Bored of Gophers? Pondering Other Season Finale Options
by RossWB on Apr 29, 2010 3:30 PM CDT
in Iowa Hawkeyes Football
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This never really gets old... but could it be better?
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg and Snr. Mas Casa, two Friends of the Pants from more legitimate outposts in Blogfrica, have been speculating about the possibility of Penn State becoming Iowa's opponent in the season finale rivalry game. It's an intriguing option, considering that (a) Iowa-Penn State has become one of the most exciting and contentious (if one-sided of late) rivalries in the Big Ten, (b) Penn State's season finale rivalry with Michigan State is nothing more than a contrived excuse to battle for the ugliest trophy in the Big Ten that neither team really gives a shit about. Morehouse took it a step further by looking at a few more teams and offering a poll; go vote there if you haven't already done so. In the meantime, here's a breakdown of the possible season finale opponents...
MINNESOTA
Series Record: 42-59-2 (Minnesota leads)
Season Finale History: 25 meetings; Iowa holds a 16-9 advantage. They've met in the season finale in all but three of the past 25 years.
Pros: Lots of history, especially recently -- they've played each other in eight of the past ten season finales and there have been plenty of memorable moments, like Ed Hinkel's 4-TD day in 2005, the glorious satisfaction of 55-0 in 2008, and (of course) the epic goalpost theft of 2002. Sure, all but the de-goalposting could have happened if the game took place earlier in the season, but having them take place in the final game of the regular season does add a little juice to the proceedings. Also, while some Minnesota fans may claim that Wisconsin is a bigger rival, they don't chant "WE HATE WISCONSIN" during totally unrelated games, do they?
Cons: Nothing really, unless you're just bored of seeing Iowa play Minnesota in the season finale. A late November game in Minnesota could get chilly (though the same could be said of any other option here, too).
PENN STATE
Series Record: 11-11
Season Finale History: n/a
Pros: The Penn State series has produced some of the most exciting and momentous wins and moments of the Ferentz Era at Iowa, like the 42-35 rollercoaster win in 2002, 6-4 and the FU safety in 2004, Daniel Murray and the incredible comeback win in 2008, or Adrian Clayborn's rain-soaked punt block in 2009. Could attract national spotlight if both teams are vying for a conference title or BCS bowl berth.
Cons: No more primetime games if the game gets moved to November. A late-season loss (hey, it could happen) could be especially damaging to bowl or title aspirations. Trekking to Happy Valley (or vice versa) would be a pain in the ass during Thanksgiving weekend. Not a protected rival.
WISCONSIN
Series Record: 42-41-2 (Iowa leads)
Season Finale History: 3 meetings; Iowa holds a 2-1 edge. They last met in a season finale in 2004, which was a rather memorable game.
Pros: Another border rival and one of the closest rivalries in the Big Ten. Sticking it to Badger fans never really gets old. The atmosphere at Iowa-Wisconsin games is often pretty electric, since you have two of the more rabid (and well-lubricated) fanbases in the Big Ten; toss in some bowl or conference title implications, and things could get really intense.
Cons: Harder to get tickets at Wisconsin than it is at Minnesota. Despite the long-standing nature of the rivalry (Minnesota remains the only team Iowa's played more than Wisco), it doesn't always feel particularly heated, although as with many things rivalry-based, that may depend heavily on one's perspective.
IOWA STATE
Series Record: 38-19 (Iowa leads)
Season Finale History: 5 meetings; Iowa holds 3-2 advantage. They last met in 2001, when terrorists delayed the game until the end of the season and caused Grant Steen to fumble (fuck you, Al Qaeda).
Pros: It's Iowa State; like it or not, you can make a compelling argument that they are Iowa's biggest rival. No other game gets the state as fired up as Iowa-Iowa State. And since quite a few teams play their biggest rival in the season finale (Ohio State-Michigan, Florida-Florida State, Clemson-South Carolina, Alabama-Auburn, USC-UCLA, etc.), well... you do the math. Also: imagine the intensity if Iowa State's playing for a bowl berth or Iowa's playing for a potential BCS game or a national title.
Cons: Do we really need to give Iowa State even more motivation for this game? It remains the ultimate no-win game for Iowa -- if they win, they've merely done what they're supposed to do and if they lose, it's armageddon. It's also a fundamentally local rivalry, so long as Iowa State remains a middling program.
just NORTHWESTERN
Series Record: 46-22-3 (Iowa leads)
Season Finale History: 11 meetings; the series is deadlocked at 4-4-3. Northwestern was actually a fairly common season finale opponent back in the '30s. The last meeting was in 1939.
