The last year every Big Ten team beat Ohio State (Minnesota: 2000)




I was there; Ron Johnson completely owned Nate Clements. The drive home through the night was so fun. I was so giddy.

Then the next week, I drove to Bloomington & watched Randle-El gain approximately 2,356 total yards of offense....
Lost Willie Middlebrooks. Team seemed to tank after that.
 

My son and I were there also!. Got to sit in the alumni section and got an autograph from one of the players for the '49 team which was the last one before that to win in Columbus.

Time to beat OSU on a more regular basis!
 



I was there; Ron Johnson completely owned Nate Clements. The drive home through the night was so fun. I was so giddy.

Then the next week, I drove to Bloomington & watched Randle-El gain approximately 2,356 total yards of offense....
They got down 28-6 to Indiana, came back to take the lead but had no defensive answers late.
 








I was there; Ron Johnson completely owned Nate Clements. The drive home through the night was so fun. I was so giddy.

Then the next week, I drove to Bloomington & watched Randle-El gain approximately 2,356 total yards of offense....
Yep, was raking leaves in the back yard for that IU game. I think it was closer to 3,567 total yards for Randle-El...or at least it sounded like it.

The teams those years under Mason were schizophrenic...beat PSU in Happy Valley in '99 and O-H-I-O State at home in 2000...to be followed by 3-4-5 years of a power run game that was the class of the nation at the time...but inconsistent defenses the whole time. We at least had Nystrom and Rhys Lloyd to add some points and flavor too.

Back to that Indiana game...the box score ended up 51-43 and I forgot we actually came into the game ranked (at No. 22). Randle-El was scrambling, running, and passing as the entire Hoosier offense that day. Went 12-21 for 263 yards passing while running for 210 yards...almost 500 yards offense from one player! Very deflating defeat in the end but the Gophers went 5-3 in the Big Ten season and lost to NC State in the Micron PC Bowl that season.

And back to the original point about last win at O-H-I-O State, John Cooper was fired that season (another coach where losing to Minnesota was unforgivable) and of course Grinnin' Glen famously said he always answered his phone when another school came calling...
 




Ain’t that the truth.
Go back and watch some of those games. Our DL was constantly getting blown off the ball.

I remember that iowa game we won in 06...we should have been destroyed if Drew Tate wouldn't have gone Nathan Peterman and thrown a million picks. They were killing us.
 

That Wisconsin win in 2010 was part of a crazy stretch of a few weeks in college football.
  • In Week 6, No. 1 Alabama was undefeated, lost to South Carolina, 35-21
  • In Week 7, No. 1 Ohio State was undefeated, lost to Wisconsin, 31-18
  • In Week 8, No. 1 Oklahoma was undefeated, lost to Missouri, 36-27
  • In Week 8, No. 6 LSU was undefeated, lost to 24-17
  • In Week 9, No. 5 Michigan State was undefeated, lost to Iowa 37-6,
  • In Week 10, No. 5 Utah was undefeated, lost to TCU, 47-7
Granted, Oklahoma was No. 1 in the BCS while the other two were in the AP poll, but still, three consecutive weekends of No. 1 teams going down plus another two where other undefeated teams went down.

What I found interesting is the quality of the teams that beat Ohio State varied so much.
  • 1988 Indiana went 8-3-1, one of four times the Hoosiers went .500 or better in the 80s, winning the Liberty Bowl. This was John Cooper’s first season, with the Buckeyes finishing 4-6-1. The Hoosiers won at home
  • 2000 Minnesota had an up and down year finishing 6-6 with a MicronPC Bowl loss. This was John Cooper’s last season and the Buckeyes were above average, going 8-4 with an Outback Bowl loss. Gophers won on the road.
  • The 2004 Northwestern team was fairly average overall, finishing 6-6 without a bowl berth. The season was a notable regression for Ohio State after two better seasons in 02 and 03. The Buckeyes finished 8-4 but still won the Alamo Bowl. Wildcats won at home.
  • 2007 Illinois went 9-4 but made it to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1983 with a lot of help from Rashard Mendenhall. Ohio State still won the Big Ten title and appeared in the BCS title game, but they lost, finishing 11-2. The Illini won on the road.
  • 2010 Wisconsin finished 11-2 and No. 8/7 after a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl loss. The accomplishments have since been vacated but that Buckeyes team went 12-1, shared the Big Ten title and won the Sugar Bowl. The Badgers won at home.
  • 2011 Nebraska had an alright season at 9-4 and a Capital One Bowl loss. This has been considered one of Ohio State’s down years, with a 6-7 finish and a Gator Bowl loss after Jim Tressel departed. Huskers won at home.
  • 2015 Michigan State went 12-2 with a Big Ten title and a CFP semi-final appearance. Ohio State finished No. 4 in the country with a Fiesta Bowl win. Spartans won on the road.
  • 2016 Penn Sate went 11-3 with Big Ten title and a close Rose Bowl loss. The Buckeyes still went to the CFP but was shut out in the semi-final 31-0. Still, finished 11-2 and No. 6. Nittany Lions won at home
  • 2017 Iowa was alright, finished 8-5 with a Pinstripe Bowl win, but they dominated Ohio State 55-24. Buckeyes finished with a Big Ten title and a Cotton Bowl Win. The Hawkeyes won at home
  • 2018 Purdue team was 6-7, lost their Music City Bowl game by a huge margin to Auburn 63-14, but obliterated Ohio State 49-20. Buckeyes finished with a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl win. Boilermakers won at home.
  • 2022 Michigan won the Big Ten title, they finished 13-1 at No. 3 and a CFP semi-final loss. Ohio State finished No. 4, 11-2 with a CFP semi-final loss. Wolverines won on the road.
In terms of teams that beat Ohio State that had great seasons, I'd include 2007 Illinois, 2010 Wisconsin, 2015 Michigan State, 2016 Penn State and 2022 Michigan. Teams with good seasons would be 1988 Indiana, 2011 Nebraska and 2017 Iowa.

