The Big Ten Football Fan Misery Index

Top to bottom, the Big Ten conference is one of the best in all of college football. Though the Ohio State Buckeyes maintain a firm grip on the top spot within the conference, there are a handful of programs that routinely find themselves in the conference title hunt well into November. When it comes to the fans of each program, there's no question that the experience of a Big Ten season varies depending on what colors you're repping on Fall Saturday's.

With that, we take a look at the misery index for the fan base of each Big Ten football program on a scale from 0 to 5 (with five being the worst).

1. Ohio State

Fan Misery Index: 0

Overall conference record since 2000: 144-26 (1st)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 85% (1st)
Conference championships since 2000: 11 (1st)
Last conference championship: 2020

The Buckeyes have been the most dominant team in the Big Ten conference for a very long time and it doesn't appear that will be changing anytime soon. When Jim Tressel took over at Ohio State in 2001, he assured the Buckeye faithful that the football program return to greatness under his leadership following the lackluster years of the John Cooper era.

"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," Tressel declared.

Though it's debatable that his players were model citizens in the classroom and within the community, Tressel certainly honored his word when it came to the rivalry with the Michigan Wolverines. He would eventually go on to post a 9-1 record against the Wolverines, kicking off a streak of dominance that continued under Urban Meyer (7-0) and looks to be continuing under Ryan Day (1-0).

All in all, the Buckeyes have established themselves as a college football powerhouse that is routinely in the hunt for a national championship. The football program in Columbus is head and shoulders above the rest of the Big Ten conference, capturing 11 conference titles and maintaining an 85% winning percentage since the year 2000. Additionally, the Buckeyes have lost just four conference games since 2012.

Four.

Put simply, the Buckeyes own the Big Ten conference.

2. Wisconsin

Fan Misery Index: 1

Overall conference record since 2000: 111-59 (2nd)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 65% (2nd)
Conference championships since 2000: 3 (T-2nd)
Last conference championship: 2020: 2012

The Badgers have established a cozy spot atop the Big Ten west division, capturing the divisional title in four of the last seven seasons. As a result, Wisconsin has assembled the second highest winning percentage in the conference since the year 2000, including six trips to the conference championship game since its inception in 2011 - which is tied with Ohio State for the most appearances.

3. Penn State

Fan Misery Index: 2

Overall conference record since 2000: 103-70 (4th)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 60% (4th)
Conference championships since 2000: 3 (T-2nd)
Last conference championship: 2016

Though Penn State got off to a brutal 0-5 start during the 2020 campaign, the Nittany Lions have routinely found themselves in the hunt for a conference championship year in and year out - even knocking off Ohio State in 2016 to capture their first conference title since 2008. Penn State fans were treated to a Rose Bowl appearance in 2016 and have had the luxury of watching guys like Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley perform at a high-level on the football field.

With the 4th highest winning percentage since 2000 and a Big Ten title in 2016, Penn State fans have had it pretty good over the last two decades.

4. Michigan

Fan Misery Index: 3

Overall conference record since 2000: 108-62 (3rd)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 64% (3rd)
Conference championships since 2000: 3 (T-2nd)
Last conference championship: 2004

Michigan fans will likely roll their eyes to find the Wolverines listed at No. 4 on the Big Ten misery index, but the reality is that things haven't been all that bad in Ann Arbor. In fact, Michigan has compiled the third best winning percentage in the conference since 2000, including three conference championships (tied for second most among all Big Ten programs).

While Michigan has struggled against top-level talent (particularly against Ohio State), the Wolverines have still managed to position themselves in the conference title hunt in four of Harbaugh's first six seasons. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes have closed the door each time - leaving the Michigan faithful with a bitter taste in their mouths year after year.

Sure, things could certainly be better if you are a Michigan football fan who expected the program to be much further along at this point under Jim Harbaugh. At the same time, things could also be much, much worse.

5. Michigan State

Fan Misery Index: 3

Overall conference record since 2000: 90-81 (6th)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 53% (6th)
Conference championships since 2000: 3 (T-2nd)
Last conference championship: 2015

Michigan State often lives in the shadow of the Michigan Wolverines, but the Spartans were able to put together a solid run over the last two decades that included an 8-2 record against Michigan from 2008-17, three conference championships and a trip to the college football playoff in 2015.

It remains to be seen what Michigan State will look like under the leadership of head coach Mel Tucker, but the second year head coach got off to a solid start by defeating Michigan in the Big House during his first season.

6. Iowa

Fan Misery Index: 3

Overall conference record since 2000: 103-69 (5th)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 60% (5th)
Conference championships since 2000: 2 (3rd)
Last conference championship: 2004

Iowa is one of those sneaky programs that can beat any team on any given night. They can also lose to any team on any given night. Under the leadership of Kirk Ferentz (entering his 23rd year as head coach), Iowa has consistently been an average program that is good for one or two big time upsets each year - whether giving them or receiving them.

When it comes to Iowa, only one thing is certain year after year - nobody wants to play the Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium at night.

7. Indiana

Fan Misery Index: 3

Overall conference record since 2000: 46-125 (11th)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 27% (11th)
Conference championships since 2000: 0
Last conference championship: 1967

Though Indiana has been one of the least successful programs in the Big Ten since the year 2000, head coach Tom Allen seems to have the Hoosiers on the right track. While many programs within the conference struggled throughout the 2020 season, Allen led the Hoosiers to wins over Penn State and Michigan - nearly capturing a Big Ten title for the first time since 1967.

There certainly hasn't been much for Indiana fans to be happy about over the last two decades, but it looks like things might be changing for the better in Bloomington.

8. Northwestern

Fan Misery Index: 4

Overall conference record since 2000: 86-86 (7th)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 50% (7th)
Conference championships since 2000: 1 (T-4th)
Last conference championship: 2000

It doesn't happen often, but the Northwestern Wildcats are one of those programs that make a solid run every four or five years. Entering his 16th season in Evanston, head coach Pat Fitzgerald has achieved 9+ wins in five different seasons - including a trip to the Big Ten championship game in 2018. Though the Wildcats missed the bowl season in 2019, Fitzgerald has led Northwestern to four straight victories in bowl games.

9. Minnesota

Fan Misery Index: 4

Overall conference record since 2000: 67-104 (8th)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 39% (8th)
Conference championships since 2000: 0
Last conference championship: 1967

The initial excitement of "row the boat" may be wearing off a bit. Outside of a breakthrough season in 2019 that notched 11 wins and a bowl game victory, P.J. Fleck has had one seven-win season and two losing seasons, most recently in 2020 when the Gophers finished with a record of 3-4.

With one of the lowest winning percentages in the conference since the year 2000 and their last conference championship occurring in 1967, there hasn't been much excitement surrounding the Golden Gopher football program for the better part of the last two decades.

10. Purdue

Fan Misery Index: 5

Overall conference record since 2000: 67-103 (9th)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 39% (9th)
Conference championships since 2000: 1 (T-4th)
Last conference championship: 2000

On October 20, 2018, unranked Purdue pummeled No. 6 Ohio State by a score of 49-20. So there's that.

11. Illinois

Fan Misery Index: 5

Overall conference record since 2000: 48-124 (10th)
Conference winning percentage since 2000: 28% (10th)
Conference championships since 2000: 1 (T-4th)
Last conference championship: 2001

The Fighting Illini are averaging just under 1.8 conference wins each year since the year 2012, including two winless conference records in 2012 and 2017. It's hard to imagine what it's like being an Illinois football fan.

12. Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers

Fan Misery Index: N/A

Overall conference record since 2000: N/A
Conference winning percentage since 2000: N/A
Conference championships since 2000: N/A
Last conference championship: N/A