LandOf10: Iowa-Nebraska series sizzling toward rivalry status

[BigRedBuster]

"It's that Nebraska fans don't accept rivalries, with one exception, at all."

 

 

Yeah...because we think all the others are beneath us

 

For some reason many Husker fans have this strange sense that any team who someone considers being a rival isn't worthy of it with us.

 

It's kind of a really strange thought process.

[Hilltop]

You guys making pro-rivalry comments make great points... but it's still Iowa. I'm curious how many people born before 1990 would be willing to consider them as one. I think anyone old enough to remember the glory days will forever consider Nebraska as superior and thus can't stoop to having lowly Iowa as a rival. Sounds childish but it's truth- I fit the mold.

[HuskerNBigD]

You guys making pro-rivalry comments make great points... but it's still Iowa. I'm curious how many people born before 1990 would be willing to consider them as one. I think anyone old enough to remember the glory days will forever consider Nebraska as superior and thus can't stoop to having lowly Iowa as a rival. Sounds childish but it's truth- I fit the mold.

 

Probably some merit to this. Anyone born before 90 would be young enough to remember OU as the true rival, any time after that and I don't think the OU rivalry holds the same weighting as we were playing them every 2-4 years.

[Enhance]

To play Devil's Advocate, is it fair to in one hand say Iowa is not a rivalry because 'I remember real rivalries,' when those former rivalries bear no weight in 2017?

[Toe]

 

You guys making pro-rivalry comments make great points... but it's still Iowa. I'm curious how many people born before 1990 would be willing to consider them as one. I think anyone old enough to remember the glory days will forever consider Nebraska as superior and thus can't stoop to having lowly Iowa as a rival. Sounds childish but it's truth- I fit the mold.

 

Probably some merit to this. Anyone born before 90 would be young enough to remember OU as the true rival, any time after that and I don't think the OU rivalry holds the same weighting as we were playing them every 2-4 years.

 

A lot of this is true on the other side as well. OU fans that are too young to remember the Switzer era mostly just think of Texas as their rival, not Nebraska.

[corncraze]

Just going by what's been shown on the field to date, I would say that Michigan State has been our best rivalry in the B1G. It's been an entertaining series - crazy comebacks, big upsets, and heartbreaks. Too bad they're not in the same division as we are.

 

 

Sam's point about Nebraska not accepting rivalries that are "beneath" them is a bit misguided. It's that Nebraska fans don't accept rivalries, with one exception, at all.

I don't think it's the case that Nebraska fans won't accept anyone not named Oklahoma as a rival. Remember how when we first joined the Big Ten, we had Penn State as a protected cross-division opponent? Quick survey: how many of you would rather have Penn State as the annual regular season-ending matchup, and how many would rather stick with Iowa? And does anyone think that the game would ever be stuck on Fox Sports 1 if it were against Penn State?

I really liked that series. Would have loved for Penn State to become our rival. We already history to build off of. Absolutely hate the East and West division alignment.

[deedsker]

I can't even give you really specific information about any of our games with Iowa since we came to the big 10. Rivalry? I know we have had overtime game(s), I am too lazy to even look them up, but I have almost no details or significant plays of the series. You ask me about our time in the big 10 and off the top of my head I come up with NW Hail Mary, tOSU comeback in the rain, PSU fumble or touchdown, Wisconsin destroying us in the title game, Melvin Gordon's 408, Nebraska hold Cousins to almost nothing, Martinez to Turner the next year, Moore drops a unbelievable comeback and Cotton falls over, and Swift catch from out of bounds.

 

Iowa is a holiday hangover you barely remember a week later. I mean nothing against Iowa and their teams as they have beat us the last two year? Three? Whatever.

[suh_fan93]

 

I live in Iowa....it isn't a rivalry.

 

 

I live in Chicago. There's no crime here.

 

 

 

Not trying to be rude but I think you mentioned living here but in the suburbs or something? That's definitely not Chicago. Again not trying to be rude but that's a big difference.

 

As for the Iowa rivalry I think just the fact that this is a poll question says that in a lot of people's eyes the series is. I think a lot of Husker fans want it to be Wiscy but I'm pretty sure they don't share that sentiment.

[Redux]

I would trade Iowa for Penn State to end the season in a heartbeat. WAY more intriguing to the general populace, been saying this since we joined.

[Landlord]

suh_fan93, I live in Lincoln Square

[suh_fan93]

Congrats on the move.

[JJ Husker]

 

The answer is somewhere in the middle.

 

Iowa is a "rival" in the sense that they're in our division, there's dislike between the fan bases and the games have an impact on divisional standings. Geography helps, to a degree.

 

However, in my opinion, it's an insignificant rivalry that's been heavily influenced by a corporate/conference desires to have a rivalry. It's inorganic. It's like calling American cheese... "cheese." Husker and Hawkeye fans have been treating each other like crap for decades, long before we had yearly games. That dislike doesn't make them rivals, in my opinion. Rivals need to be built on the field, not in the neighborhood bar.

 

I tend to agree with a lot of what you say but I disagree here. Aside from the corporate sponsorship. Which I hate but at least it's for a good cause.

 

The rivalry has been built organically (in a bar) for decades. And now we get to put our money where our mouths are and prove it on the field, court, diamond. THAT is a rivalry in every sense of the word.

Well that's why everyone gets to have their own opinion. You don't seem to like it when people disagree with yours. I agree with Enhanced and knapp on this one. I do not view Iowa as any kind of rival. Sure, lately we've struggled with them on the field and I hate losing to them but the same can be said for many other teams. Animosity towards a fanbase doesn't make it a rivalry. IMO there have to be some games of significance involved before any serious rivalry talk should ensue. That just hasn't been the case in this series.

 

If you want to consider Iowa as our rival, good for you, enjoy it. Don't demand that everyone else needs to feel the same way.

[JJ Husker]

I can understand fans who live in close proximity and have to interact with Iowa fans on a regular basis feeling this is a rivary.

 

I can understand younger people who only have the past 15 years of pathetic NU football accepting this as a rivalry. You want a rival, something of relevance to cling to, so you say sure, why not, must be Iowa.

 

For me, games with them mean nothing. I want to beat them. I hate that we have lost to them. But this is nowhere near OU-NU or even what CU became. Those games affected conference and national championships. Those games affected bowl games. Iowa, so far, has just been another in a long line of teams proving our ineptitude on the field. We don't currently have a rival or, depending how you define it, every team is our rival.

[BigRedBuster]

So, Michigan vs. Michigan State isn't really a rivalry because Michigan State hasn't had the level of success Michigan has had.

 

So, Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State isn't really a rivalry because Oklahoma State hasn't had the level of success Oklahoma has had.

 

So, Alabama vs. Auburn isn't really a rivalry because Auburn hasn't had the level of success Alabama has had.

 

So, Texas vs. aTm isn't really a rivalry because aTm hasn't had the level of success Texas has had.

 

So, Cardinals vs. Cubs isn't really a rivalry because the Cubs haven't had the level of success the Cardinals have had.

 

So, the Yankees vs. Mets really isn't a rivalry because the Mets haven't had the level of success the Yankees have had.

 

So, back when Texas sucked and OU and Nebraska were ruling college football, UT vs. OU wasn't really a rivalry because UT sucked.

 

I know Husker fans who believe Missouri was a rival. They didn't have anywhere close to the success we have had.

 

 

 

This idea that Iowa can't be a rival because they don't have the past success or that the games don't have national consequences is laughable and there are examples all over sports of great rivals between teams that are uneven in past success. Many great rivalries are built on totally illogical reasons....many times based on things that don't even happen on the playing field.

[BigRedBuster]

Husker fans are frustrated that we don't have a true rival anymore....well....this is one of the main reasons why we don't. Anytime another team starts to act like a rival, our fans stick up their noses and proclaim..."they aren't worthy".

 

Right now our rivals are Iowa and Wisconsin. As for conference games played every year, those are the two that bring up the most excitement leading into the game and frustrations when we lose. Now, that might not be specifically for you. But, in general with the fan bases, these are it.