Pros: You only need to look at Iowa or jNW blogs during the week leading up to the game or this week's coverage over at The Rivalry, Esq. to see that the vitriol here is incredibly powerful. Watching the Wildcats win three in a row at Kinnick has elevated the hate among Iowa fans and the smug satisfaction among Northwestern fans.
Cons: jNW isn't a protected rival, so there's no way to ensure that they'd be in the season finale every year. Losing the home finale is the pits (see: Western Michigan, 2007) and there is that unsavory matter of jNW kind of sort of owning Iowa in Kinnick since 2006. And while Iowa fans may feel some animosity towards Northwestern and (especially) certain contingents of their fans, you'd be hard-pressed to find many who really consider Northwestern one of their biggest rivals.
ILLINOIS
Series Record: 29-38-2 (Illinois leads)
Season Finale History: 9 meetings; Iowa holds a 6-3 edge. Illinois was a popular season finale opponent in the '60s and early '70s; they last met in the season finale in 1972.
Pros: Another border rival. The hate is strong there, from both the players and the fans. Beating up on Zook in a season finale could be every bit as enjoyable as beating up on Glen Mason or Tim Brewster-led teams. Like Gopher fans, Illini fans are frequently disillusioned by late November and more interested in hoopyball, making tickets easier to score.
Cons: Well, Zook ain't gonna be there forever (probably). Illinois isn't a protected rival, either, so there's no way to guarantee a game with them at the end of every season. Hating Illinois is fun, but much like Northwestern, are they really a big rival?
NEBRASKA
Series Record: 12-26-3 (Nebraska leads)
Season Finale History: 18 meetings; Nebraska holds a 13-4-1 advantage. Remarkably, Nebraska is Iowa's second-most popular season finale opponent, although all of those encounters came prior to 1945 (the year of the last season finale meeting) and most occurred in the 1890s or 1910s.
Pros: Despite the fact that the two schools who haven't played each other in a decade and have played each other only five times in the past thirty years, there's still a great deal of enmity present; chalk it up to the border rivalry that continues to fester. In Iowa and Nebraska you have two of the most passionate and intense fanbases around, so the atmosphere at an Iowa-Nebraska game would likely be amazing. Strong potential for national attention.
Cons: Tickets to Iowa-Nebraska games would be really hard to come by. Despite the long-standing enmity, most of the history here is of the ancient variety (only six games since 1946). Would only really work if Nebraska is one of the teams added during Expansionpalooza, which is of course no sure thing.
MISSOURI
Series Record: 5-7 (Missouri leads)
Season Finale History: n/a
Pros: Yet another border rival. A chance to finally face Missouri after they skipped out on a non-conference series with Iowa a few years back. Like their brethern in the Lands of Lincoln and Ten Thousand Lakes, Mizzou fans tend to be an easily depressed lot and may have turned their hopeful eyes to roundball by late November, making it easier to score tickets for an away game.
Cons: The history just isn't there; of all of Iowa's border rivals (not including the South Dakota schools, of course), Iowa and Mizzou have played by far the fewest games. Not only that, but the history here is really ancient -- they last tangled in 1910 (Mizzou won 5-0, in case you were wondering). The number of Iowa fans who were even alive when that game took place is probably pretty damn tiny. Outside of a shared border patrolled by degenerates, rednecks, and Iowans, these two teams don't have many common bonds. Also, like Nebraska, would only really work if Expansionpalooza takes in the Tigers.
MICHIGAN STATE
Series Record: 21-18-2 (Iowa leads)
Season Finale History: 10 meetings; the series is deadlocked 5-5 in those ten games. Michigan State was a consistent season finale opponent throughout the '70s; the last meeting was in 1982.
Pros: Well, there is some history there. It's not like Michigan State has anything better to do, since their true main rival is locked in its untouchable blood feud with Ohio State. Also, the Iowa-Michigan State series is one of the more underrated series of the past 30 years in terms of producing exciting and close games; since 1980, 17 of the 24 games have been decided by 10 points or less, with the last three contests all being decided in the final minutes (or seconds) of the fourth quarter or overtime. There are also some truly memorable moments from the series, such as Chuck Long's infamous QB bootleg for a late TD in 1985 or, of course,"Seven got six."
Cons: Despite all that, does any Iowa fan ever get truly jazzed up to play Michigan State? Not a protected rival.
NOTRE DAME
Series Record: 8-13-3 (Notre Dame leads)
Season Finale History: 14 meetings; Notre Dame holds a 7-5-2 record. Notre Dame was a popular season finale opponent in the '50s; they last met in a season finale in 1964. Surprisingly, Notre Dame ranks as Iowa's third-most frequent season finale opponent.
Pros: It's Notre Dame -- the excitement among Iowa fans for the chance to beat them in a season finale would be huge. It's not a rivalry fabricated out of absolutely nothing, since there is history between these schools (who could forget the legend of the "Fainting Irish" game?). And since it is Notre Dame, there's no question it would attract more national attention than usual -- that's just par for the course where ND is involved.
Cons: It's Notre Dame -- they don't give a shit about us. This would be like Iowa-Northwestern in reverse, almost. Iowa fans, like, oh, roughly one hundred and eighteen other fanbases, would absolutely love to smash up the Irish, but that feeling is not at all reciprocated. As noted above, there is some history there (they were frequent rivals during Iowa's heady run under Evy in the '50s), but like the Nebraska history, it's pretty ancient. Notre Dame has longstanding rivalries with Michigan State, Purdue, and USC that it would probably much rather play in the season finale spot (assuming Michigan is off-limits because of the Ohio State rivalry).
And don't forget to go vote in the poll at the Gazoo site.
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I'm too lazy to read thru the options now,
but will say that if the “no night games in November” rule is not lifted, then Penn State should simply become Iowa’s BigTen opener each year. I am of the opinion that Iowa-Penn State belongs in primetime.
From following the discussion at ESPN, and then at On Iowa, it seems that Gophers and Badgers feel that Wisonsin/Minnesota is a much bigger rivalry than Iowa/Minnesota, so let them play at year’s end and we’ll find a game that fits (not Iowa State).
I agree with the Penn State in primetime statement
but I disagree with switching out the last game, I also wouldn’t Iowa State, sets up an ultimate trap game for Iowa, I wouldn’t be opposed to playing Illinois at the end of every year, I don’t know why, just because.
Tigers love pepper... they hate cinnamon.
by White Lightning on Apr 29, 2010 3:57 PM CDT up reply actions
Hmm
but I disagree with switching out the last game, I also wouldn’t Iowa State, sets up an ultimate trap game for Iowa,
On the other hand, Iowa usually plays better in November than they do in September and ISU is usually pretty beaten up and beaten down by November, which could play in our favor. But, yeah, I remain leery of giving ISU any additional motivation for that game.
I wouldn’t be opposed to playing Illinois at the end of every year, I don’t know why, just because.
Because beating Zook is always fun?
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
That's only a good argument if he's there
and I just don’t see that happening unless the continued budget crisis forces them to keep him. Worst case, contract over, out he goes.
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Apr 29, 2010 4:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Sure.
But Illinois’ history in football coaching hires is not exactly covered in glory. Ron Turner teams were pretty damn fun to play against, too (aside from that Sugar Bowl team).
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
I've gotta agree with the primetime statement as well
There isn’t a team I’d rather play in primetime than Penn State. It would be a shame to lose the chance at that and have it just wash out as another end of the year game. No matter who Iowa plays that weekend, the spot light is on Michigan-tOSU and probably always will be. These days, when Iowa plays PSU, it’s a can’t miss game for the rest of the college football loving country and that exposure just isn’t gonna happen with anybody else. When people outside the conference circle BigXI games to pay attention to at the beginning of the year, it’s Mich-tOSU, Mich-ND, tOSU-USC, & Iowa-PSU. Penn State is viewed as a traditional power, and having this game as a flagship game for the BigXI is awesome.
Fuck tOSU
I'm fond of Iowa-PSU in primetime too, so I can certainly see the logic in doing what it takes to keep that budding tradition going.
From following the discussion at ESPN, and then at On Iowa, it seems that Gophers and Badgers feel that Wisonsin/Minnesota is a much bigger rivalry than Iowa/Minnesota, so let them play at year’s end and we’ll find a game that fits (not Iowa State).
I remain skeptical of their protestations. They don’t like the Badgers either, but there really is a lot of vitriol for Iowa (and Iowans) among Gopher fans. I would say that they just want to play Wisco because Iowa spent the Aughts kicking their ass up and down the field, but it’s not as if they were much better against Wisco. I think Bielema is still undefeated against them.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
I'm not sure that I buy into the Minn/Wisc hatred as much, either.
