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Who is Iowa's Top Football Rival?

Having lived in Minneapolis for 28 years, an easy question------the hated golden goffers
 
A rivalry game I think AT THE VERY LEAST has to occasionally have conference championship / national / etc. implications.

ISU? Never.
Minny? Not since forever.
Wiscy? Seems like always.

Wisconsin is our rival.
 
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47-43-2

I dunno, that looks pretty close to me.
The pendulum swings.

I was thinking more recent history. Iowa is 3-7 in the last 10 games and are 1-6 in the last seven.

Overall, throughout all the years it would be Minnesota. Wisconsin is Iowa’s biggest rivalry in recent history because most of the time the two teams are mirror images of each other.
 
I was thinking more recent history. Iowa is 3-7 in the last 10 games and are 1-6 in the last seven.

Overall, throughout all the years it would be Minnesota. Wisconsin is Iowa’s biggest rivalry in recent history because most of the time the two teams are mirror images of each other.

Michigan has only beaten OSU twice since 2001.
Does that mean it's not a rivalry anymore? Since it's so lopsided?
It's not gonna be a perfect split always.
 
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Michigan has only beaten OSU twice since 2001.
Does that mean it's not a rivalry anymore? Since it's so lopsided?
It's not gonna be a perfect split always.

When Iowa and Wisconsin turn into Michigan and OSU historically, I’ll let you know.

Then again, I’m not comparing two of the winningest programs in the conference.
 
A lot of it depends on where you live/lived in Iowa. There are obviously a lot of natural border rivals, depending on your border. West = Nebraska, North = Minnesota or Wisconsin, East/or from Chicago = Illinois or Northwestern, South = all of the above? Clearly there are exceptions to the rule.

I think if you live in the state of Iowa, ISU is easy to hate and that goes for most. Living out of state, it's a little easier to give them a pass...maybe because it's not in your face so much.

I grew up in Eastern Iowa and now live in KC, but my ex-in-laws were from Nebraska and I was introduced to them in the 90's. It became real easy to dislike the huskers. Funny, their attitude still hasn't changed...i guess neither has mine. Bastards.

I think the one thing all hawkeye fans agree on when it comes their personal rivals...they have the most obnoxious and idiotic fan base on the planet.
 
Wisconsin.

Iowa has 1 win out of the last Seven times they played.

It has to be a rivalry, otherwise we would have to call it an ass kicking.
 
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This would be the easiest answer if Iowa had been a bit more competitive against them.

Over the past 20-30 yrs (maybe flip flop Neb and Minn)

Wisconsin
Iowa St
Nebraska
Minnesota
N’western
Illinois

Of course Purdue.
It’s one of the nation’s and conferences most competitive series...dang near a tie over a century. This is a place for opinions, but yours is Is on shifting sand.

To the original poster-
Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State are the 3 main ones (add Illinois for BB, Okie State for wrestling).

Nebraskawould be in the pack with other conf schools. This will change as time marches on as expansion has robbed annual Autumn dates with MSU, Mich, OSU. Michigan was a teamthat got the program and fan base jacked ever since Fry arrived.
 
Iowa's biggest rival in everything is Iowa State but especially in football.

In conference its the Goophers. As for Bucky's smack talk about history didn't we beat Bucky like 17 years in a row? I think Bob Cummings' teams even beat Bucky a couple of times.
 
It’s one of the nation’s and conferences most competitive series...dang near a tie over a century. This is a place for opinions, but yours is Is on shifting sand.

To the original poster-
Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State are the 3 main ones (add Illinois for BB, Okie State for wrestling).

Nebraskawould be in the pack with other conf schools. This will change as time marches on as expansion has robbed annual Autumn dates with MSU, Mich, OSU. Michigan was a teamthat got the program and fan base jacked ever since Fry arrived.

A little early in the afternoon to be this drunk. Ahhh it’s a holiday...... have at it.

Iowa’s its own rival? This football season I’d give you that.
 
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Haha- yes, yes they were. Insert Minnesota

So basically you had the same three that I said. Wisconsin, Iowa State, Minnesota/Nebraska.

I gave the edge to Nebraska because theyve been a little more competitive of a rivalry since they joined the B1G. Plus their internet fans are the worst and that includes PSU. Iowa has had its way with Minnesota recently, 14-4 going back to 2001. I’d say throughout the entire history, Minnesota would probably be the overall top rivalry for Iowa.
 
So basically you had the same three that I said. Wisconsin, Iowa State, Minnesota/Nebraska.

I gave the edge to Nebraska because theyve been a little more competitive of a rivalry since they joined the B1G. Plus their internet fans are the worst and that includes PSU. Iowa has had its way with Minnesota recently, 14-4 going back to 2001. I’d say throughout the entire history, Minnesota would probably be the overall top rivalry for Iowa.
Imo rivalries aren’t about recent results. Nebraska is more of an annoyance than a rival. They will be like PSU—-it will take decades for them to establish a rivalry with anyone, if even then. Penn State hasn’t supplanted any one that existed before they joined IN 1990. Heck, Iowa is their best hope for any to take hold. They need Iowa more than Iowa needs them in this rivalry discussion
 
Imo rivalries aren’t about recent results. Nebraska is more of an annoyance than a rival. They will be like PSU—-it will take decades for them to establish a rivalry with anyone, if even then. Penn State hasn’t supplanted any one that existed before they joined IN 1990. Heck, Iowa is their best hope for any to take hold. They need Iowa more than Iowa needs them in this rivalry discussion

I agree a lot with the PSU comparison, but proximity alone will make them a natural rival, especially with those on the western part of the state. Then you throw in a trophy game (forced or not), it’s going to be a big match up between the two.

PSU never really had anybody on the eastern side of the B1G besides OSU and Mich, and no matter what they did, they weren’t breaking the Mich/OSU rivalry. The B1G tried making MSU/PSU a big rivalry, that just wasn’t happening.

Iowa and Nebraska could be a big rivalry in the near future, but right now Wisconsin is Iowa’s biggest. Iowa just needs compete a little more against them and the division. Iowa has won 35% of their last 20 games against Wisconsin. We give ISU crap and they’re nearly 50% against Iowa in that same time frame.
 
Rivalry is a two-edged sword. Right now I'd say Iowa State because they want to beat Iowa as much as we want to beat them.

But if you're asking which loss stings worse (the true testament of a fan's perception of a rivalry) it's Wisconsin. Doesn't matter which team is or isn't ranked, I go into that game thinking Iowa will win. But at this point I feel Wisconsin likely views Iowa like we fans view Minnesota and Northwestern. Occasional pain in the ass, but not a long-term threat.
 
Iowa State isn’t a rivalry, it’s something annoying we have to do annually. The only positive we get is the opportunity to muffle their idiotic fan base. Same goes with Minnesota, only the winner gets Floyd. Wisconsin is the the game we look to every year.
 
A true rival would be a team that Iowa has played for many years. Minnesota was the traditional rival but that was cultivated almost 100 years ago and has not really felt legit since he early Hayden days. Wisky was a game that many attended home and away and Hayden owned them being 15-0-1 at one point. Then the tables turned with Alvarez taking over and the last 30 years have now become a big rivalry. In the 80's/90's Illinois was as big as big a rival as anyone on Iowa's schedule. And, after the last 23 years, you'd have to say Northwestern is a rival, more so from their lenses.

So, if opining, I'd say:

Traditional rival: Minnesota
Biggest rival for last 30 years: Wisconsin
Who hates Iowa and wants them as their rival: ISU and Northwestern
Potential natural rival: Nebraska
Other pests: Illnois, Purdue and ourselves:)
 
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