Nebraska's Most Important Rivalries

[Apathy]

1. Oklahoma

2. Mizzou

3. Iowa

I voted for Mizzou as our current rival because well we play them every year and they are a big contender for the North every year and has played well against the Skers during the previous decade. It seems like the fans are beginning to grow bitter and a little hatred for each other and losing both the Gabberts to them has added to the fire.

Iowa would be our biggest rival if we would join the Big 10. Throw a hand full of Hawkeye and Husker fans in a room and see who is better and I don't think anybody will live to tell their story. From living in an area full of Hawkeye and Husker fans you'll know where I'm coming from and I work with two Hawkeye fans that CAN NOT stand the Huskers. They're always like "You live in the past" and Hawkeye fans only care about the present and the Rose Bowl thats it. I believe that 1620 USC has received numerous e-mails about the Hawkeye/Husker talk about whos better during this past season which was a huge subject in the Omaha/Council Bluff area. Now that the Hawkeyes have had some pretty good season during the 00' decade they brag about it to Husker fans and then there will always be a heated debate.

 

[REDSTEEL]

I picked Penn State as the rival. Most likely if it ever happened that Nu joined the Big Ten then they most likely put Mich and Ohio State on one side and Penn State and Nebraska on the other. Nebraska and Penn State games in the past meant something. I'm sure the hatred from Penn fans would rile up NU fans and make it a very bitter rivalry.

while other then the one time Iowa upset Nebraska the games have been lopsided. I would look forward to playing Iowa as I would playing Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue, North Western.

 

[mmmtodd]

I picked Penn State as the rival. Most likely if it ever happened that Nu joined the Big Ten then they most likely put Mich and Ohio State on one side and Penn State and Nebraska on the other. Nebraska and Penn State games in the past meant something. I'm sure the hatred from Penn fans would rile up NU fans and make it a very bitter rivalry.

while other then the one time Iowa upset Nebraska the games have been lopsided. I would look forward to playing Iowa as I would playing Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue, North Western.

I find it funny that those that discount a possible Iowa rivalry use the 'lopsided' argument. In a way the amount of effort people put in to deny Iowa being the rival because they are 'weaker competition' is just more proof of the underlying, subversive rivalry thats already in place. True rivalries are about a lot more than the scores of the game, and Nebraska/Iowa has all of the fun other, rivalry stuff in place, other than a regular playing of a game. Match us up every year, and its a perfect storm for a rivalry. Go ask Michigan, or Penn state, or whoever some of you point to what they would think of us being their "rival;" I bet the majority would chuckle, and point us right at Iowa.

 

[BigRedPowerWagon]

I put

Oklahoma

Missouri

Iowa

Ill explain the 3rd.

1st off we already play iowa state so i guess you might have the big brother thing weve picked on iowa state for so long and thats the one they get to pick on. Also these 2 states border eachother and they also run along the same I80 highway. 3rd i think it would be like the Missouri - Colorado thing. If you think about it technically we have 2 rivalrys. Colorado and Missouri for the Bell. I think they would come up with some type of border I80 rivalry between iowa and nebraska but then we would be pitted against someone like ohio state, michigan or pennstate. A team with lots of history and championships.

 

[REDSTEEL]

I picked Penn State as the rival. Most likely if it ever happened that Nu joined the Big Ten then they most likely put Mich and Ohio State on one side and Penn State and Nebraska on the other. Nebraska and Penn State games in the past meant something. I'm sure the hatred from Penn fans would rile up NU fans and make it a very bitter rivalry.

while other then the one time Iowa upset Nebraska the games have been lopsided. I would look forward to playing Iowa as I would playing Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue, North Western.

I find it funny that those that discount a possible Iowa rivalry use the 'lopsided' argument. In a way the amount of effort people put in to deny Iowa being the rival because they are 'weaker competition' is just more proof of the underlying, subversive rivalry thats already in place. True rivalries are about a lot more than the scores of the game, and Nebraska/Iowa has all of the fun other, rivalry stuff in place, other than a regular playing of a game. Match us up every year, and its a perfect storm for a rivalry. Go ask Michigan, or Penn state, or whoever some of you point to what they would think of us being their "rival;" I bet the majority would chuckle, and point us right at Iowa.

rivalry (the act of competing as for profit or a prize) "the teams were in fierce contention for first place"

A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans. The intensity of the rivalry varies from a friendly competition on one end to serious violence on the other that, in one case (the Football War), was suggested to have led to military conflict. Team owners typically encourage rivialries as they tend to improve game attendance and television ratings for rivalry matches, but a rivalry that gets out of control can lead to fighting, hooliganism, and rioting. Often the topic of sports rivalries is as heated and controversial as politics and religion.

Rivalries stem from various sources. Simple geographic proximity as well as frequent meetings in important games can lead to rivalries.

Other then the close proximity thing would anyone really see Iowa as a threat to disrupt Nebraska chances at winning their division.

If proimity is such a big deal why would Nebraska closeness to IOWA be any bigger theN Wisconsin, Minnesota or Illinois.

Under your statment then Kansas must have been Nebraska biggest rival all these years since it's one of the longest series and the close proximity thing. chuckleshuffle Even though since I've been alive they only lost to them twice which is one more win then Iowa.

 

[AllTheGoodNamesAreTaken]

Iowa, no doubt.

