Conference record book
Big Ten Conference Top 25 Games of the 2000s
The best games involving a Big Ten member at the time of kickoff, ranked without favoring either side.
- Games
- 25
- Top score
- 86/100
- Overtime
- 7
National ranking
The conference's top 25
25 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.
- 2002AT TEMPE AZNeutral site1OT
Ohio State vs. Miami
Ohio State 31, Miami 24
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Miami · 7-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 9/15
86
Game score
Full Game · 2002 Miami vs. Ohio State (Bowl Full Game)
- 2006Week 12
Michigan at Ohio State
Michigan 39, Ohio State 42
Conference game
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 1 Ohio State · 3-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
81
Game score
Full Game · 2006 Ohio State vs. Michigan (Regular Season Full Game)
- 2005Week 2
Texas at Ohio State
Texas 25, Ohio State 22
Nonconference
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 4 Ohio State · 3-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
78
Game score
Full Game · 2005 Ohio State vs. Texas (Regular Season Full Game)
- 2003Week 131OT
Purdue at Ohio State
Purdue 13, Ohio State 16
Conference game
No. 11 Purdue vs. No. 4 Ohio State · 3-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 9/15
78
Game score
- 2009Week 2
USC at Ohio State
USC 18, Ohio State 15
Conference game
No. 3 USC vs. No. 8 Ohio State · 3-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
73
Game score
Full Game · 2009 Ohio State vs. USC (Regular Season Full Game)
- 2003CAPITAL ONE BOWL1OT
Georgia at Purdue
Georgia 34, Purdue 27
Postseason
No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 11 Purdue · 7-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 9/15
73
Game score
- 2008TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWLNeutral site
Ohio State vs. Texas
Ohio State 21, Texas 24
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Texas · 3-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
71
Game score
Full Game · 2008 Texas vs. Ohio State (Bowl Full Game)
- 2005FedEx Orange Bowl3OT
Penn State at Florida State
Penn State 26, Florida State 23
Postseason
No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 22 Florida State · 3-point margin
Ranking 26/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 13/15
71
Game score
Full Game · 2005 Florida State vs. Penn State (Orange Bowl Full Game)
- 2006CAPITAL ONE BOWL AT ORLANDO FL
Arkansas at Wisconsin
Arkansas 14, Wisconsin 17
Postseason
No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 7 Wisconsin · 3-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
69
Game score
Full Game · 2006 Wisconsin vs. Arkansas (Citrus/Capital One Bowl Full Game)
- 2004Week 8
Wisconsin at Purdue
Wisconsin 20, Purdue 17
Conference game
No. 10 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Purdue · 3-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
69
Game score
- 2006ROSE BOWL AT PASADENA CA
USC at Michigan
USC 32, Michigan 18
Postseason
No. 2 USC vs. No. 3 Michigan · 14-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15
68
Game score
Full Game · 2006 Michigan vs. USC (Rose Bowl Full Game)
- 2002Week 14
Michigan at Ohio State
Michigan 9, Ohio State 14
Conference game
No. 12 Michigan vs. No. 2 Ohio State · 5-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
68
Game score
- 2003ROSE BOWL PRESENTED BY CITI
Michigan at USC
Michigan 14, USC 28
Postseason
No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 2 USC · 14-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
- 2008Week 9
Penn State at Ohio State
Penn State 13, Ohio State 6
Conference game
No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 10 Ohio State · 7-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
Full Game · 2008 Ohio State vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
- 2000Week 4
Michigan at UCLA
Michigan 20, UCLA 23
Nonconference
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 UCLA · 3-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
- 2004ROSE BOWL
Michigan at Texas
Michigan 37, Texas 38
Postseason
No. 14 Michigan vs. No. 6 Texas · 1-point margin
Ranking 32/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
66
Game score
- 2002Week 81OT
Penn State at Michigan
Penn State 24, Michigan 27
Conference game
No. 15 Penn State vs. No. 13 Michigan · 3-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 9/15
65
Game score
- 2003Week 14
Ohio State at Michigan
Ohio State 21, Michigan 35
Conference game
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Michigan · 14-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
- 2009ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY CITINeutral site
Ohio State vs. Oregon
Ohio State 26, Oregon 17
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Oregon · 9-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
63
Game score
Full Game · 2009 Oregon vs. Ohio State (Rose Bowl Full Game)
- 2003Week 41OT
NC State at Ohio State
NC State 38, Ohio State 44
Conference game
No. 24 NC State vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 6-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 9/15
63
Game score
- 2008THE ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY CITINeutral site
Penn State vs. USC
Penn State 24, USC 38
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 5 USC · 14-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15
62
Game score
Full Game · 2008 USC vs. Penn State (Rose Bowl Full Game)
- 2003Week 9
Iowa at Ohio State
Iowa 10, Ohio State 19
Conference game
No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 8 Ohio State · 9-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
61
Game score
Methodology
How each game earns up to 100 points
AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.
Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.
Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.
Conference inclusion comes from each team's conference ID stored on the game row, so later realignment never rewrites history. Regular-season AP ranks come from the game's week; postseason ranks use the final regular-season poll before bowl and playoff results.