Alignment Question for Gopher Holers

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I read a recent quote from someone (don't ask me who, I read too many of these things) that the Badgers could expect to have either Iowa or Minnesota in the same division, but not both. If this is true, I would expect Wisconsin and Minnesota to be in the same conference with Iowa-Minnesota as a protected game (most likely scenario). If it was Wisconsin and Iowa in the same conference, I would expect Wisconsin-Minnesota to be the protected game.

As a Badger fan, I could live - very reluctantly - without Iowa on the schedule every year, but I could not abide not playing Minnesota every year. From reading this board, I get the impression that many Gopher fans value the Iowa rivalry more than the Wisconsin rivalry.

If you could only be guaranteed to play one rival each year, who would you choose - Iowa or Wisconsin?
 


Wisconsin and it's not even close.
 

Quick answer: Wisconsin.

In order of importance, the general consensus would likely be, and my opinion is:

1.) Wisconsin
2.) Iowa
3.) Michigan

It gets dicier after that - and I could be wrong on this - but Nebraska would come in at #4.

In an ideal world - we would want strict East/West divisions. If we get a cross-over game, we would want Michigan.
 

Better Dead than Red Again. We have big rivalries in other important sports. Iowa is second class beyond Football and wrestling.
 


And we are not a current power, so the Big Ten probably doesn't care - but we would be incredibly unhappy if we lose Iowa or Wisconsin.
 


If forced to choose either Iowa or Wisconsin, I'd rather beat the Red Skunks. As noted elsewhere, Minnesota-Wisconsin goes far beyond college football.
 

I would choose wisky ten times out of ten and it's not even close. Count me as one who gets more fired up and anxious mid-season for the badger game than for rivalry weekend against iowa. Dont get me wrong, i hate iowa, but i hate wisky many times more. I value the axe way more than the pig.
 



Wisconsin is our #1 rival and the football game needs to be played every year. In fact, we should be playing the last game against each other each and every year. I don't know how Iowa stole that spot, but it needs to be corrected. I would also hate to lose the annual Iowa game too, but if one has to go, it's Iowa.

As far as the new alignment goes, the only thing that really matters is that we play Wisconsin and Iowa every year. The two other annual games I'd like to see are Michigan and Nebraska, but that probably will not happen.
 



Wisconsin, without question.

It doesn't hurt that we have reciprocity with them - so there are lots of border crossings and that, I think, enhances the rivalry. One of the big reasons I'm a Gopher alum.

No reciprocity with Iowa.
 



Wisconsin. It's just a natural rivalry. Iowa seems more like a rivalry of regional convenience, whereas Wisconsin and Minnesota fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, literally and figuratively. Our states are nearly identical, minus the zoonecrophilia, plus, as stated above, we are so entrenched in rivalry across the board in our other sports. I'd have a much greater sense of pride seeing Minnesota over Wisconsin in the division rankings than Minnesota over Iowa if I had to choose. I mean, Iowa has absolutely nothing. Its a great rivalry as well, but seriously. Outside of the pig what do they have to offer? Corn? I'll take my green beans and go, thank you.
 

Hands down... wisconsin, and it's not even close.

And I hate Iowa, so that's saying a lot.
 

Having grown up in Duluth...

My hatred of wisconsin knows no bounds.
 

Yep, as others have said, no doubt about it, it's Wisconsin. The most played rivalry I believe in college football. You can't take that away, and it extends so deep into the other collegiate sports as well as the pro sports, and just life in general lol.

That said, Iowa sucks too LOL
 

re3886 said:
My hatred of wisconsin knows no bounds.
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Haha! Nice!

I grew up fifteen minutes from wisconsin too!.... only on the Illinois side. My parents and whole family are from Minnesota though. After living in Minneapolis for five years myself, I tell people I hate wisky from both sides of that God-forsaken state.
 

Yeah, at the risk of piling on... It would have to be Wisconsin, for many of the reasons already stated. The best rivals are the ones that are most like you. Minnesota and Wisconsin have waaaaaaay more in common than what anyone in either fan base would care to admit. The rivalry extends beyond the football season in to hockey, basketball, and even pro sports. There is always some big tilt on the horizon between the two and there is a lot more cross-breeding between the fan bases (making it even more intense). Minnesota is at a bit of a disadvantage with both Iowa and Wisconsin with having way more transplants HERE than ex-Minnesotans in either of those states. But, there are far more ex-Minnesotans in Wisconsin than in Iowa.

Iowa is certainly a HUGE rival and nobody here would want to see them dropped from any schedule, but overall with all things considered - it would be a tougher pill to swallow to lose the skunks.

Quite frankly, I think it would be best to have Iowa end the season with Nebraska (Nebraska and Iowa fit together just like MN and Wisconsin) and have the Gophers match up with the popcorn box wearing skunks.
 


Schnauzer said:
Quite frankly, I think it would be best to have Iowa end the season with Nebraska (Nebraska and Iowa fit together just like MN and Wisconsin) and have the Gophers match up with the popcorn box wearing skunks.
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Yes. Exactly. Hopefully the people in charge of such things will see that the conference breaks down perfectly into pairs.

MN-wi, IA-Neb, Ill-NU, Pur-Ind, Mich-OSU, and PSU-MSU.

(Admittedly the PSU-MSU is the weak rivalry, but there it is.)

A weekend with all of those games would be epic.
 

I'm going to buck the trend...

while I can't fathom not playing both every year....

I'll go with Iowa.

Some of that is because my Dad is from there. I also have great memories of dumping Fry on the way to the Rose Bowl (St Sauver?? was the QB) and they Gophers beat 'em in Mpls.

GM
 

Wisconsin, our biggest rival by far! I hate the hawkeyes but they are mostly just annoying and dumb!
 

Gopher-Badger rivalry must be kept intact -AT ALL COSTS!

sch90BR.jpg

My family will not rest till we get our beloved stein back. Minnesota is a sworn enemy in my establishment, http://www.essen-haus.com/. It has been missing for nearly 6 years. When was the last time the Gophers won a game for Paul Bunyon's Axe? Coincidence? I think not.

Jim Delany, you will never be welcomed back into my bar again if you do not place Minnesota and Wisconsin within the same division. My grandmother can cast a spell upon you shiny, bald noggin just like she has done to the putrid followers of the Jaundiced Gerbils football team.

Detlef has spoken.
 

betterdeadthanred said:
Also does anybody from MN actually like anyone from Iowa? WI kids are at least tolerable....
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I have to disagree with you here. While Iowa fans are delusional and lacking in hygiene and education, Wisconsin fans are total A-holes and a very big reason why I hate the badgers so much.
 

Wisconsin without a doubt

Also does anybody from MN actually like anyone from Iowa? WI kids are at least tolerable...
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as for this quote. You have got to be kidding! There is is NOTHING tolerable about Wisconsin. NOTHING!
 


To me Iowa is just a team that would be fun to beat for bragging rights, but when it comes to that damn axe against wisconsin, I look forward to watching that game as soon as the schedule is released! I LOVE this rivalry and wish it could get the respect it deserves by being played on the last week of the season with all of the other great ones! Who in the he!! thought Iowa was the one to get the last slot on the schedule? I mean cripes, I'd bet the majority of fans would rather watch them play Wisconsin when it matters most at the end of the season!
 

Wisconsin.

I don't like Iowa but I think the WI/MN rivalry is the most important.

I'll add that as far as the Iowa/Minnesota/Wisconsin triad goes, WI/IA is the least important of the three and if one has to be sacrificed that is it.

In order of importance

WI/MN
MN/IA
WI/IA
 

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