I live in Omaha, but started working in Iowa last winter. Im in a supervisory roll, and the business was new, so all year we'd do "ice-breaker" type stuff at meetings so all the employees could get to know each other. Most of my employees are bandwagon Hawkeye fans, so they were fun to mess with. Right before the bowls started, i asked this question in a meeting... "when was the last time Iowa won a major bowl game? and bonus points for how many MNC's Nebraska had won in that same time period?" nobody knew.

 

[mmmtodd]

Under my statement? My 'statement' simply stated that of all the Big Ten schools, everything besides playing regularly is mostly in place between Nebraska and Iowa to have a heated, emotional, rivalry. ON BOTH SIDES. Penn State as a rival? Michigan? Ohio St? Why? It makes no sense. All these schools have their rivalries--just because we are Nebraska doesnt mean squat to them. I think it would be equivalent to Colorado's "created" rivalry with us to those fanbases. This has nothing to do with Kansas, or whoever-the question is who would be our rival in the Big Ten, if we were to go. Besides, there are some pretty classic, fierce rivalries out there that are completely one sided, and even ones that dont award anything other than braggin rights because the teams are only not in the same division, but not even the same conference.

 

[huKSer]

Oklahoma

Oklahoma (yes ik ou has Texas, but who do we have? No equal competitor that sees us as their top rival: ou-ut, mu-ku, I guess that leaves ksu and cu

And shoulda had the option of Oklahoma but I picked Iowa

Who was dumb enough to choose Colorado as our biggest historical rival?!

BeachBuffs

 

[ESPY]

Oklahoma

Oklahoma (yes ik ou has Texas, but who do we have? No equal competitor that sees us as their top rival: ou-ut, mu-ku, I guess that leaves ksu and cu

And shoulda had the option of Oklahoma but I picked Iowa

Who was dumb enough to choose Colorado as our biggest historical rival?!

BeachBuffs

Der...there's the missing piece of the puzzle. On that note :bluffs

 

[Fuzzy]

I just don't believe in territorial rivalries. I mean if you think about it, our biggest rivalry with another college team isn't a boundary state. Its goes back to tradition between the two teams. I think its safe to say that mostly Colorado fans get hyped up over the Colorado - Nebraska rivalry. What kind of rivalry is it when we basically own Colorado 3 out of every 4 games? I mean if sharing a border with a state invokes the right for rivalries, you might as well say we have a rivalry with Colorado State University, University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and South Dakota State University.

I guess maybe i misunderstood the question, its seems as if most people who are picking Iowa are going with the idea that given the frequency we will be playing them that we would develop a big rivalry with them, which i agree with. But i thought the question was who would be the biggest rival right off the bat. In which case, why i picked Michigan.

 

[mmmtodd]

Yes, Mighty Michigan would be a most important team to have a rivalry with, right off the bat, considering...what exactly? Their past? Their glorious record over the last couple of years? Their 'guaranteed' return to greatness? The fact that they are going through an epic meltdown like we experienced with Callahan? Oh, right, we split a national championship with them one year over a decade ago...instant rivalry recipe right there, where all the great ones started. You'd honestly look at a Nebraska Big 10/11/12 schedule, and pick Michigan as the most exciting, must attend, want to cheer and yell and rub peoples faces in it game of the year? Screw Iowa and their continued and improving success, they dont have cool lines on their helmets.

What you have to ask yourself is, for it to be a true rivalry or have a chance (put our good natured, congratulate the victors bs aside), is this...

Which team in the Big 10 would it sting the most to lose to?

 

[Fuzzy]

Let me just change my vote, conform with everyone else and keep my mouth shut...

 

[mmmtodd]

Let me just change my vote, conform with everyone else and keep my mouth shut...

:LOLtartar

Sorry,its just that Iowa is the only school in the Big Ten I have passion worthy of wanting a rivalry with. Everyone else is like another Clemson, or Va Tech, to me. In a perfect world we'd have a schedule full of meaningful, historical rivalries. Sadly, we're Nebraska, we are now at a point were rivalry is a loose term, and without true definition. I think its the worst place to be, almost actively searching for a rival, praying for one even. I think our Oklahoma rivalry, and the true grit, and frankly dislike that defined it, has been worn soft over time and distance from the Big 8.

 

[papersun87]

Oklahoma

Missouri

Iowa

 

[REDSTEEL]

Yes, Mighty Michigan would be a most important team to have a rivalry with, right off the bat, considering...what exactly? Their past? Their glorious record over the last couple of years? Their 'guaranteed' return to greatness? The fact that they are going through an epic meltdown like we experienced with Callahan? Oh, right, we split a national championship with them one year over a decade ago...instant rivalry recipe right there, where all the great ones started. You'd honestly look at a Nebraska Big 10/11/12 schedule, and pick Michigan as the most exciting, must attend, want to cheer and yell and rub peoples faces in it game of the year? Screw Iowa and their continued and improving success, they dont have cool lines on their helmets.

What you have to ask yourself is, for it to be a true rivalry or have a chance (put our good natured, congratulate the victors bs aside), is this...

Which team in the Big 10 would it sting the most to lose to?

Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa, Purdue, Northwestern and Minnesota. Though that means Nebraska would be taking a step back rather then being upset what teams they lost to.

I guess Iowa State must be our big rival now since that stung the most last year. :facepalm: