ColoradoHusk Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Sam McKewon and Jon Nyatawa had a great conversation in this week's Pick 6 podcast regarding the "rivalry" of NU and Iowa. Sam makes the point that for most of the past 35 years, the 2 programs are very similar. In the 1980s, NU and Iowa were in the middle of the tenure of their "legendary" coaches at NU. TO was at NU and Fry was at Iowa. Both teams had some very good/great teams, but would constantly come up short. Iowa NU would lose big games to OU or CU at the end of the season, which would dash their championship hopes. Iowa would constantly come up short against Michigan or Ohio State in the hunt for the Big Ten title. Sam said that the 1985 Iowa team (with Chuck Long) was probably the best team in the country, but a loss to Ohio State when they were #1 and then a Rose Bowl loss to UCLA cost Iowa it's chance for the National Championship. The 90s, are where the two teams went separate paths. NU went to a higher level in TO's last few years and reached the pinnacle of college football, while Iowa "struggled" at the end of Fry's tenure, but still posted winning seasons. Since the turn of the century, NU and Iowa have almost the exact same record. Iowa has higher peaks with and lowers valleys, while NU has been pretty much the same 8, 9, 10 win team for the past 15 years (save for a few disastrous losing/.500 seasons). This year, Iowa is playing like how most NU fans want NU to play. They are playing smart, hard-nosed football. They limit mistakes and the kids are playing "above" their recruiting ranking. Yes, Iowa is taking advantage of a "weak" schedule, but Iowa can only play the teams that are on their schedule. NU has had a very similar schedule and have a much worse record. The only reason NU doesn't want to accept Iowa as a rival, is that NU fans are snobbish and don't want to put Iowa on a similar level. But other than a few years in the 90s, NU and Iowa have been similar programs the past 35 years. 3 Quote Link to comment
beorach Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 A few years in the nineties saw Nebraska get national titles. There were other seasons the Cornhuskers were building to that and/or had near misses...such that I think you're selling us short with "a few years" but would agree otherwise. I know it's not the week for it but I've been friendly to Hawkeye fans by commiserating when they took some knocks in BCS bowls with that Banks at QB. At that point, it wasn't clear whether they'd sustain success and I could relate as a Husker fan with respect to having the national discourse being about Nebraska's inability to win the big one. Quote Link to comment
ColoradoHusk Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 I'm not trying to discount the 90s for Nebraska. Just saying that Iowa is not so much different from NU in the past 35 years, especially the past 15 years. Quote Link to comment
Popular Post knapplc Posted November 25, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted November 25, 2015 The only reason NU doesn't want to accept Iowa as a rival, is that NU fans are snobbish and don't want to put Iowa on a similar level. But other than a few years in the 90s, NU and Iowa have been similar programs the past 35 years. No. Not sure where this arbitrary 35-year line comes from, but in that 35 years Nebraska has had: More wins than any other school in D1A 16 Top-Ten finishes (AP) Three National Championships 12 Conference championships 50 All-Americans 2 Heisman Trophy winners 1 Maxwell Award winner 2 Walter Camp Award winners 7 Outland Trophy winners 4 Lombardi award winners 1 winner each of the Butkus, O'Brien, Unitas, Rimington, Nagurski and Bednarik awards Plus another 50 or more finalists for various of these awards This is not comparable to Iowa during that span in any way. Saying so does not make Nebraska Fan "snobbish," which is a bizarre allegation that sounds more like hurt feelings than facts. Over the past ten years, Nebraska's worst stretch since the Devaney Era, the teams are more similar, with Iowa holding an advantage with one conference title to Nebraska's zero. Those records: Year NE W NE L IA W IA L 2006 9 5 6 7 2007 5 7 6 6 2008 9 4 9 4 2009 10 4 11 2 2010 10 4 8 5 2011 9 4 7 6 2012 10 4 4 8 2013 9 4 8 5 2014 9 4 7 6 2015 5 6 11 0 85 46 78 49 Percentage: .649 .611 Still, Nebraska has more 10-win seasons than Iowa, even amidst the most terrible of eras. 10 Quote Link to comment
NUance Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 ^^Knapp's stats: Quote Link to comment
Waterloohusker26 Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 The only reason NU doesn't want to accept Iowa as a rival, is that NU fans are snobbish and don't want to put Iowa on a similar level. But other than a few years in the 90s, NU and Iowa have been similar programs the past 35 years. No. Not sure where this arbitrary 35-year line comes from, but in that 35 years Nebraska has had: More wins than any other school in D1A 16 Top-Ten finishes (AP) Three National Championships 12 Conference championships 50 All-Americans 2 Heisman Trophy winners 1 Maxwell Award winner 2 Walter Camp Award winners 7 Outland Trophy winners 4 Lombardi award winners 1 winner each of the Butkus, O'Brien, Unitas, Rimington, Nagurski and Bednarik awards Plus another 50 or more finalists for various of these awards This is not comparable to Iowa during that span in any way. Saying so does not make Nebraska Fan "snobbish," which is a bizarre allegation that sounds more like hurt feelings than facts. Over the past ten years, Nebraska's worst stretch since the Devaney Era, the teams are more similar, with Iowa holding an advantage with one conference title to Nebraska's zero. Those records: Year NE W NE L IA W IA L 2006 9 5 6 7 2007 5 7 6 6 2008 9 4 9 4 2009 10 4 11 2 2010 10 4 8 5 2011 9 4 7 6 2012 10 4 4 8 2013 9 4 8 5 2014 9 4 7 6 2015 5 6 11 0 85 46 78 49 Percentage: .649 .611 Still, Nebraska has more 10-win seasons than Iowa, even amidst the most terrible of eras. Amen........Iowa doesn't even come close to those Quote Link to comment
Redux Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Nebraska doesn't want Iowa as a rival because Iowa fans have always been snotty towards Nebraska fans, mostly due to our success. Historically they are not on our level. Iowa doesn't want Nebraska as a rival because they view Wisconsin as their rival, and they view us as privelaged jerks who all have Lawrence Phillips shrines in our basements. Quote Link to comment
Waterloohusker26 Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Rival or no Rival....I want Iowa to get a beat down on Friday to put them in their place. Went to college at Wayne State which had many Squak fans. Have too many "friends" that I'd have to listen to for the next year. Quote Link to comment
beorach Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 I'm not sure I want to do the research but my recollection of this time period has me feeling like the Big 8 and Big XII afforded Nebraska more opportunities to play teams that were in the mix vis-a-vis the national title picture. Going back 35 years means you have to figure in the scoring explosion also. What did Hayden Fry do that was tantamount to going for two? How many times did Iowa play in the national title game? I can barely remember the one Nebraska played against Clemson myself. I think that would have been one, right? I'll share the SOS comparison in this post later if I can stomach looking up that many years' worth of final AP polls... p.s. - From 1980-1995, Big 8 teams made 22 appearances in the AP's final top ten. From 1996 to 2009, Big XII teams made 28 appearances in the AP's final top ten. From 1980 to 1993, Big Ten teams made 17 appearances in the AP's final top ten. From 1994 to 2009, Big Ten teams made 29 appearances in the AP's final top ten. The split here was for accurate accounting for Penn State. If we cut it to the top five of the final AP polls, though, Nebraska's conferences have had 28 teams make it over that period. The Big Ten's tally is just 17. That's just comparing conferences... I.e., we're comparing what the gauntlet was like for Nebraska and Iowa. When you compare the two directly, though, you understand that Nebraska made the greater contribution to making its conferences formidable. That's why the B1G was interested. If the shoe had been on the other foot, would the Big XII have offered to take Iowa? Nebraska has made the top 25 in this time period we're discussing 28 times to Iowa's 15. Nebraska has made the top 10 ittpwd 15 times to Iowa's 6. Nebraska has made the top 5 ittpwd 9 times to Iowa's zero. Quote Link to comment
Landlord Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 In this millenium, Iowa has more 11 win seasons, BCS bowl wins, BCS bowl appearances, top ten finishes, and conference championships than we do. Quote Link to comment
Waterloohusker26 Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Well the thread stated the last 35.......so you saying you would change places with Iowa? Quote Link to comment
ColoradoHusk Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 Here are the season records since NU's last conference championship in 1999. NU wins NU losses Pct IA Wins IA Losses Pct 2000 10 2 0.833 3 9 0.250 2001 11 2 0.846 7 5 0.583 2002 7 7 0.500 11 2 0.846 2003 10 3 0.769 10 3 0.769 2004 5 6 0.455 11 2 0.846 2005 8 4 0.667 7 5 0.583 2006 9 5 0.643 6 7 0.462 2007 5 7 0.417 6 6 0.500 2008 9 4 0.692 9 4 0.692 2009 10 4 0.714 11 2 0.846 2010 10 4 0.714 8 5 0.615 2011 9 4 0.692 7 6 0.538 2012 10 4 0.714 4 8 0.333 2013 9 4 0.692 8 5 0.615 2014 9 4 0.692 7 6 0.538 2015 5 6 0.455 11 0 1.000 Total 136 70 0.660 126 75 0.627 It's not like NU is WAAAAYYYY better than Iowa since the turn of the century. If 2000 is taken away, the records are even more similar. I chose the period of the 80s-now, as Hayden Fry's first season at Iowa was 1979. NU had a better record in the 80s, but there could be an argument that NU played in a much weaker Big 8 conference. The weak Big 8 conference allowed NU to get "closer" to National Championships than Iowa did. Look, I hate Iowa too. But, the teams aren't that different than each other. Quote Link to comment
ColoradoHusk Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 Well the thread stated the last 35.......so you saying you would change places with Iowa? I was mainly quoting Sam McKewon as he selected the "arbitrary" term of "since the 80s." I wouldn't trade places with Iowa. Quote Link to comment
JJ Husker Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 I think knapp showed how the programs really aren't the same if we're looking at the last 25+ years. Of course, Nebraska has been down for the last 15 years. During that time span, yes the programs are somewhat similar. It has nothing to do with NU fans being snobby or anything like it. We have had much higher levels of success than Iowa has had. Period. It's not even debatable. They will get their recognition when they attain the heights Nebraska has attained. Don't hold your breath. 1 Quote Link to comment
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