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Big Ten Football: Ranking the top 5 programs since 2015

By Christopher Mangum

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 07: Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes holds the Big Ten Championship trophy after a win over the Wisconsin Badgers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 07: Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes holds the Big Ten Championship trophy after a win over the Wisconsin Badgers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 31: Head Coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines talks with Brad Hawkins #2 of the Michigan Wolverines in the second quarter of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Capital One Orange Bowl for the College Football Playoff semifinal game at Hard Rock Stadium on December 31, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 31: Head Coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines talks with Brad Hawkins #2 of the Michigan Wolverines in the second quarter of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Capital One Orange Bowl for the College Football Playoff semifinal game at Hard Rock Stadium on December 31, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

4. Michigan Wolverines

This may be controversial, but based on merit alone the Wolverines have been the fourth-best program in the conference since Jim Harbaugh’s arrival. Though the program is now trending upwards, here is what Michigan football has accomplished since the 2015 season:

  • Two top-10 finishes
  • Five ranked finishes
  • One bowl win
  • Zero NY6 wins
  • One outright division title
  • One conference title
  • Four 10-win seasons
  • One 11+ win season
  • 61 total wins

While Michigan did become the third Big Ten program to appear in the College Football Playoff, the team did not bring home any hardware for the sixth straight year under Jim Harbaugh.

In fact, the Wolverines’ only bowl win came in 2015 in the Citrus Bowl against Florida. Since, Harbaugh has beaten Ohio State once, holds a losing record against both of the team’s rivals, and is yet to win anything meaningful outside of a conference title.

While there is no denying Michigan’s 2021 success, the program’s accomplishments since 2015 rank them as the No. 4 program in the Big Ten as of right now.

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