Iowa State..... Iowa's biggest Rival?

[Bobber]

Illinois will tell you that Iowa is their #1 rival, and it's not even close....see link for evidence:

Scout.com: Biggest Illinois Football Rival

Yeah but I doubt most Hawk fans would say the same thing.

 

[Flag Guy]

Animosity wise, ISU is the biggest rival. Importance wise, it's been Wisconsin lately. I'd also challenge that animosity wise, Illinois is right up there as well. Minnesota.... not so much. It's just fun to beat the Gophs.

The only reason Illinois is an animosity rival to you guys is because so many people from Chicago got rejected from there that they had to go to Iowa and they're still bitter

 

[hawkeye_t]

I think folks on both sides just have a different definition of rivalry. I will say, ISU is the most important game not to lose.

My biggest rivals are-

Minnesota
Wisconsin
U of I
ISU

I can safely say that I hate Minny, Wisky and the U of I. I hate to lose to ISU but I have a tremendous amount of respect for the school and I like many, many of the fans.

 

[TarHeelHawk]

What's funny is if you asked the same question to the other 10 teams in the Big 10 none of them would say Iowa is there biggest rival. I've been to a Wisconsin/Minnesota game and there is no doubt that is a rival game.

OK, I'll be the first one here to admit they are our biggest rival. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't rather beat Texas, OU, Nebraska, etc.

You could say the same thing about any school in the Big 12 if any ISU fan claimed them to be a rival.

 

[Frak]

I think that it's a stupid question and whatever the answer is doesn't really matter. There's a big difference between the team you hate to lose to the most and the teams that you need to beat to win a championship. I want to beat iowa badly, but would trade 3 wins vs iowa for a North title.

 

[GopherVotary]

The majority of Gopher fans consider Wisconsin to be our biggest rival in all sports, mainly due to the hockey rivalry. Iowa is a close second though.

 

[OWLCITYCYFAN]

Several years ago, former hawk Sean Considine was quoted in the Press-Citizen as saying, "Iowa State is our arch-rival." I keep the paper in my office to show my hawk buddies when they say the game's more important to us than them. Unfortunately it's not as effective as it once was; one guy said "who's Sean Considine?"

 

[CycloneErik]

Colorado's new rival may be the Toledo Rockets.

 

[aeroclone]

The only reason the hawk fans like to claim this isn't their biggest rivalry is because they haven't had the upper hand for over a decade. If they had won a few more games they would change their tune.

Or perhaps if we won a few more games they would change their tune. It may just be this denial is a coping mechanism because admitting that "lowly" ISU is their main rival doesn't fit well with their delusional idea that they are an elite program.

 

[LeBron]

Or perhaps if we won a few more games they would change their tune. It may just be this denial is a coping mechanism because admitting that "lowly" ISU is their main rival doesn't fit well with their delusional idea that they are an elite program.

This. Many hawk fans consider their football program to be among the "elite" in the country, and they don't want to admit that their main rival is a mediocre team who has beaten them 7 of the last 11 years

 

[TarHeelHawk]

The only reason the hawk fans like to claim this isn't their biggest rivalry is because they haven't had the upper hand for over a decade. If they had won a few more games they would change their tune.

Or perhaps if we won a few more games they would change their tune. It may just be this denial is a coping mechanism because admitting that "lowly" ISU is their main rival doesn't fit well with their delusional idea that they are an elite program.

If Iowa fans say that ISU isn't their biggest rival solely because ISU has gotten the better of Iowa over the last decade, does that mean that Iowa fans thought ISU was their biggest rival when the Hawks won 15 in a row?

 

[ricochet]

If Iowa fans say that ISU isn't their biggest rival solely because ISU has gotten the better of Iowa over the last decade, does that mean that Iowa fans thought ISU was their biggest rival when the Hawks won 15 in a row?

I think he is saying it Iowa fans will claim it either way, but for different reasons.

But you did bring up the 15 in a row. I don't know the ages of the people around here but that was an interesting era for people my age. I'm old enough to remember games before that streak, but that was really before my paying much attention. Through my entire high school, college, grad school, and early working life Iowa won every single game (and most were not close). Some part of me has trouble moving beyond that stage and almost dreads the game even though ISU has actually had the better of it in more recent times. Conversely I think Iowa fans of my age have it semi-permanently embedded in their minds that Iowa is a superior team and ISU is a second tier program. I wouldn't be surprised if most of those people don't consider ISU their top rival. Moving forward hopefully the series will remain competitive and I think more people will view this as a rivalry game.

 

[swammi]

On this topic, each side is more full of it than the other. Each claims their respective conference games are all more important than this one. Then, when they win the Cy-Hawk, the fans storm the field and the players go nuts. Seldom does any other victory elicit a celebration like this one does for both teams.