But if it’s true, then so be it. I love ending the season with a pantsing of the Gophers, but wouldn’t be opposed to beating them earlier in the year if they truly feel that Wisc is a truer rival.
by The Mexican't on Apr 29, 2010 4:38 PM CDT up reply actions
You haven't watched an Axe game if you don't think they hate each other.
I grew up in Minnesota, with both parents UofM grads. Minnesota-Wisconsin is a blood feud by comparison to Minn-Iowa.
I don't doubt that they hate each other.
I’m just not sure that I believe that Minnesota fans hate Badgers more than Hawkeyes. I mean, they’ve got a well known chant that makes it clear that they hate Iowa. Do they ever chant, “Who hates Wisconsin?”
by The Mexican't on May 1, 2010 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions
I would say this for the rivalry.
With the exception of the 90’s, UW and Minnesota have been on about the same level more often than not for about half a century. Both were largely God awful during the 80’s and both were upper-mid-level Big Ten programs through a good portion of the aughts. I think it’s easier to hate your peers that your superiors; that’s just jealousy. Still, I think all three have one of the more unique hate-triangles in all of CFB.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on May 1, 2010 8:31 PM CDT up reply actions
I definitely think Penn St - Iowa as a prime time opener for conference play is a great fit.
If the Huskers join the Big Integer then then Iowa-Nebraska would be a great choice for a season ending game. Or rotate it among them, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
DO NOT make Iowa St the final game. Even though we play much better at the end of the season, Iowa St would love to play the role of spoiler.
by HawkeyeRecon on Apr 30, 2010 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions
Personal Experience
I lived about 30 miles south of Minneapolis for three years and worked up in the cities for most of that. A lot of people in those parts spend a LOT of time expressing their hatred of Iowa and making fun of it.
Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable. - Werner Herzog
No way you'll see Nebraska as long as their in the Big XII
The CU-Nebraska game is too much of a mainstay in the Big XII. Now IF Nebraska were to show a little leg to Delaney, and come to the Big XI America’s Superconference of Patriotism, that could happen.
In all reality, I would vote for Iowa-Minny, Iowa-PSU, and Iowa-Wiscy in that order. Ask me how I feel about that in December this year, after visiting Humpty-Dump Part Deux, er The Bank, er Kinnick North 2.0, and I may have a different take.
They took the bar, the whole fucking bar!
by recoveringfratguy on Apr 29, 2010 4:04 PM CDT reply actions
Yeah, that's why I put that caveat in there re: Expansionpalooza.
Nebraska and Mizzou only work if they accept Delany’s offer.
In all reality, I would vote for Iowa-Minny, Iowa-PSU, and Iowa-Wiscy in that order. Ask me how I feel about that in December this year, after visiting Humpty-Dump Part Deux, er The Bank, er Kinnick North 2.0, and I may have a different take.
I still think this concern is overblown. Can it be cold then? Sure. It can also be cold in Iowa City in late November and yet Iowa fans still make their way to Kinnick Stadium. Late November can be cold, but it’s rarely as brutal as, say, mid-January. I went to the Viking playoff game two years ago (against the Iggles) and thanked every holy power I could think of that the game was being played in the Hump Dump. Sitting outside for four hours in -20 windchill seemed like an excruciating experience.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
We're in agreement here, as well.
The cold weather can’t possibly be a factor when considering an end of season game in the BigTen. Does it suck standing in the cold while Iowa trails? YES. Is it enough that I would consider not going to the game? No. Penn State ‘08 was a fucking miserable experience all the way up until Daniel slid at mid-field. Michigan last year was a shitty day, too, but that didn’t stop the sellout. This decision should come down to who Iowa considers to be their most significant rival, and I’d love for that to be Penn State at some point. If for no other reason than the prestige that would come with closing out against a team with Penn State’s tradition and national recognition each year.
An expanded BigTen gives us plenty of opponents to consider and still keep our primetime slot with the Nits, and likely gives Penn State a natural end-of-season rival in Pitt.
by The Mexican't on Apr 29, 2010 4:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Only two time slots
available for a late November game, and UM-tOSU are not going to let anything overshadow The Game. Not even a little.
Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable. - Werner Herzog
But, if Michigan continues to SUCK,
this game will continue to lose interest.
