LandOf10: Iowa-Nebraska series sizzling toward rivalry status

[Ratt Mhule]

Alabama could be 11-0 with the division won, Auburn could be 0-11. Both teams are going to fight tooth and nail to kick the crap out of eachother.

That cannot yet be said about the Nebraska vs Iowa game, we saw clearly how much effort our team put into that debacle. Over time maybe it develops into one when Wisconsin regresses and the game actually has a divisional title on the line. For it to get the proper spark, the game has to have some serious implications like it did in 2015, their perfect season was on the line and we played better but still lost. Had we won, maybe this series would have gotten that spark.

And yes the trophy is stupid.

Our players better start thinking its a rivalry if that's the case bc this is a terrible excuse. Iowa kicks our a$$ bc they treat it like a rivalry and we don't.

On the list of reasons Nebraska has lost to Iowa recently, the players not treating it like a rivalry is so far down the list it is essentially inconsequential.

That's what Im trying to say, but it didn't read that way as I read it back. Im saying its a terrible excuse to say Iowa kicks our a$$ bc they treat it like a rivalry and we don't, which is what I think Redux was trying to say (I could be wrong on that). And if it is indeed the case, our players need to get their mindset straightened out.

 

[Redux]

Alabama could be 11-0 with the division won, Auburn could be 0-11. Both teams are going to fight tooth and nail to kick the crap out of eachother.That cannot yet be said about the Nebraska vs Iowa game, we saw clearly how much effort our team put into that debacle. Over time maybe it develops into one when Wisconsin regresses and the game actually has a divisional title on the line. For it to get the proper spark, the game has to have some serious implications like it did in 2015, their perfect season was on the line and we played better but still lost. Had we won, maybe this series would have gotten that spark.

And yes the trophy is stupid.

Our players better start thinking its a rivalry if that's the case bc this is a terrible excuse. Iowa kicks our a$$ bc they treat it like a rivalry and we don't.

On the list of reasons Nebraska has lost to Iowa recently, the players not treating it like a rivalry is so far down the list it is essentially inconsequential.

That's what Im trying to say, but it didn't read that way as I read it back. Im saying its a terrible excuse to say Iowa kicks our a$$ bc they treat it like a rivalry and we don't, which is what I think Redux was trying to say (I could be wrong on that). And if it is indeed the case, our players need to get their mindset straightened out.

We limped into that game with 0 motivation, a ton of injuries and staff members on borrowed time. They wanted nothing more than to humiliate us. We wanted nothing more than to skip to the postseason. If our players could treat it like they should, the final game of the regular season, maybe we keep it closer. Woulda been awesome to beat those saps with Ryker Fyfe and half a defense.

 

[Enhance]

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.

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.

I give weight to fan influence on rivalries, but not as much as you. Some fans talking trash in a neighborhood bar doesn't do anything come gameday. It doesn't make the players want to win. It doesn't help the conference standings. It, quite literally, does almost nothing.

Using decades of pointless banter to suggest Iowa is a true rivalry is, in my opinion, a weak support system. True, organic rivalries are built on the field by the players. Everything else is window dressing.

 

[Saunders]

Alabama could be 11-0 with the division won, Auburn could be 0-11. Both teams are going to fight tooth and nail to kick the crap out of eachother.That cannot yet be said about the Nebraska vs Iowa game, we saw clearly how much effort our team put into that debacle. Over time maybe it develops into one when Wisconsin regresses and the game actually has a divisional title on the line. For it to get the proper spark, the game has to have some serious implications like it did in 2015, their perfect season was on the line and we played better but still lost. Had we won, maybe this series would have gotten that spark.

And yes the trophy is stupid.

Our players better start thinking its a rivalry if that's the case bc this is a terrible excuse. Iowa kicks our a$$ bc they treat it like a rivalry and we don't.

On the list of reasons Nebraska has lost to Iowa recently, the players not treating it like a rivalry is so far down the list it is essentially inconsequential.

That's what Im trying to say, but it didn't read that way as I read it back. Im saying its a terrible excuse to say Iowa kicks our a$$ bc they treat it like a rivalry and we don't, which is what I think Redux was trying to say (I could be wrong on that). And if it is indeed the case, our players need to get their mindset straightened out.

We limped into that game with 0 motivation, a ton of injuries and staff members on borrowed time. They wanted nothing more than to humiliate us. We wanted nothing more than to skip to the postseason. If our players could treat it like they should, the final game of the regular season, maybe we keep it closer. Woulda been awesome to beat those saps with Ryker Fyfe and half a defense.

So it's the coaches fault?

