So there.
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U RAH RAH! WIS CON SIN!

medinabuckeye1

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Re: 126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships
« Reply #6 on: December 06, 2021, 02:53:16 PM »
Quote from: betarhoalphadelta on December 06, 2021, 12:17:45 PM
Illinois' history is pretty much long stretches of suckitude combined with random years of "where the eff did that come from?!" where they're really good for no explainable reason...
Yeah, Illinois' history is basically feast or famine.  They have a lot more titles than programs with a similar overall winning percentage because, as @betarhoalphadelta said, when they are good it tends to be in these random very good years.  

For an example, look no further than Illinois' most recent league title in 2001:  For that year they finished 10-2 overall 7-1 in conference and won the league outright at 10-1/7-1.  They were sub .500 in both the year before that (5-6/2-6 in 2000) and the year after that (5-7/4-4 in 2002) and those 5-win seasons in 2000 and 2002 were actually relatively pretty good for Illinois in that era.  In the 28 years from 1993-2020 they only won more than five games only eight times:
  • 10-2 in 2001
  • 9-4 in 2007
  • 8-4 in 1999
  • 7-5 in 1994
  • 7-6 in 2010
  • 7-6 in 2011
  • 6-7 in 2014
  • 6-7 in 2019

They had that one title which is more than Minnesota or Indiana and is tied with Purdue but the rest of those years were mostly BAD.  

Looking at those teams near the bottom of the league (MN, IN, PU, IL) from 1993-2020 they went:
  • .47774 Minnesota, 161-176-0
  • .45224 Purdue, 150-182-3
  • .38037 Indiana, 124-202-0
  • .37538 Illinois, 123-205-1

So while Illinois was tied with PU for the most titles from among these four teams from 1993-2020 they had the worst overall record.  Minnesota was ~40 games better which is more than one per season but never peaked high enough to win a title.  Even Purdue was roughly one game per year better and also had one title but Purdue's was a three-way tie split with Michigan and Northwestern at 6-2 each where Illinois' was an outright title at 7-1.  
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medinabuckeye1

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Re: 126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2021, 04:04:17 PM »
Quote from: Mdot21 on December 06, 2021, 12:00:25 PM
seems like it's always been a big 2 little 8. Michigan was always one of the two. Minnesota was the other, but they got replaced by Ohio State.
Yep, but the above division into thirds doesn't really demonstrate when that replacement occurred.  

Ohio State won their first league title in 1916 while Michigan was on hiatus from the league.  In the 106 years from 1916-2021 titles:
  • 39 Ohio State
  • 37 Michigan
  • 12 Illinois
  • 10 Minnesota
  • 10 tie Iowa
  • 9 Wisconsin
  • 9 tie Michigan State
  • 8 Purdue
  • 7 Northwestern
  • 4 Penn State
  • 2 Chicago
  • 2 Indiana

Minnesota fascinates me.  They won their 16th league title in 1941.  That title was their second consecutive, fourth in five years, and seventh in nine years.  As of 1941 they led the league in titles:
  • 16 Minnesota
  • 15 Michigan
  • 8 Illinois
  • 7 Chicago
  • 5 Ohio State
  • 5 Wisconsin
  • 5 Northwestern
  • 4 Purdue
  • 3 Iowa

Since then they've won two (1960, 1967).  

Minnesota's collapse MUST BE attributable to WWII.  Unlike Michigan which came out of WWII and won four-straight league titles from 1947-1950 the Gophers just never returned to their pre-war status.  Look just how bad Minnesota has been since 1941, titles from 1942-2021:
  • 34 Ohio State
  • 28 Michigan
  • 9 Wisconsin
  • 9 Michigan State
  • 8 Iowa
  • 7 Illinois
  • 4 Purdue
  • 4 Penn State
  • 3 Northwestern
  • 2 Indiana
  • 2 Minnesota

Remember that Minnesota's 1941 league title was their league-leading 16th title, their second consecutive, their fourth in five years, and their seventh in nine years.  They were REALLY good from 1896-1941 and once the Germans Bombed Pear Harbor it was, in fact, OVER.  They've been abysmal for eight decades.  
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LittlePig

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Re: 126 Years of Big Ten Football Championships
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2021, 08:53:05 PM »
Quote from: medinabuckeye1 on December 06, 2021, 11:55:09 AM
The 126 years from 1896-2021 divide evenly in thirds of 42 years each and in those thirds:

Championships in the first third, 1896-1937:

  • 15 - Michigan
  • 13 - Minnesota
  • 8 - Illinois
  • 7 - Chicago
  • 5 - Wisconsin
  • 5 - Northwestern
  • 4 - Ohio State
  • 4 - Purdue
  • 3 - Iowa


Championships in the middle third, 1938-1979:
  • 18 - Ohio State
  • 14 - Michigan
  • 5 - Minnesota
  • 4 - Illinois
  • 4 - Michigan State
  • 3 - Wisconsin
  • 3 - Iowa
  • 3 - Purdue
  • 2 - Indiana

Championships in the current third, 1980-2021:
  • 17 - Ohio State
  • 14 - Michigan
  • 6 - Wisconsin
  • 5 - Michigan State
  • 4 - Iowa
  • 4 - Penn State
  • 3 - Illinois
  • 3 - Northwestern
  • 1 - Purdue


You are counting co-championships, right?

Iowa should have 5 since 1980

1981, 1985, 1990, 2002, 2004.
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