"The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride." HST
I'll give you the cold in either location
However, from personal experience, I can only remember one nice day outside when we played at the Humpty-Dump, it ended with us taking some goal posts IIRC. In all reality, the chances of it being miserable in Minnesota seem a lot higher than Iowa City at the end of the season. I remember years when it was 50 degrees in Iowa City, and below 0 in Minneapolis in November with the arctic winds blowing in from Canada.
Either way, I’ll still go to any Iowa-Minny game for the sheer fact that I love watching the LOLphers fail against Iowa.
They took the bar, the whole fucking bar!
by recoveringfratguy on Apr 29, 2010 5:07 PM CDT up reply actions
In that shit filled land to our North...
They call this:
Sitting outside for four hours in -20 windchill seemed like an excruciating experience
.
A decent morning of fishing. So yeah, November isn’t nearly as bad, but it has potential. Especially if the season is spread out further/later in an attempt to match the ESS EEE CEE and other championship-game-having conferences. Mid-November? Could be nice. Start of December? Could be 20k frozen Hawkcicles in Kinnick North 2.0.
I think NU fans would push for a game against Iowa if it were an option
and Dr. Tom Osborne is willing to give the fans what they want. There’s little respect for CU among NU fans, in the NU area at least, as they see that game as a poor replacement for the annual OU game. Expansion or no, I think both Iowa and NU would be well served setting up an end of season game.
It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.
George Washington
Also...
Is it a good or bad sign that I have visited all of the links that Ross included in this post?
They took the bar, the whole fucking bar!
by recoveringfratguy on Apr 29, 2010 4:05 PM CDT reply actions
This is all moot, because once expansion comes, Iowa will be playing the winner of the other division
in the final game of the season every year.
It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.
George Washington
Hell NO.
What is this shit? Defiling the gophers stadium in new and exciting ways is tradition in itself. I love ruining PSU’s season before it even begins.
by sfshilo on Apr 29, 2010 6:06 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
+1
Adrian Clayborn is strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark
by The Bacon Explosion on Apr 30, 2010 7:47 AM CDT up reply actions
How many years will it take.
Before fans get tired of carrying goalposts out of the new stadium? On the other hand there are alot of bathroom stalls that haven’t been abused yet.
Who's leg do I have to hump to get a drink around here?-Brian
It's only perfect from our (read: my) standpoint.
I dislike MSU, but I really don’t care that much. I often cheer for them. I respect Tom Izzo; if he writes a book, I’ll read it. That “trophy” can’t make me care.
If Penn State wants a heated end of year game, this is the best option. Ohio State is out of the question for obvious reasons and Pitt is out of the question because there’s far too much bad blood on both sides. Iowa is usually good, unlike MSU. Iowa is tied in the all time series and leads the Big Ten series, unlike MSU. Iowa makes Penn State PWND ST. MSU rolls over and dies in Beaver Stadium and usually gives up 300, 400 yards of offense in close but not close enough losses in their own stadium.
But I don’t think Iowa would gain much.
"I want your money, but I don't want your two cents." - JVP
by ReadingRambler on Apr 29, 2010 10:09 PM CDT reply actions
The bad blood
is what makes the series great.
Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable. - Werner Herzog
Yes
Poor wording on my part.
Bad blood is what makes A series great.
Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable. - Werner Herzog
Disagree.
A series has to be great if both teams are competitive. JoePa owned Pitt.
"I want your money, but I don't want your two cents." - JVP
by ReadingRambler on Apr 30, 2010 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions
This.
Beating Iowa State over and over and over was fun, but didn’t make it a good series.
by The Mexican't on Apr 30, 2010 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions
Nebraska
only works if they join the Big 10+, but it would be a great game. The Big 10 would probably also have to change their scheduling rules to make it happen, but an Iowa-Nebraska game on the day after Thanksgiving (replacing the Nebraska-Colorado game that was just a poor substitute for the Nebraska-Oklahoma game) would be a major nationally televised event. Yes, it would be impossible to get tickets in Lincoln, but that would be true whenever we played the Cornhuskers.
Otherwise, we should just stick with the Gophers. There’s just no substitute for Floyd.
I never travel far without a little Big Star. R.I.P Alex
Rules and such...
The Big 10 would probably also have to change their scheduling rules to make it happen
Which rules are you referring to? The “no games after Thanksgiving” rule has already been relaxed; starting this year, the final conference games are being played the weekend after Thanksgiving. I don’t think the B10 has any hard and fast rules against playing on Thursday or Friday (I believe Ohio State and Minnesota are both opening the season on Thursday night this year). I’m not sure scheduling rules would be a big issue.
