Are we really going to keep taking the bait on this one, fellas?
Why not, it's Friday and Feli's line of argument really sucks, in his eagerness to defecate all over Fitz, so here goes...
Finally, PF took over a program that went 14-10 over the three prior B1G seasons, including winning 5 B1G games back-to-back in the immediately preceding two...it took PF TEN (10) seasons to finally exceed the 5-B1G-win mark...and only by ONE game...and it wasn't good enough even for a division title, b/c others did better.
You say blah blah blah... but conveniently (or ignorantly) overlooking the fact that things tend to go in cycles. Just ask Mark Dantonio. Why did you only go back THREE seasons preceding Fitz taking over as a ROOKIE coach, the YOUNGEST in the COUNTRY, after RW passed away SUDDENLY? because MAYBE after the 6-2 LIGHTNING-IN-A-BOTTLE season of 2000 (which I enjoyed IMMENSELY by the way), the team proceeded to go 2-6 and 1-7 in the conference, before Walker got back on track with 4-4, 5-3, 5-3 seasons. Oh yeah, and in those seasons, the OVERALL record was 6-7, 6-6, 7-5. We lost some real CLUNKERS too.
And while Fitz has not won a Big Ten championship YET, he has won TWO bowl games SO FAR. Unfortunately, Barnett went 0-2, and Walker went 0-3.
Walker went 1-7 in the conference TWICE, while Barnett went 0-8 TWICE, in his second season (excusable) and in his LAST season. I'm not crapping on him, just stating the facts, MA'AM. Fitz went 1-7 just ONCE in his 11 seasons.
In the B1G, Barnett had a losing record EVERY year except those two exceptional seasons, out of 7 total. Walker had 3 seasons above 0.500 out of 7. Fitzgerald so far has FIVE seasons above 0.500 out of 11.
Overall record-wise, Barnett was 35-45-1. Walker was 24-31. Fitzgerald is 77-62.
Fitz has the best Big 10 win percentage of the THREE, at 0.461.
Please stop defecating on Fitz.