12. Purdue Boilermakers
The Purdue Boilermakers were unable to gain a victory in Big Ten play and had the worst season of all Big Ten teams. They did find the quarterback of their future in freshman Danny Etling, however.
The Purdue Boilermakers were unable to gain a victory in Big Ten play and had the worst season of all Big Ten teams. They did find the quarterback of their future in freshman Danny Etling, however.
The Fighting Illini probably hoped for more during their senior quarterback’s final season, but Nathan Scheelhause will go out a winner regardless. The Illini’s offense had their best season in recent history, and a young coaching staff will keep things exciting at Illinois.
The Wildcats had high hopes, but a schedule that was front-loaded with extremely difficult games was hard to overcome.
The Wolverines had a disappointing 2013 season as all of their offensive firepower was not enough to overcome injuries, particularly to their offensive line that had been expected to be a strength for coach Brady Hoke’s team.
The Hoosiers' passing attack is for real, and coach Kevin Wilson has his team on a steady path to relevance in the Big Ten. The return of quarterback Nate Sudfeld will be big for the Hoosiers.
The Golden Gophers had to overcome the health concerns of head coach Jerry Kill, but fans may have gotten a good look at what may be the best overall staff in the conference as the team did so.
Unfortunately for Penn State, Bill O’Brien will not be returning to Happy Valley. But, what he did in his time at State College should forever be remembered. He effectively saved the school from falling into mediocrity following a tragedy. O’Brien also recruited freshman Christian Hackenberg, who led the Lions in 2013 and will be back return to do so for the foreseeable future.
The Hawkeyes could have potentially leapfrogged the Huskers on this list had they won their bowl game. In the ever-competitive world of college football, a lot of emphasis is placed on non-conference performance, particularly in bowl games against SEC opponents.
The Cornhuskers did drop games to the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Iowa Hawkeyes, who are both below them on this list. The Huskers suffered many injuries in 2013, two of them to key members in Spencer Long and Taylor Martinez. The Huskers still had a great season and won nine games once again.
The Badgers had a very good season under their new head coach Gary Anderson. The Badgers implemented a new defense with great success and proved that their same old rushing attack is a mainstay in college football.
The Buckeyes had an amazing season and had they defeated the Spartans in the Big Ten Championship game, they could have competed for a national championship and potentially won. Instead, the Buckeyes dropped their final two games of the season and will have to wait another year to take home some hardware.
Until the Big Ten Championship game, the Spartans were the third-best team in the conference. Their outstanding performances in Indianapolis and in the Rose Bowl proved that they were underrated all season.
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