The Big Ten All-Decade Football Rankings

With National Signing Day right around the corner and spring football knocking on the door, it's time to look back on the first decade of Big Ten football in the 21st Century.

The Big Ten saw its share of ups and downs throughout the decade, capturing a national championship and a Heisman Trophy winner but compiling a 28-39 combined bowl record.

Many former Big Ten players are now starring on Sundays in the National Football League, and this postseason we saw more Big Ten players represented on NFL rosters than any other conference.

A stable of young coaches hit the scene last decade, while one mainstay showed he still has it, even into his 80s.

A new stadium opened, and an iconic stadium underwent massive renovations.

Conference expansion talk started up again, then was squashed, and started up again once more.

There were tragedies and broken records. There was a so-called "Game of the Century" and an "Upset of the Century".

So now we find ourselves in 2010. College football's all-time winningest program hopes to get back to winning, while its chief rival aims to continue its almost decade-long domination. The nation's longest tenured coach figures to be replaced sometime this decade, and the Big Ten's newest coach hopes to keep his job past this season.

2010 figures to kick off a thrilling decade in the Big Ten, but before we get there, let's look back and enjoy the decade that was.

#11 - Indiana Hoosiers

419 points

The Indiana Hoosiers were the cellar-dwellers of the conference for the first decade of the 2000s.

Perhaps the most well-known moment of the decade for the Hoosiers was the tragedy that befell the program in 2007 when head coach Terry Hoeppner died after a long battle with brain cancer.

The likable and inspirational coach who tutored Ben Roethlisberger at Miami University before taking the job at Indiana to revive the program left his legacy in the form of "The Rock", a boulder set behind an end zone in Memorial Stadium.

Unfortunately, the Hoosiers played like a rock in water for most of the decade, finishing no better than fourth place in the conference standings (2001) and ranking dead last in winning percentage, scoring offense, scoring defense, players drafted, All-Americans, and bowl games.

Indiana compiled a 39-78 overall record (18-62 Big Ten) and had just seven players drafted the whole decade, most notably quarterback Antwaan Randle El and tight end/defensive tackle Kris Dielman.

Randle El was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2001 and became the first quarterback in NCAA FBS history to record 40 passing touchdowns and 40 rushing touchdowns in a career.

Dielman was the team MVP in 2002, but his career took off at the next level as an offensive guard with the San Diego Chargers. He was voted to his third Pro Bowl this season and was also voted one of the greatest Chargers of all time.

Hoosiers coach Bill Lynch has brought some athletes to Bloomington in the past couple of years since taking over from Hoeppner and hopes to move out of the cellar in 2010 with quarterback Ben Chappell and receiver Tandon Doss.

#10 - Illinois Fighting Illini

516 points

It seems like Illinois had a better decade than 10th, given that it won the conference in 2001. However, a bad stretch in the middle of the decade left the Illini ahead of only Indiana in the overall decade standings.

In fact, Illinois had just two winning seasons the entire decade, both resulting in BCS bowl appearances.

In 2001, the Illini rolled to a 9-2 regular season record led by quarterback Kurt Kittner but ran into a tough LSU team in the Sugar Bowl, falling behind 27-0 early and eventually losing 47-34.

In 2007, Illinois finished second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State, despite beating the Buckeyes in Columbus. The effort earned the Illini a matchup with USC in the Rose Bowl, but Illinois proved no match for the Trojans, falling 49-17.

Running back Rashard Mendenhall was named Big Ten Player of the Year following the 2007 season and became the first round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft.

The Illini achieved a 10-year overall record of 45-73 (26-54 in the Big Ten).

Head coach Ron Zook took over when Ron Turner was fired in 2005. Zook, known to be relentless on the recruiting trail, recruited the players with which Florida won its first national championship this decade, when he coached the Gators from 2002-’04.

At Illinois, he brought in top-20 recruiting classes in 2007 and 2008, leading some to believe the Illini would become perennial challengers for the Big Ten title. It hasn’t materialized, however, and Zook finds himself squarely on the hot seat heading into the new decade.

2010 may be a make-or-break season for Zook, who will be breaking in a new quarterback following the departure of four-year starter Juice Williams.

#9 - Minnesota Golden Gophers

599 points

The Minnesota Golden Gophers were edged out for eighth place by the narrowest of margins possible (one point) and find themselves the third-worst Big Ten team of the decade.

Although the Gophers had one of the best offenses, leading the conference with 29.3 points per game for the entire decade, defense proved to be the downfall, as Minnesota ranked near the bottom in points allowed.

Minnesota was also one of only two Big Ten teams that did not feature either an offensive or defensive Big Ten player of the year, sharing the dubious distinction with Northwestern.

The Gophers compiled a decade record of 62-62 (30-50 in the Big Ten). The highest the squad finished in the standings the entire decade was fourth in 2003, when the running back duo of Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney led the team to a 10-3 record (5-3 in the Big Ten).

In 2007, Tim Brewster took over as head coach following Glen Mason’s firing. Brewster entered with hopes of bringing excitement to the program and leading it to the top of the Big Ten.

The school closed out the decade in style with the opening of a new stadium, meaning the team would return to campus for the first time since Nov. 21, 1981. TCF Bank Stadium allowed Minnesota to move out of the Metrodome that it shared with the Minnesota Vikings and Twins and into its own new digs.

The opening of the outdoor stadium, coupled with the rejuvenation brought by Brewster, gives Gopher fans hope and a renewed excitement heading into the new decade.

#8 - Northwestern Wildcats

600 points

Northwestern edged out Minnesota by one point, despite ranking near the bottom of the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense.

The Wildcats started off the decade with a bang, winning a share of the Big Ten title in 2000 with a record of 8-4 (6-2 in the Big Ten).

Quarterback Zak Kustok and running back Damien Anderson led the high-flying offense to a conference-best 36.8 points per game, which was eclipsed only by Michigan and Minnesota in 2003 and Penn State in 2008.

Northwestern wasn’t able to continue the early-decade momentum, however, finishing 10th in the Big Ten in 2001 and 2002 before becoming a middle-of-the-pack program the rest of the decade.

The Wildcats seemed to always have a flare for the dramatic, with a good offense and poor defense, and were always capable of pulling off the upset.

When Head Coach Randy Walker tragically died of a heart attack in 2006, former Wildcat Pat Fitzgerald took the reigns and guided the team to respectable finishes in 2008 and 2009.

Northwestern had 12 players drafted during the decade, including first-rounders Napolean Harris in 2002 and Luis Castillo in 2005. Running back Damien Anderson was the team’s only All-American of the decade, earning first-team honors in 2000.

The Wildcats compiled a 60-61 record (38-42 in the Big Ten) for the decade but lost all four bowl games it played in, including a double overtime thriller this season, losing to Auburn 38-35 in the Outback Bowl.

#7 - Michigan State Spartans

697 points

Throughout the first decade of the 2000s, Michigan State seemed to be a perennial letdown, always garnering high expectations but never living up to them.

With the conference’s second-best offense over the course of the decade with an average of 28.2 points per game, Michigan State never finished higher than third in the conference standings (2008).

The Spartans finished in the middle of the pack in nearly every category for the decade but were one of just four Big Ten teams to have a player drafted as a lottery pick in the NFL.

Wide receiver Charles Rogers was picked second overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2003 NFL Draft after amassing a school record 27 career touchdowns in East Lansing.

Michigan State had just one Big Ten player of the year, linebacker Greg Jones, who was given the honor on defense in 2009.

The Spartans had a 10-year record of 60-62 (32-48 in the Big Ten) but went just 1-3 in bowl games.

Michigan State was on the winning end of one of the most controversial finishes in the Big Ten last decade, when running back T.J. Duckett caught a pass in the end zone with no time remaining to beat sixth-ranked Michigan in 2001. Michigan fans argue that the clock should not have stopped at one second when quarterback Jeff Smoker spiked the ball on the previous play.

Four different head coaches graced the sidelines for the green and white during the decade. Current head coach Mark Dantonio left his post at Cincinnati to take over in 2007, aiming to bring a swagger to East Lansing that would take over the state from hated rival Michigan.

Dantonio has succeeded in the matchup the past two seasons but has had problems with keeping his players out of trouble as of late.

He has secured some of the state’s best talent in recent years and hopes to translate that into a more successful run in the next decade.

#6 - Purdue Boilermakers

773 points

Purdue was a true middle-of-the-road Big Ten team throughout the decade, earning a tie for first place in the conference in 2000 and finishing no worse than ninth (2008) the entire decade, with an average finish of 5.2.

The Boilermakers featured potent offenses in 2004 and 2007 thanks to quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Curtis Painter.

Purdue had just one Big Ten player of the year (Drew Brees in 2000) and had a total of 30 players drafted into the NFL during the decade. Defensive end Anthony Spencer and tight end Dustin Keller were both first-round picks, going 26th in 2006 and 30th in 2007, respectively.

Perhaps the best Boilermaker was Brees, who has been selected to four NFL Pro Bowls and is set to lead the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts (whose backup quarterback is Painter) on Feb. 7.

Purdue compiled an overall record of 67-56 (41-39 in the Big Ten) over the course of the decade but went just 2-5 in bowl games. The Boilermakers reached a BCS bowl in 2000 (the 2001 Rose Bowl) but lost to Washington 34-24.

Head coach Joe Tiller, who coached the squad since 1997, retired in 2008, paving the way for assistant Danny Hope to take over.

Hope aims to revitalize the program with a fiery attitude, willing to take on all comers. His confrontational approach was on display last season when, during the post game handshake, Hope introduced offensive guard Zach Reckman to Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez and accused him of purposely getting Reckman suspended.

With Hope at the helm, the Boilermakers look to continue the trend of successful quarterbacks and pass-happy offenses into the next decade.

#5 - Penn State Nittany Lions

1029 points

With the recent success of Penn State, it’s hard to believe the Nittany Lions were only the fifth-best team of the decade in the Big Ten, but a mid-decade slump doomed the program.

The Nittany Lions finished ninth in the Big Ten in both 2003 and ’04 with records of 3-9 and 4-7, respectively.

The team showed resiliency in 2005, however, by winning the conference and beating Florida State in the 2006 Orange Bowl.

For the decade, Penn State compiled a 77-46 record (45-35 in the Big Ten) and went 4-2 in bowl games (1-1 in BCS bowls).

Twenty All-Americans emerged from Happy Valley, including six first-teamers.

Penn State had both an offensive and a defensive Big Ten player of the year (quarterback Michael Robinson in 2005 and defensive tackle Jared Odrick in 2009) and saw 34 players drafted into the NFL, including seven in the first round.

The Nittany Lions had the conference’s second-best defense for the decade, giving up an average of just 17.7 points per game, but led the conference in each of the last two seasons, allowing 12.4 points per game in 2008 and 11.8 in 2009.

Head Coach Joe Paterno, the longest tenured coach in the nation following the retirement of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, provided one of the more memorable moments of the decade, when in a 2006 game against Ohio State, he scurried across the field and into the tunnel during play, not once, but twice. The act prompted the announcers to joke that he had the longest run of the game.

The 83-year old coach spent a period of time coaching from the press box during the 2008 season but moved back down to the field last season.

If and when Paterno decides to give it up in the decade to come, the school will be tasked with replacing college football’s all-time winningest coach and maintaining the level of success and stability that Paterno provided.

At least in the short-term, Penn State is prepared to have as successful a next decade as anyone else in the conference.

#4 - Wisconsin Badgers

1049 points

Wisconsin came in just 20 points ahead of Penn State in the all-decade rankings. The teams stack up pretty evenly in most categories, though Wisconsin had one more bowl win and more players drafted into the NFL, including offensive tackle Joe Thomas, the third overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2006.

The Badgers never won the Big Ten last decade but came in second in 2006 and third in 2004 and ’05.

Wisconsin led the Big Ten in scoring in 2009 and featured the conference’s best defense in 2004.

Forty Wisconsin players were drafted into the NFL during the decade, 11 of which were taken in the first round. In the 2006 NFL Draft, five Badgers were selected in the first round, tying Ohio State with the single-draft high for the entire decade.

Twelve All-Americans came from Madison, three first-teamers, and three Badgers were named Big Ten players of the year (one offense and two defense).

Wisconsin’s 85-43 overall record (44-36 in the Big Ten) included five bowl wins, which tied with Ohio State and Iowa for the most of any Big Ten team in the decade, and nine bowl appearances was bested only by Ohio State’s 10.

Head Coach Bret Bielema succeeded mainstay Barry Alvarez in 2006 and promises to keep Wisconsin near the top of the Big Ten through the decade to come.

(Edit: In the 2006 NFL Draft, five Badgers were selected total, not in the first round).

#3 - Iowa Hawkeyes

1162 points

Iowa relied mostly on defense during the last decade to achieve the third spot in the all-decade rankings.

The Hawkeyes defense allowed 18.9 points per game, good for top five in the conference each year but 2000.

Strong offenses emerged from Iowa City in 2001 (32.6 points per game) and 2008 (30.3 ppg), but the Hawkeyes had just the eighth-best offense in the Big Ten for the entire decade.

Two conference titles (2002 and 2004) and a 5-3 bowl record highlight the achievements of the Hawkeyes last decade.

Like Penn State, Iowa went 1-1 in BCS bowls, losing to USC in the 2003 Orange Bowl and closing out the decade with a 24-14 win over Georgia Tech in the 2010 Orange Bowl.

Iowa tallied an 80-45 record (49-31 in the Big Ten) and featured two Big Ten offensive players of the year (quarterback Brad Banks in 2002 and running back Shonn Greene in 2008).

Iowa was one of only two Big Ten teams to feature an AP College Football Player of the Year, when Banks achieved the honor in 2002.

Forty players were drafted from Iowa during the decade, including three first-round picks and offensive tackle Robert Gallery, the second overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.

Head Coach Kirk Ferentz has allowed Iowa to remain one of the most stable programs in the Big Ten since he took over in 1999. He is one of the conference’s highest-paid coaches, earning just over $3 million per year, and has drawn interest from other programs and NFL teams, but has remained in Iowa City.

Never a flashy coach but always stable, the Hawkeyes will be solid with Ferentz in the coming decade.

#2 - Michigan Wolverines

1464 points

Through the first eight years of the decade, Michigan was neck-and-neck with rival Ohio State for the top spot.

Michigan began the decade with three Big Ten titles in the first five years and finished no worse than third place through the 2007 season.

But Head Coach Lloyd Carr retired following that season, and Michigan decided to take the program in a new direction with the hiring of Rich Rodriguez from West Virginia.

The offensive innovator faced almost unprecedented attrition in his first two seasons at the helm and struggled to records of 3-9 in 2008 and 5-7 in 2009, Michigan’s first losing seasons since 1967.

Even with the two losing seasons, Michigan totaled an 81-43 record (53-27 in the Big Ten) last decade.

Michigan had the second best offense in terms of points per game (29.2) and the fourth best defense, giving up 20.8 points per game. The defensive number is skewed by the two Rodriguez years, in which Michigan gave up 28.2 points per game. Through 2007, Michigan gave up just 18.9 points per game, behind only Ohio State.

The Wolverines had two Big Ten players of the year on each side of the ball, with linebacker Larry Foote in 2001, running back Chris Perry in 2003, receiver Braylon Edwards in 2004, and defensive end LaMarr Woodley in 2006.

Michigan tied Wisconsin for second place in players drafted last decade with 40. Of those 40, eight were picked in the first round, including Braylon Edwards as the third overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2004 NFL Draft and Jake Long as the No. 1 overall pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Michigan also had 27 All-Americans in the past 10 years, 10 of which earned first-team honors.

The maize and blue played in eight bowl games, winning just three of them, and lost all three BCS bowls it reached.

The biggest moment of the decade for Michigan football may be one Wolverines fans will never forget, as much as they try to do so. A senior-laden team opened the 2007 season with a home loss to FCS Appalachian State when Jason Gingell’s field goal was blocked with no time remaining. It was called the “upset of the century” by some. Michigan fans refer to it as “The Horror.”

Rodriguez hopes the early part of the new decade brings a turning point in the development of his system and that the nation’s all-time winningest program gets back to challenging for Big Ten and national titles each year.

When the 2010 season kicks off, Michigan Stadium will look completely different than the giant bowl "The Big House" was known for. The $226 million renovations that began in 2008 have added a giant brick façade, a brand new press box, 83 luxury boxes, and 3,200 club seats.

#1 - Ohio State Buckeyes

1729 points

The Big Ten team of the decade is overwhelmingly Ohio State.

Perhaps the biggest moment of the decade that Ohio State fans will always remember came shortly after Head Coach Jim Tressel was hired from Youngstown State in 2001. He stood at midcourt at halftime of an OSU basketball game and declared “I can assure you that you will be proud of your young people in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the football field.”

He made good on that promise and has won eight-of-nine against rival Michigan, including the last six in a row.

The following year, Tressel guided Ohio State to its first national championship in 34 years, beating Miami in double overtime in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. He then watched his star freshman running back, Maurice Clarett, try to challenge the NFL’s draft eligibility rules and then wind up in jail.

The Buckeyes didn’t let down after that, though, winning Big Ten titles in each of the final five years of the decade and playing for the national championship twice more.

In 2006, undefeated and first-ranked Ohio State squared off in the Horseshoe against undefeated, second-ranked Michigan. Many billed it as “The Game of the Century” and it lived up to the hype. Ohio State won 42-39, earning a trip to the BCS National Championship game where it lost to Florida 41-14.

A year later, the Buckeyes went back to the title game, losing again to another team from the SEC, LSU, 38-24.

Nevertheless, by playing in three national title games in one decade and winning one, Ohio State proved it was the cream of the crop in the Big Ten.

The Buckeyes compiled a 102-25 record (64-16 in the Big Ten), thanks in large part to having the best scoring defense, allowing just 15 points per game over the course of the decade.

The Bucks’ defense was so good in the final four years of the decade that it gave up an average of just 11.6 points per game over that four-year span.

In addition to team accomplishments, Ohio State also led the conference in individual accomplishments, highlighted by quarterback Troy Smith’s Heisman Trophy in 2006 – the only Heisman of the decade for the Big Ten.

Twenty-nine Buckeyes earned All-American honors, including 13 first-teamers. Five Buckeyes were named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (safety Mike Doss in 2002, defensive end Will Smith in 2003, linebacker A.J. Hawk in 2005, and linebacker James Laurinaitis in 2007 and 2008). Troy Smith also garnered Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2006.

Ohio State dominated all other conference schools in players drafted, with a whopping 63, an average of seven per season. Fifteen of those were taken in the first round.

Although Buckeye fans sometimes criticize Tressel for his conservative “Tresselball” philosophy, it has succeeded in making Ohio State the top program in the Big Ten for the last decade.

With quarterback Terrelle Pryor a junior in 2010 and two years of experience under his belt, Ohio State figures to be the team everyone is chasing once again into the new decade.