Otherwise, we should just stick with the Gophers. There’s just no substitute for Floyd.
Agreed. Personally, I’m very fond of beating up Minnesota the last game of the season. It’s just a tradition that feels right.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
I don't know, Ross.
I tend to be a traditionalist and like the current arrangement. But the prospect of playing a program like Nebraska, a bordering state who also happens to be very good, is an awfully tempting finisher for a season.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Apr 30, 2010 3:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Sure.
If Nebraska becomes an option, I agree that would be very enticing for a season finale. In lieu of that, though, I’m in favor of standing pat with our friendly neighboring Gophers.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
That's why I said probably
I really didn’t feel like looking up what the current rules on Big 10 games after Thanksgiving or on Fridays are. If there was a rule preventing it, I don’t think it would be too hard to get a waiver passed if Iowa agreed to it. (I’m sure Nebraska wouldn’t be an issue since they already do it.)
But a Black Friday game between Nebraska and Iowa on national TV would be an incredible boost to the profile of the Hawkeyes. And it’d be a good game, too.
I never travel far without a little Big Star. R.I.P Alex
by Josh Timmers on Apr 30, 2010 7:17 PM CDT up reply actions
I look at it more in terms of positioning for the team
because to me, the true rival is the one I’m competing with every year for the best record. It’s hard to define a program that’s really that similar to us in our ups and downs, but probably the closest is Wisconsin. That said, what do you want:
Traditional rivalry gone south because opponent is usually out of the race and demoralized by the time they face us (Minnesota)?
Really competitive game, regardless of record, that we could lose as easily as win (Wisconsin)?
“Flavor of the month” rivalry game with compelling games over the last 10 years but no real predictor that it will continue long-term (Penn St.)?
In-state rivalry (only a true rivalry in recent years) that has possible impact on national image but nothing to do with conference record (ISU)?
To me, the others have no juice unless Nebraska indeed ends up in the Big Howevermany. Too speculative. To me, Wisconsin is intriguing. If there is an advantage to be had in your last game being a critical game, for bowl positioning and rankings, that’s a good game (and was, for the two years it was the final game) and the change is worth it. Otherwise, if we are having a good year and the big games wrapped up, Minnesota has been a pretty reliable win going into bowl season.
A fella steps out for a two pound burrito and all hell breaks loose.
Much as Penn State is a Big Ten outlier
geographically and culturally, I think Iowa is as well, albeit to a far lesser degree based on history alone plus proximity to a number of other BT schools. If Nebraska were added they would instantly become the Hawkeyes’ blood rival/soul mate. Additionally, there is a special relationship between the two programs; when Fry got to Iowa he added the Huskers to the schedule for the first four years as a “benchmark” game. Iowa lost three of them, two in woodshed fashion, but the season-opening upset win in ‘81served as the catalyst for that years’ Rose Bowl campaign and, some would say, Fry’s Iowa career.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on May 1, 2010 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions
How is Iowa an outlier from the rest of the BT in anything but size?
It’s certainly the smallest of the public schools in the conference, but beyond that it seems like an excellent fit. In terms of geography, it’s near the western edge, but Minnesota is technically further west (if I remember my geography).
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
You touched on a little of it there;
it’s the smallest public school (by a good measure, I believe) and it’s on the conference’s Western edge (yes, Minnesota is technically further West but I would argue it’s less culturally isolated from the rest of the league by virtue of occupying an urban campus) but I’m not somehow using that as any sort of “negative”. I simply find Iowa, and especially its fanbase, to be slightly different than that of the rest of the conference. Being the only state in the conference without a pro team is definitely a factor in terms of sports culture. Nebraska would be a kindred spirit in that regard.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on May 1, 2010 2:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Gotcha.
I actually think Minnesota is, in some ways, more culturally different than the rest of the league by virtue of being in such a large urban campus — Minneapolis is pretty different from the other BXI cities like Bloomington or Madison or West Lafayette or East Lansing and so on.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
Tickets Anyone?
At least when the Hawks play Minny last they will have, most likely, endured another losing season….with nothing to play for thus opening up cheap tickets and allowing Kinnick North to come together. TCF is not the Humpty Dome but it shouldn’t take long for the place to take on the same characteristics….
Hate Northwestern, Hate OSU, Michigan State, Michigan too...you get the picture.
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