This is the 22nd post in our 25-part Super Squad Series, recognizing the best programs over the last three years in every single Division I FBS & FCS Conference, as well as the upperclassmen & staff who’ve anchored them.
Below: Full updated rankings after last week‘s rundown of the Big 12 Football programs.
About Super Squad Rating
Super Squad Ratings range 0-100, heavily-weighed toward zero. A 100.0 rating is only achievable for a team that finishes #1 in College Football all three years, with a 100+ power rating each year. The top three 2020 Super Squads rate in at 78, 57, and 47, respectively.
Best thought of as a notoriety score:
“How many normal people out of 100 should recognize this program’s success the last three years?”
EXAMPLE
Consider an SSR (Super Squad Rating) of 78 to abstractly mean that program deserves 78% of Americans’ attention.
Conversely a program with a 1.1 SSR would be worth the attention of only 11 out of 1,000 Americans.
Congratulations Ohio State Buckeyes for being our Big Ten Football 2020 Super Squad Champions! Kudos to your entire program, especially the 62 young men who were on the roster each of these three years – 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 – listed here:
CONGRATULATIONS Jeff Okudah, Chase Young, J.K. Dobbins, Damon Arnette, Demario McCall, Jordan Fuller, Baron Browning, Sevyn Banks, Jashon Cornell, Binjimen Victor, Amir Riep, Austin Mack, Rashod Berry, Tyreke Johnson, K.J. Hill, Jaylen Harris, Jonathon Cooper, Dallas Gant, Pete Werner, Marcus Williamson, Jahsen Wint, Shaun Wade, Amari McMahon, Dominic DiMaccio, Kevin Dever, Tuf Borland, Master Teague III, Mitch Rossi, Derrick Malone, Malik Harrison, Bradley Robinson, Justin Hilliard, Liam McCullough, Nathan Brock, Antwuan Jackson, Wyatt Davis, Davon Hamilton, Jerron Cage, Matthew Jones, Aaron Cox, Zaid Hamdan, Joshua Alabi, Gavin Cupp, Brandon Pahl, Kevin Woidke, Phillip Thomas, Robert Landers, Noah Donald, Josh Myers, Tommy Togiai, Max Wray, Thayer Munford, Branden Bowen, C.J. Saunders, Jake Hausmann, Brock Davin, Ellijah Gardiner, Luke Farrell, Drue Chrisman, Haskell Garrett, Jake Metzer, Blake Haubeil.
Before getting too into their record of recent dominance, let’s count down their Big Ten runners-up, from worst to first:
14th
#185 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
3.1 Super Squad Rating
Record:
7-29 Overall
3-24 Big Ten
Average Power:
41.6
Yearly Finish:
#155, #173, #208
13th
#149 Illinois Fighting Illini
3.9 SSR
Record:
12-25 Overall
6-21 Big Ten
Average Power:
47.3
Yearly Finish:
#185, #141, #113
12th
#104 Maryland Terrapins
5.3 SSR
Record:
12-24 Overall
6-21 Big Ten
Average Power:
54.3
Yearly Finish:
#107, #69, #151
11th
#83 Nebraska Cornhuskers
6.2 SSR
Record:
13-23 Overall
9-18 Big Ten
Average Power:
57.5
Yearly Finish:
#106, #64, #92
10th
#70 Indiana Hoosiers
7.3 SSR
Record:
18-19 Overall
9-18 Big Ten
Average Power:
60.6
Yearly Finish:
#67, #73, #68
9th
#66 Purdue Boilermakers
7.5 SSR
Record:
17-21 Overall
12-15 Big Ten
Average Power:
61.2
Yearly Finish:
#56, #39, #121
8th
#58 Northwestern Wildcats
8.2 SSR
Record:
22-17 Overall
16-11 Big Ten
Average Power:
63.0
Yearly Finish:
#38, #26, #152
7th
#48 Minnesota Golden Gophers
8.8 SSR
Record:
23-15 Overall
12-15 Big Ten
Average Power:
64.4
Yearly Finish:
#117, #45, #24
6th
#33 Michigan State Spartans
10.7 SSR
Record:
24-15 Overall
16-11 Big Ten
Average Power:
67.8
Yearly Finish:
#20, #51, #57
5th
#15 Michigan Wolverines
16.5 SSR
Record:
27-12 Overall
19-8 Big Ten
Average Power:
74.6
Yearly Finish:
#42, #8, #20
4th
#13 Iowa Hawkeyes
17.9 SSR
Record:
27-12 Overall
15-12 Big Ten
Average Power:
76.4
Yearly Finish:
#21, #15, #19
3rd
#12 Wisconsin Badgers
19.5 SSR
Record:
31-10 Overall
21-6 Big Ten
Average Power:
79.0
Yearly Finish:
#8, #36, #12
2nd
[Top 10] Penn State Nittany Lions
23.5 SSR
Record:
31-8 Overall
20-7 Big Ten
Average Power:
81.1
Yearly Finish:
#6, #19, #13
WINNER
[Top 10] Ohio State Buckeyes
45.3 Super Squad Rating
Record:
38-4 Overall
25-2 Big Ten
Average Power:
90.0
Yearly Finish:
#4, #5, #3
With a playoff appearance, two bowl victories, three Big Ten Titles and three Top 5 finishes, Ohio State hosts not only the best Big Ten program in recent memory, but one of the top programs in College Football.
Congratulations all Buckeye coaches, staff, administrators, players, and especially the 62 young men present on the roster all three years to earn this title!
Super Squad Rankings
These are our up-to-date Division I Super Squad rankings after this week’s announced winner. Follow along as each Sunday we fill in more teams and announce our next Super Squad!
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