The topic the other day about the addition of Rutgers and Maryland six years ago got me thinking. As a whole, the programs haven't been very good, but how have they fared particularly as far as being competitive in the conference?
If you look at the numbers, it paints a pretty bleak picture of parity in the B1G East. It was actually worse than I had expected. If you split the division into top-tier programs (Ohio State, Michigan, MSU, and Penn St.) and bottom-tier programs (Indiana, Rutgers, Maryland), since 2014:
- Bottom-tier vs. top-tier: 5-61
- Rutgers & Maryland vs. the top programs: 4-41
- Three of Maryland/Rutgers' four wins came in 2014. From 2015-present, they're 1-38!
- The only bottom-tier team to beat more than one top-tier in a single season was Maryland in 2014 (UM & PSU)
- Biggest win was just 11 points (MD over MSU in '16). Other than that, the margins of victory were 2, 7, 1, and 3.
- Ohio State is the only program not to lose to a bottom-tier team.
- Penn State has lost one (MD in 2014), and Michigan and MSU each two.
- Both of Michigan's losses came in 2014. They're 14-0 since.
- No bottom-tier program has beaten any of the top-tier programs more than once.