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Longest B1G winning, losing streaks entering the 2021 season
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B1G football is just around the corner.
Later this month, Nebraska and Illinois will kick off the 2021 season with a conference showdown in Champaign. Right off the bat, we’re diving into conference competition.
Some teams will be heading into the 2021 season with quite a bit of momentum while others are looking to snap a losing streak early in the year. What teams are in the best, and worst shape?
Ohio State enters the year with a 21-game winning streak against B1G opponents — including the conference championship game. The Buckeyes haven’t lost a league game since an Oct. 20 loss to Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium.
Iowa is next in line, owning a six-game winning streak heading into the year. The Hawkeyes dropped their first two contests of 2020 before finishing the year on a high note.
Penn State is also in the conversation, winning its final four games to the 2020 season. James Franklin’s team has some momentum, though it wasn’t enough to overcome an 0-5 start, still finishing below .500.
On the unfortunate side, Purdue comes into this season with a four-game losing streak. The Boilermakers started hot with victories over Iowa and Illinois in the first two games, but lost all four games to close the year. Three of the four losses were in one-possession games.
Illinois also enters the season having lost three straight games. The Fighting Illini opened the year with three losses, rattled off back-to-back wins over Rutgers and Nebraska but suffered a string of defeats to finish 2-6.
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