Iowa football: Ranking Hawkeyes rivalaries from worst to first

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IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 08: Offensive lineman Keegan Render #69 and defensive back Jake Gervase #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes carry the Cy-Hawk trophy after the match-up against the Iowa State Cyclones on September 8, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

#1 – Iowa versus Iowa State (Cy-Hawk Trophy)

Surprisingly, this game doesn’t have nearly as much history as Minnesota, Wisconsin, or even Purdue for that matter. These two teams have matched up against each other just 63 times, 8th most in Iowa football history, but since 1977 when this rivalry was restored, it has been a blast.

It’s the weekend of the year for the state of Iowa. Everyone heads to Ames, Iowa City, or their local bar to catch this game, and everyone has an opinion. People may watch three football games a year and one of those is always the Cy-Hawk game.

And despite Iowa State’s mediocrity for most of the last 40 years, this is always an enjoyable and competitive matchup.

In the past 21 years, the Iowa football team holds a slim advantage coming out victorious 11 times compared to Iowa State’s 10.

What makes this rivalry truly great is the players though. Many of these guys have friends on the opposing team, guys they either grew up playing with or against in their high school conferences. Families are divided by their allegiances, and more so than any game on this list, it’s bragging rights for the entire year.

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And even in the past few years, there have been some pretty memorable games. There was the overtime game in 2017, the triple-overtime game in 2011, and the late field goal to put Iowa State ahead in 2014. With Iowa State on the rise, this upcoming 2019 game could be one of the best games yet in the best rivalry game for the Iowa football program.