Record since 2000 against top programs in Big 10:
Iowa: 2000 W 45-33; 2001 L 42-28; 2002 L 24-8; 2005 L 38-21; 2006 W 31-28; 2007 W 38-20; 2008 L 45-9; 2009 L 42-24; 2010 L 18-13
9 games, 3-6 (.333), avg. margin of defeat = 17.6 pts. (106 pts)
Wisconsin: 2000 L 43-22; 2001 W 63-32; 2002 W 32-29; 2005 L 41-24; 2006 L 52-17; 2007 L 33-3; 2008 L 55-20; 2009 L 31-28; 2010 L 83-20
9 games, 2-7 (.222), avg. margin of defeat = 29.1 pts. (204 pts)
Penn State: 2000 L 24-27; 2001 L 28-14; 2002 L 58-25; 2003 L 52-7; 2004 L 22-18; 2007 L 36-31; 2008 L 34-7; 2009 L 31-20; 2010 L 41-24
9 games, 0-9 (.000), avg. margin of defeat = 17.6 pts. (159 pts)
Ohio State: 2001 L 27-14; 2002 L 45-17; 2003 L 35-6; 2004 L 30-7; 2005 L 41-10; 2006 L 44-3; 2009 L 33-14; 2010 L 38-10
8 games, 0-8 (.000), avg. margin of defeat = 26.5 pts. (212 pts)
Michigan: 2000 L 58-0; 2003 L 31-17; 2004 L 35-14; 2005 L 41-14; 2006 L 34-3; 2009 L 36-33; 2010 L 42-35
7 games, 0-7 (.000), avg. margin of defeat = 23 pts. (161 pts)
Michigan State: 2001 W 37-28; 2002 L 56-21; 2003 L 31-3; 2004 L 30-20; 2005 L 46-15; 2006 W 46-21; 2007 L 52-27; 2008 L 42-29
8 games, 2-6 (.250), avg. margin of defeat = 23.6 pts. (142 pts)
Overall record: 7-43 (.140) with avg. margin of defeat of 22.9 pts.
Under Kevin Wilson:
Iowa: 2011 L 45-24; 2012 W 24-21; 2014 L 45-29; 2015 L 35-27
4 games, 1-3, avg. margin of defeat = 15 pts. (45 pts)
Wisconsin: 2011 L 59-7; 2012 L 62-14; 2013 L 51-3
3 games, 0-3, avg. margin of defeat = 49.3 pts. (148 pts)
Penn State: 2011 L 16-10; 2012 L 45-22; 2013 W 44-24; 2014 L 13-7; 2015 L 29-7
5 games, 1-4, avg. margin of defeat = 14.5 pts. (58 pts)
Ohio State: 2011 L 34-20; 2012 L 52-49; 2013 L 42-14; 2014 L 42-27; 2015 L 34-27
5 games, 0-5, avg. margin of defeat = 13.4 pts. (67 pts)
Michigan: 2013 L 63-47; 2014 L 34-10; 2015 L 48-41
3 games, 0-3, avg. margin of defeat = 15.6 pts. (47 pts)
Michigan State: 2011 L 55-3; 2012 L 31-27; 2013 L 42-28; 2014 L 56-17; 2015 L 52-26
5 games, 0-5, avg. margin of defeat = 27 pts. (135 pts)
Overall record: 2-23 (.083) with avg. margin of defeat of 21.7 pts.
So, the overall record against the top 6 teams in the Big 10 is worse than it was in the 10 years prior to Kevin Wilson and the average margin of defeat is marginally improved at best by going down 1.2 points per defeat. I guess that's technically improvement, but not really in my opinion.
If you want to look at his time from beginning to end, our only two wins against the top 6 came in 2012 and 2013. Those were his second and third seasons. Further, the average margin of defeat was 29 in 2011, 19.5 in 2012, 26.5 in 2013, 20 in 2014, and 14 in 2015, which doesn't seem like a tremendous improvement especially given that in only his second year (with a DC that most would agree was terrible and a team made up of mostly players he didn't recruit) the average margin of defeat is only 5.5 points higher. Further, that 2012 margin of defeat has an outlier of a 48 point loss to Wisconsin.
Looking at just the teams in our division, the average margin of defeat in 2011 was 24 (including a 52 point loss to MSU), 10 in 2012, 19.5 in 2013, 21 in 2014, and 15.8 in 2015.
Just some facts to back up the opinion of some, like me, that feel that there may be improvement but it's not as great as a lot of people like to point out, nor is it significantly better now than the 10 years prior to Coach Wilson arriving despite my belief that the recruiting is significantly upgraded.
