Rivalry Week is officially here as the Hawkeyes travel to Lincoln on Friday to battle the Cornhuskers.
The Iowa-Nebraska rivalry dates back to 1891, but the intensity has ramped up over the past decade with Nebraska joining the Big Ten Conference.
Nebraska may hold the all-time series lead with a 30-22-3 record, but the Hawkeys have dominated the rivalry lately.
Iowa is 9-1 in the previous 10 meetings between the two programs, which has led to more heated rhetoric and hatred.
Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz spoke at length about the storied rivalry between the two schools, but stressed he wants his squad to focus on the game, not the rivalry.
During his weekly press conference, Ferentz noted that when he first arrived in Iowa City, Western Iowa was "Nebraska territory."
The Cornhuskers were a force in the 1980s through the 1990s, and Iowa was still finding their way.
Iowa has flipped the script recently, but the game between Iowa and Nebraska is always close and hard-fought.
Even though Iowa is 9-1 in the previous 10 games, four of the last seven have been decided on a last-second field goal.
Ferentz also stated that the rivalry is more between the fans than the players, and he wants his squad to focus on a tough game ahead.
Ferentz praised Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule for his ability to rebuild the program over the past few years, and knows they will be entering a tough environment on Friday.
According to Ferentz, these rivalry games make conference football "pretty cool," and the Hawkeyes are looking to get to eight wins once again.