Average teams that did it would be 2000 Minnesota, 2004 Northwestern and 2018 Purdue. So for the most part, it's taken a team having a good or great season to knock off the Buckeyes, which have had only two losing teams on this list. It really makes me wonder how the 03, 04 and 2019 teams would have done against Ohio State, considering the talent those teams had.

On a final note, 7 of those wins were at home, 4 were on the road.
 


That Wisconsin win in 2010 was part of a crazy stretch of a few weeks in college football.
  • In Week 6, No. 1 Alabama was undefeated, lost to South Carolina, 35-21
  • In Week 7, No. 1 Ohio State was undefeated, lost to Wisconsin, 31-18
  • In Week 8, No. 1 Oklahoma was undefeated, lost to Missouri, 36-27
  • In Week 8, No. 6 LSU was undefeated, lost to 24-17
  • In Week 9, No. 5 Michigan State was undefeated, lost to Iowa 37-6,
  • In Week 10, No. 5 Utah was undefeated, lost to TCU, 47-7
Granted, Oklahoma was No. 1 in the BCS while the other two were in the AP poll, but still, three consecutive weekends of No. 1 teams going down plus another two where other undefeated teams went down.

What I found interesting is the quality of the teams that beat Ohio State varied so much.
  • 1988 Indiana went 8-3-1, one of four times the Hoosiers went .500 or better in the 80s, winning the Liberty Bowl. This was John Cooper’s first season, with the Buckeyes finishing 4-6-1. The Hoosiers won at home
  • 2000 Minnesota had an up and down year finishing 6-6 with a MicronPC Bowl loss. This was John Cooper’s last season and the Buckeyes were above average, going 8-4 with an Outback Bowl loss. Gophers won on the road.
  • The 2004 Northwestern team was fairly average overall, finishing 6-6 without a bowl berth. The season was a notable regression for Ohio State after two better seasons in 02 and 03. The Buckeyes finished 8-4 but still won the Alamo Bowl. Wildcats won at home.
  • 2007 Illinois went 9-4 but made it to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1983 with a lot of help from Rashard Mendenhall. Ohio State still won the Big Ten title and appeared in the BCS title game, but they lost, finishing 11-2. The Illini won on the road.
  • 2010 Wisconsin finished 11-2 and No. 8/7 after a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl loss. The accomplishments have since been vacated but that Buckeyes team went 12-1, shared the Big Ten title and won the Sugar Bowl. The Badgers won at home.
  • 2011 Nebraska had an alright season at 9-4 and a Capital One Bowl loss. This has been considered one of Ohio State’s down years, with a 6-7 finish and a Gator Bowl loss after Jim Tressel departed. Huskers won at home.
  • 2015 Michigan State went 12-2 with a Big Ten title and a CFP semi-final appearance. Ohio State finished No. 4 in the country with a Fiesta Bowl win. Spartans won on the road.
  • 2016 Penn Sate went 11-3 with Big Ten title and a close Rose Bowl loss. The Buckeyes still went to the CFP but was shut out in the semi-final 31-0. Still, finished 11-2 and No. 6. Nittany Lions won at home
  • 2017 Iowa was alright, finished 8-5 with a Pinstripe Bowl win, but they dominated Ohio State 55-24. Buckeyes finished with a Big Ten title and a Cotton Bowl Win. The Hawkeyes won at home
  • 2018 Purdue team was 6-7, lost their Music City Bowl game by a huge margin to Auburn 63-14, but obliterated Ohio State 49-20. Buckeyes finished with a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl win. Boilermakers won at home.
  • 2022 Michigan won the Big Ten title, they finished 13-1 at No. 3 and a CFP semi-final loss. Ohio State finished No. 4, 11-2 with a CFP semi-final loss. Wolverines won on the road.
In terms of teams that beat Ohio State that had great seasons, I'd include 2007 Illinois, 2010 Wisconsin, 2015 Michigan State, 2016 Penn State and 2022 Michigan. Teams with good seasons would be 1988 Indiana, 2011 Nebraska and 2017 Iowa.

Average teams that did it would be 2000 Minnesota, 2004 Northwestern and 2018 Purdue. So for the most part, it's taken a team having a good or great season to knock off the Buckeyes, which have had only two losing teams on this list. It really makes me wonder how the 03, 04 and 2019 teams would have done against Ohio State, considering the talent those teams had.

On a final note, 7 of those wins were at home, 4 were on the road.
Purdue beat Ohio State in 1988, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2011, and 2018. Which means Purdue has beaten Ohio State 4 times since they last beat Wisconsin.
 

Purdue beat Ohio State in 1988, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2011, and 2018. Which means Purdue has beaten Ohio State 4 times since they last beat Wisconsin.
Boilermakers wished to defeat Ohio State more often. Definition of Monkey Paw curl.
 




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