Iowa: 2000 W 45-33; 2001 L 42-28; 2002 L 24-8; 2005 L 38-21; 2006 W 31-28; 2007 W 38-20; 2008 L 45-9; 2009 L 42-24; 2010 L 18-13
9 games, 3-6 (.333), avg. margin of defeat = 17.6 pts. (106 pts)
Wisconsin: 2000 L 43-22; 2001 W 63-32; 2002 W 32-29; 2005 L 41-24; 2006 L 52-17; 2007 L 33-3; 2008 L 55-20; 2009 L 31-28; 2010 L 83-20
9 games, 2-7 (.222), avg. margin of defeat = 29.1 pts. (204 pts)
Penn State: 2000 L 24-27; 2001 L 28-14; 2002 L 58-25; 2003 L 52-7; 2004 L 22-18; 2007 L 36-31; 2008 L 34-7; 2009 L 31-20; 2010 L 41-24
9 games, 0-9 (.000), avg. margin of defeat = 17.6 pts. (159 pts)
Ohio State: 2001 L 27-14; 2002 L 45-17; 2003 L 35-6; 2004 L 30-7; 2005 L 41-10; 2006 L 44-3; 2009 L 33-14; 2010 L 38-10
8 games, 0-8 (.000), avg. margin of defeat = 26.5 pts. (212 pts)
Michigan: 2000 L 58-0; 2003 L 31-17; 2004 L 35-14; 2005 L 41-14; 2006 L 34-3; 2009 L 36-33; 2010 L 42-35
7 games, 0-7 (.000), avg. margin of defeat = 23 pts. (161 pts)
Michigan State: 2001 W 37-28; 2002 L 56-21; 2003 L 31-3; 2004 L 30-20; 2005 L 46-15; 2006 W 46-21; 2007 L 52-27; 2008 L 42-29
8 games, 2-6 (.250), avg. margin of defeat = 23.6 pts. (142 pts)
Overall record: 7-43 (.140) with avg. margin of defeat of 22.9 pts.
Under Kevin Wilson:
Iowa: 2011 L 45-24; 2012 W 24-21; 2014 L 45-29; 2015 L 35-27
4 games, 1-3, avg. margin of defeat = 15 pts. (45 pts)
Wisconsin: 2011 L 59-7; 2012 L 62-14; 2013 L 51-3
3 games, 0-3, avg. margin of defeat = 49.3 pts. (148 pts)
Penn State: 2011 L 16-10; 2012 L 45-22; 2013 W 44-24; 2014 L 13-7; 2015 L 29-7
5 games, 1-4, avg. margin of defeat = 14.5 pts. (58 pts)
Ohio State: 2011 L 34-20; 2012 L 52-49; 2013 L 42-14; 2014 L 42-27; 2015 L 34-27
5 games, 0-5, avg. margin of defeat = 13.4 pts. (67 pts)
Michigan: 2013 L 63-47; 2014 L 34-10; 2015 L 48-41
3 games, 0-3, avg. margin of defeat = 15.6 pts. (47 pts)
Michigan State: 2011 L 55-3; 2012 L 31-27; 2013 L 42-28; 2014 L 56-17; 2015 L 52-26
5 games, 0-5, avg. margin of defeat = 27 pts. (135 pts)
Overall record: 2-23 (.083) with avg. margin of defeat of 21.7 pts.
So, the overall record against the top 6 teams in the Big 10 is worse than it was in the 10 years prior to Kevin Wilson and the average margin of defeat is marginally improved at best by going down 1.2 points per defeat. I guess that's technically improvement, but not really in my opinion.
If you want to look at his time from beginning to end, our only two wins against the top 6 came in 2012 and 2013. Those were his second and third seasons. Further, the average margin of defeat was 29 in 2011, 19.5 in 2012, 26.5 in 2013, 20 in 2014, and 14 in 2015, which doesn't seem like a tremendous improvement especially given that in only his second year (with a DC that most would agree was terrible and a team made up of mostly players he didn't recruit) the average margin of defeat is only 5.5 points higher. Further, that 2012 margin of defeat has an outlier of a 48 point loss to Wisconsin.
Looking at just the teams in our division, the average margin of defeat in 2011 was 24 (including a 52 point loss to MSU), 10 in 2012, 19.5 in 2013, 21 in 2014, and 15.8 in 2015.
Just some facts to back up the opinion of some, like me, that feel that there may be improvement but it's not as great as a lot of people like to point out, nor is it significantly better now than the 10 years prior to Coach Wilson arriving despite my belief that the recruiting is significantly upgraded.
