Iowa football: Ranking Hawkeyes rivalaries from worst to first

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IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 22: Fullback Brady Ross #36 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs up the field during the second half against safety D’Cota Dixon #14 of the Wisconsin Badgers on September 22, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

#3 – Iowa versus Wisconsin (The Heartland Trophy)

I’ll be honest, I struggled with these last three because they all have their good parts, and I have my biases as well.

I lived in Madison for four years and after being surrounded by Badgers fans constantly during one of their better runs overall as an athletic program, I can’t stand the school. So personally, if I had to pick one game to win each year it would be the Wisconsin game.

That being said, I can’t deny the actual facts here.

This rivalry is a bit boring, and it’s not as tenured as the rivalry with Minnesota.

The Hawkeyes and Badgers have played 92 contests against each other with the Iowa football team going 43-47-2 in those matchups, but it’s been a rivalry that goes in spurts.

Wisconsin is 6-1 in the last 7 games. Prior to that, the Iowa football team was 6-2 in 8 games. Before that, it was a 5 game winning streak by Wisconsin that followed a 15-0-1 run by the Hawks.

These programs ebb and flow against each other, but (and especially now), the one thing you know you’re going to get with a Wisconsin versus Iowa football game is some smashmouth football. It will not be pretty, but it will be a tough battle of the trenches.