• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Five loss seasons - a look through history

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
BB73

BB73

Loves Buckeye History
Staff member
Bookie
'16 & '17 Upset Contest Winner
While being somewhat disappointed with a season that includes only 1 loss before the Bowl game, it's worthwhile to note that many historically powerful programs had much more difficult seasons in 2010. It's also worth noting that throughout their history, the Buckeyes have had the best record of any team in avoiding bad seasons.

This year includes an interesting fact - for the first time ever, six of the top-10 programs in the history of major college football have lost at least 5 games. Those 6 teams don't even include recent powers Florida and Miami, who've also lost 5 games in 2010. The previous high of five top-10 teams with 5+ losses was reached in 1997, 1999, and 2001.

Since 1900, Ohio State is the only team to not have consecutive 5-loss seasons.

The only decade in which tOSU had more than a single 5-loss season since 1900 was due to 75% of the 1942 MNC team leaving for WWII.

5-loss seasons, all-time
13 - Ohio State
15 - Michigan
16 - Oklahoma
19 - Alabama (1 due to forfeits - '93)
20 - Penn State
22 - Texas
22 - Notre Dame
22 - Southern Cal
25 - Nebraska
29 - Tennessee (but they've gone the longest without consecutive losing seasons, 99 years)

5-loss seasons, since 1900
08 - Ohio State
13 - Michigan
16 - Oklahoma
18 - Penn State
19 - Alabama (1 due to forfeits - '93)
21 - Texas
22 - Notre Dame
22 - Southern Cal
24 - Nebraska
28 - Tennessee

Here are all of the 5-loss seasons for each of the top 10 teams in the history of major college football, measured either by total wins or winning %.

Five loss seasons - Ohio State
1890s - '93, '94, ''96, '97, '98
1900s - '04
1910s -
1920s -
1930s -
1940s - '43, '47
1950s - '59
1960s - '66
1970s -
1980s - '88
1990s - '99
2000s - '01
2010s -

Five loss seasons - Michigan
1890s - '91, '92
1900s -
1910s -
1920s -
1930s - '34, '36
1940s -
1950s - '51, '58, '59
1960s - '62, '65, '67
1970s -
1980s - '84
1990s -
2000s - '05, '08, '09
2010s - '10

Five loss seasons - Notre Dame
1890s -
1900s -
1910s -
1920s -
1930s - '33
1940s -
1950s - '56, '59
1960s - '60, '61, '62, '63
1970s -
1980s - '81, '83, '84, '85, '86
1990s - '94, '97, '99
2000s - '01, '03, '04, '07, '08, '09
2010s - '10

Five loss seasons - Texas
1890s - '96
1900s -
1910s -
1920s -
1930s - '33, '35, '36, '37, '38
1940s -
1950s - '54, '55, '56
1960s -
1970s - '76
1980s - '80, '86, '87, '88, '89
1990s - '91, '92, '93, '96, '97, '99
2000s -
2010s - '10

Five loss seasons - Oklahoma
1890s -
1900s -
1910s - '16
1920s - '23, '24
1930s - '31
1940s - '42, '45
1950s -
1960s - '60, '61, '65
1970s -
1980s -
1990s - '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99
2000s - '09
2010s -

Five loss seasons - Nebraska
1890s - '99
1900s -
1910s -
1920s -
1930s - '38
1940s - '41, '42, '43, '44, '45, '46, '47, '48, '49
1950s - '51, '53, '54, '55, '56, '57, '58, '59
1960s - '60, '61
1970s -
1980s -
1990s -
2000s - '02, '04, '06, '07
2010s -

Five loss seasons - Alabama
1890s -
1900s -
1910s -
1920s -
1930s -
1940s -
1950s - '51, '54, '55, '56, '57
1960s - '69
1970s - '70
1980s - '84, '87
1990s - '90, '93 (with forfeits), '97, '98
2000s - '00, '01, '03, '04, '06, '07
2010s -

Five loss seasons - Southern Cal
1890s -
1900s -
1910s -
1920s -
1930s - '34, '35
1940s - '41, '42
1950s - '50, '57, '58
1960s - '60, '61
1970s -
1980s - '83, '85, '86
1990s - '91, '92, '93, '96, '97, '98, '99
2000s - '00, '01
2010s - '10

Five loss seasons - Penn State
1890s - '97, '99
1900s - '00, '08
1910s - '13
1920s - '28
1930s - '31, '32, '36
1940s -
1950s -
1960s - '65, '66
1970s - '76
1980s - '84, '88
1990s - '92
2000s - '00, 01, '03, '04
2010s - '10

Five loss seasons - Tennessee
1890s - '92
1900s - '03, '04, '05, '06, '09
1910s - '10
1920s - '24
1930s - '35
1940s - '47
1950s - '54, '58
1960s - '62, '63, '64
1970s - '75, '76, '77, '78, '79
1980s - '80, '82, '86, '88
1990s -
2000s - '02, '05, '08, '09
2010s - '10
 
Thanks for the research and topic.

I was having similar thoughts when OSU lost to Wisky and "diehards" were calling for JTs head.

If you look at the three premier programs of the previous 5 years - the programs these same diehards would compare JT to and find him lacking - you would be Florida, Texas and USC. All three of these schools have continued their exemplary recruiting unabated (even USC has not felt the full sanctions yet). Yet none of those programs is rated and each has lost more games than JT has since his first year at OSU.

I guess those diehards will have to settle for wishing we could be like Auburn (this year, not next year when they no longer have a football program) or Oregon (this year, not last year when we kicked their ass).

And let me go on record as saying - I love you BB. (PM me :wink2:)
 
Upvote 0
Oh8ch;1825153; said:
Thanks for the research and topic.

I was having similar thoughts when OSU lost to Wisky and "diehards" were calling for JTs head.

If you look at the three premier programs of the previous 5 years - the programs these same diehards would compare JT to and find him lacking - you would be Florida, Texas and USC.
Click to expand...

The type of "fans" you speak of are typically younger, children of the BCS and internet era, where any season absent the "NC" is a total failure. If they can't thump their chests on message boards and buy "national champion" t-shirts the season is a flop. As such, in their eyes, JT has only had one successful season.
 
Upvote 0
Next year's schedule will be challenging!
2011​
DateOpponentLocationTV
September 03...Akron...Columbus, OHT
September 10Toledo...Columbus, OH TBATBA
September 17@ University of Miami...Miami, FL
September 24Colorado...Columbus, OH
October 01Michigan State...Columbus, OH
October [email protected]oln, NETBATBA
October [email protected]paign, ILTBATBA
October 29Wisconsin..Columbus, OH TBATBA
November 05Indiana...Columbus, OH TBATBA
November [email protected] Lafayette, INTBATBA
November 19Penn State...Columbus, OH TBATBA
November [email protected] Arbor, MITBATBA

And a possible Big Ten Championship Game.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
5-loss seasons, all-time
13 - Ohio State
15 - Michigan
16 - Oklahoma
19 - Alabama (1 due to forfeits - '93)
20 - Penn State
22 - Texas
22 - Notre Dame
22 - Southern Cal
25 - Nebraska
29 - Tennessee (but they've gone the longest without consecutive losing seasons, 99 years)
Click to expand...

GBYBMYMSOB
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top