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Few and Far Between: These 7 B1G programs have gone the longest without a conference title
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The B1G has essentially been a four-team league since the conference split into divisions in 2011 and started playing a conference championship game at the end of every regular season.
Since 2011, just four teams have claimed a league title — Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. Only three other teams — Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern — have even made the trip to Indianapolis to compete for a B1G title.
Here are the years each of those four teams won a B1G championship:
- Ohio State (3) — 2014, 2017, 2018
- Michigan State (2) — 2013, 2015
- Wisconsin (2) — 2011, 2012
- Penn State (1) — 2016
With the league being dominated by those four programs recently, it got us wondering, when was the last time each team has won a B1G title? None of the conference’s three recent additions — Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers — have won a league crown yet. We’ll keep those teams off the board.
Here’s the last time the conference’s other seven team last won a league title:
Michigan, 2004 (14 seasons)
Record: 9-3 (7-1 B1G)
Head coach: Lloyd Carr
The Wolverines shared a B1G title with Iowa that season, but won the head-to-head matchup against the Hawkeyes. Michigan’s season ended with a 38-37 loss to Texas in the Rose Bowl.
The last time Michigan won an outright B1G title was 2003, finishing 10-3 with a 7-1 league record.
Iowa, 2004 (14 seasons)
Record: 10-2 (7-1 B1G)
Head coach: Kirk Ferentz
A 30-17 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor cost the Hawkeyes a perfect conference record, an outright league title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. The only other loss Iowa suffered that season was a 44-7 drubbing to Arizona State in Tempe. The Hawkeyes posted a thrilling 30-25 win over LSU in the Capital One Bowl.
Iowa’s last outright B1G title came in 1985.
Illinois, 2001 (17 seasons)
Record: 10-2 (7-1 B1G)
Head coach: Ron Turner
One of the best seasons in Fighting Illini history came in 2001, with Illinois ending the season with 10 wins and an outright conference title. Once again, Michigan played spoiler, defeating Illinois 45-20, accounting for the Illini’s only regular season loss and potentially costing the team a shot at a national title.
The season ended with a shootout against LSU in the Sugar Bowl, a 47-34 loss for Illinois.
Purdue, 2000 (18 seasons)
Record: 8-4 (6-2 B1G)
Head coach: Joe Tiller
The Boilermakers shared a B1G title with Northwestern and Michigan in 2000, but won the head-to-head matchups against both teams, punching a ticket to the Rose Bowl. Drew Brees was a Heisman finalist and the program won its first conference crown since 1967.
Purdue’s season concluded in Pasadena with a 34-24 loss to Washington in the Rose Bowl. The last outright conference championship for the Boilermakers came in 1929.
Northwestern, 2000 (18 seasons)
Record: 8-4 (6-2 B1G)
Head coach: Randy Walker
Northwestern owned a share of the B1G title in 2000 with Purdue and Michigan. The Wildcats defeated three top 25 opponents that year but suffered three regular season losses by two possessions or more. That year ended with a blowout loss to Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl, a 66-17 win for the Huskers.
The Wildcats won an outright B1G championship in 1995, finishing with a perfect 8-0 mark in conference play. Potential national title hopes were dashed by Miami (OH) in a 30-28 loss early in the year.
Minnesota, 1967 (41 seasons)
Record: 8-2 (6-1 B1G)
Head coach: Murray Warmath
The 1967 season saw a three-way tie for the B1G title between Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue. The Golden Gophers lost just two games that season with the only league defeat coming against the Boilermakers. Minnesota didn’t appear in a bowl game that year, so it ended the regular season with a 21-14 victory over rival Wisconsin.
Minnesota’s last Rose Bowl appearance came in 1960, when it shared a title with Iowa. The program’s last outright B1G title was 1941.
Indiana, 1967 (41 seasons)
Record: 9-2 (6-1 B1G)
Head coach: John Pont
Pont led the Hoosiers to a three-way tie atop the B1G standings in just his third season with the Hoosiers. Indiana started the year a perfect 8-0 before suffering a 33-7 loss to Minnesota. But IU bounced back a week later and defeated rival Purdue for a share of the conference title. The Hoosiers played in the Rose Bowl that year, but ended with a 14-3 loss to USC.
Indiana won an outright B1G title in 1945. Those are the only two conference championships in program history.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB