Iceland12
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It's relatively rare for a Big Ten team to follow up back-to-back losing seasons with a 4-0 start, as that's occurred just eight times over the past quarter-century.
That's what makes Indiana (4-0) and Northwestern (4-0) so unique this season. The Hoosiers are coming off 4-8 and 5-7 records, while the Wildcats were 5-7 in 2013 and 2014.
Are they both for real this year? Or is it possible this is all just a mirage? Well, we don't have a crystal ball over at the Big Ten blog. But we can at least take a look at the historical precedent, and see how past B1G teams fared in identical situations.
Take a look -- and also take note that two other teams are not included because, despite losing 6-7 records, they still made a bowl:
1999 Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-9 in 1997; 5-6 in 1998)
Key win in 4-0 start: None. But Minnesota outscored the competition 156-28.
How it fared after 4-0 start: The Gophers went 4-4 the rest of the season and upset No. 2 Penn State, 24-23. They rose to as high as No. 12 and lost to Oregon in the Sun Bowl.
What changed in 1999: The Gophers' starting quarterback and running back were both seniors, and the defense became elite. QB Billy Cockerham evolved into a legitimate dual threat, and DB Tyrone Carter won the Jim Thorpe Award.
How 4-0 impacted Minnesota moving forward: Just like Wisconsin, this seemed to completely change the Gophers' fortunes. They had gone 12 years without a bowl -- until 1999. Since then, they've been to bowls in 12 out of the last 16 years. Jerry Kill obviously has something to say about that, but Glenn Mason got it jump-started.
2012 Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-9 in 2010; 3-9 in 2011)
Key win in 4-0 start: Win over Syracuse, 17-10, in Week 4. The Orange finished 8-5 that season.
How it fared after 4-0 start: Not good. Minnesota went 2-7 after its strong start, and only two of those games were decided by one score. The Gophers fell to Texas Tech, 34-31, in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas.
What changed in 2012: This was Jerry Kill's second season with the Gophers, and a soft non-conference slate -- coupled with an improved defense -- helped increase the wins. Minnesota had the No. 93 scoring defense in 2011, and the No. 45 defense in 2012.
How 4-0 impacted Minnesota moving forward: It was an indicator that the best was yet to come. Kill followed up his impressive Year 2 start by going 8-5 in the next two seasons, reversing the struggles of ex-coach Tim Brewster. Kill's team is currently 3-1.
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post...-and-indiana-for-real-heres-what-history-says
That's what makes Indiana (4-0) and Northwestern (4-0) so unique this season. The Hoosiers are coming off 4-8 and 5-7 records, while the Wildcats were 5-7 in 2013 and 2014.
Are they both for real this year? Or is it possible this is all just a mirage? Well, we don't have a crystal ball over at the Big Ten blog. But we can at least take a look at the historical precedent, and see how past B1G teams fared in identical situations.
Take a look -- and also take note that two other teams are not included because, despite losing 6-7 records, they still made a bowl:
1999 Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-9 in 1997; 5-6 in 1998)
Key win in 4-0 start: None. But Minnesota outscored the competition 156-28.
How it fared after 4-0 start: The Gophers went 4-4 the rest of the season and upset No. 2 Penn State, 24-23. They rose to as high as No. 12 and lost to Oregon in the Sun Bowl.
What changed in 1999: The Gophers' starting quarterback and running back were both seniors, and the defense became elite. QB Billy Cockerham evolved into a legitimate dual threat, and DB Tyrone Carter won the Jim Thorpe Award.
How 4-0 impacted Minnesota moving forward: Just like Wisconsin, this seemed to completely change the Gophers' fortunes. They had gone 12 years without a bowl -- until 1999. Since then, they've been to bowls in 12 out of the last 16 years. Jerry Kill obviously has something to say about that, but Glenn Mason got it jump-started.
2012 Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-9 in 2010; 3-9 in 2011)
Key win in 4-0 start: Win over Syracuse, 17-10, in Week 4. The Orange finished 8-5 that season.
How it fared after 4-0 start: Not good. Minnesota went 2-7 after its strong start, and only two of those games were decided by one score. The Gophers fell to Texas Tech, 34-31, in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas.
What changed in 2012: This was Jerry Kill's second season with the Gophers, and a soft non-conference slate -- coupled with an improved defense -- helped increase the wins. Minnesota had the No. 93 scoring defense in 2011, and the No. 45 defense in 2012.
How 4-0 impacted Minnesota moving forward: It was an indicator that the best was yet to come. Kill followed up his impressive Year 2 start by going 8-5 in the next two seasons, reversing the struggles of ex-coach Tim Brewster. Kill's team is currently 3-1.
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post...-and-indiana-for-real-heres-what-history-says