The only guy that was on borrowed time was Bruce Reed. According to Riley, Banker was fine until the bowl game.

Also:

 

[Redux]

Alabama could be 11-0 with the division won, Auburn could be 0-11. Both teams are going to fight tooth and nail to kick the crap out of eachother.That cannot yet be said about the Nebraska vs Iowa game, we saw clearly how much effort our team put into that debacle. Over time maybe it develops into one when Wisconsin regresses and the game actually has a divisional title on the line. For it to get the proper spark, the game has to have some serious implications like it did in 2015, their perfect season was on the line and we played better but still lost. Had we won, maybe this series would have gotten that spark.

And yes the trophy is stupid.

Our players better start thinking its a rivalry if that's the case bc this is a terrible excuse. Iowa kicks our a$$ bc they treat it like a rivalry and we don't.

On the list of reasons Nebraska has lost to Iowa recently, the players not treating it like a rivalry is so far down the list it is essentially inconsequential.

That's what Im trying to say, but it didn't read that way as I read it back. Im saying its a terrible excuse to say Iowa kicks our a$$ bc they treat it like a rivalry and we don't, which is what I think Redux was trying to say (I could be wrong on that). And if it is indeed the case, our players need to get their mindset straightened out.

We limped into that game with 0 motivation, a ton of injuries and staff members on borrowed time. They wanted nothing more than to humiliate us. We wanted nothing more than to skip to the postseason. If our players could treat it like they should, the final game of the regular season, maybe we keep it closer. Woulda been awesome to beat those saps with Ryker Fyfe and half a defense.

So it's the coaches fault?
The only guy that was on borrowed time was Bruce Reed. According to Riley, Banker was fine until the bowl game.

https://twitter.com/swmckewonOWH/status/873953359136309249

Probably shouldn't need clarification, but nobody that stood on that sideline is safe from blame for that outing.

And I doubt the bowl game was the deciding factor.

 

[knapplc]

Iowa definitely plays that game harder than Nebraska does. That's been obvious for years. And it seems eerily similar to the way Colorado approached the game compared to how Nebraska approached it.

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.

Let's also not forget that we're at an historic high point for Iowa sports, and an historic low for Nebraska. Rivalry or not, they're in a better place than we are now. And despite that, we're still 3-3 against them since joining the Big Ten.

It'll swing back around again, just like it did with Colorado. Iowa is not and never will be a national player. Nebraska is a pillar of college football. Things will get back to normal.

 

[Landlord]

Nebraska was a pillar of college football 16 years ago. Who knows what it is now.

 

[Saunders]

I think CU is a good comparison. It was before my time (I was too little to remember), but what I gather from reading, is that NU fans didn't care about CU when they won so many games in a row... And then CU started competing/winning. And that did not go over well.

 

[StPaulHusker]

Iowa definitely plays that game harder than Nebraska does. That's been obvious for years. And it seems eerily similar to the way Colorado approached the game compared to how Nebraska approached it.

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.

Let's also not forget that we're at an historic high point for Iowa sports, and an historic low for Nebraska. Rivalry or not, they're in a better place than we are now. And despite that, we're still 3-3 against them since joining the Big Ten.

It'll swing back around again, just like it did with Colorado. Iowa is not and never will be a national player. Nebraska is a pillar of college football. Things will get back to normal.

This proves Sam's point with some Husker fans

 

[knapplc]

I think CU is a good comparison. It was before my time (I was too little to remember), but what I gather from reading, is that NU fans didn't care about CU when they won so many games in a row... And then CU started competing/winning. And that did not go over well.

It's really similar to the Colorado situation, but not the same. Colorado built their entire culture under McCartney around beating Nebraska. Nebraska shrugged it off until we didn't beat them three years in a row, then started taking it way more seriously.

Iowa isn't building their program around beating Nebraska. They have real rivalries against other schools. They care more about beating us than we care about beating them, and it provides them good motivation.

Nebraska has, for whatever reason, lacked motivation for a while.

 

[MyBloodIsRed16]

I think this team needs to show up to every game like they are playing their "rival". If that happens then they are heading in the right direction

 

[knapplc]

I think this team needs to show up to every game like they are playing their "rival". If that happens then they are heading in the right direction

Amen.

 

[Roll Skers]

I HATE Iowa....

 

[Mavric]

Since there seems to be strong feelings on both sides, and since there is no set definition, I added a poll question as to whether or not you personally consider Iowa to be a rival for Nebraska.

 

[Redux]

Since there seems to be strong feelings on both sides, and since there is no set definition, I added a poll question as to whether or not you personally consider Iowa to be a rival for Nebraska.

I'm inbetween Yes and No.