EauClaireHawk
Member
Count me in as one of those who was very disappointed to see Iowa and Wisconsin split up when the Big 10 announced its divisional format.
As a Hawk fan living in the Badger state, I have enjoyed this rivalry a great deal and followed Wisconsin football closely. It's too bad the two teams won't play again until 2013. The programs are so close and mirror each other in many ways... but there's one area, in particular, in which the two schools have differed in recent years and that should have Wisconsin fans nervous for the upcoming campaign.
Here's a deeper look at the rivalry.
Since 2002, Iowa is 78-36 overall with a 5-3 record in bowl games and two BCS appearances.
Since 2002, Wisconsin is 83-34 overall with a 4-5 record in bowl games and one BCS appearance.
Over the course of those 9 seasons, Iowa is 6-3 head-to-head with an impressive 3-1 record at Camp Randall. It's a safe bet that no one else has fared better on Wisconsin's home field in that time. (Ohio State is 2-2.) The average score in those 9 games is 24-15 Iowa.
Over the past 9 years, Iowa has had 39 draft picks; Wisconsin has had 35. Iowa has had 5 1st round picks in that time (two OL, two defensive players and one skill position); Wisconsin has had 4 1st round picks (two OL, one on defense and one skill position.)
The programs are close and have experienced a lot of success since 2002. However, it's been rare to see the analysts predict that both will be very good in the same year --- and that has led to an interesting statistic.
Let me explain.
Since 2002, Iowa and Wisconsin have BOTH been ranked in the AP Preseason Top 25 twice. (2004 & 2010)
In four of the past nine seasons, Iowa has been unranked going into the year with Wisconsin in the AP Preseason Top 25. (2002, 2003, 2007, 2008) In three of those four campaigns, (2002, 2003, 2008) Iowa has finished the year in the AP Top 25 with Wisconsin nowhere to be found.
Conversely, Iowa has started ranked/Wisconsin unranked in three years since 2002. In two of those three, Iowa has finished unranked while Wisconsin made the final AP Top 25.
Since the 2011 Preseason AP poll won't be out for several weeks, we don't know for sure where the teams will fall, but many publications are out with their predictions and they have Iowa off the radar and Wisconsin anywhere from 10th to 23rd. If that rings true and we see the Badgers in the mix and Iowa out of the Preseason AP poll... I sure hope the aforementioned trend continues to play itself out for at least one more season.
For whatever reason, both schools seem to excel when expectations are lower and a lot of experts are high on the Badgers this year. Many think --- with Ohio State's troubles and the prospect of Russell Wilson moving to Madison --- that Wisconsin is in the driver's seat in the Big 10.
I disagree based on what history shows.
They struggle when expectations are greatest.
I wouldn't be surprised if Wisconsin's season mirrors Iowa from a year ago with an early-season loss to a Pac 10 team (Oregon State) and some close, bitter losses in conference play to teams they should beat (Nebraska at home and either Illinois or Minnesota on the road.) They also have tough games on the road at Michigan State and Ohio State in successive weeks.
Don't be surprised if they finish 8-5 and out of the rankings at the end of the year.
If that happens, and Iowa ends up surprising the experts... we can revisit this trend once again next summer.
As a Hawk fan living in the Badger state, I have enjoyed this rivalry a great deal and followed Wisconsin football closely. It's too bad the two teams won't play again until 2013. The programs are so close and mirror each other in many ways... but there's one area, in particular, in which the two schools have differed in recent years and that should have Wisconsin fans nervous for the upcoming campaign.
Here's a deeper look at the rivalry.
Since 2002, Iowa is 78-36 overall with a 5-3 record in bowl games and two BCS appearances.
Since 2002, Wisconsin is 83-34 overall with a 4-5 record in bowl games and one BCS appearance.
Over the course of those 9 seasons, Iowa is 6-3 head-to-head with an impressive 3-1 record at Camp Randall. It's a safe bet that no one else has fared better on Wisconsin's home field in that time. (Ohio State is 2-2.) The average score in those 9 games is 24-15 Iowa.
Over the past 9 years, Iowa has had 39 draft picks; Wisconsin has had 35. Iowa has had 5 1st round picks in that time (two OL, two defensive players and one skill position); Wisconsin has had 4 1st round picks (two OL, one on defense and one skill position.)
The programs are close and have experienced a lot of success since 2002. However, it's been rare to see the analysts predict that both will be very good in the same year --- and that has led to an interesting statistic.
Let me explain.
Since 2002, Iowa and Wisconsin have BOTH been ranked in the AP Preseason Top 25 twice. (2004 & 2010)
In four of the past nine seasons, Iowa has been unranked going into the year with Wisconsin in the AP Preseason Top 25. (2002, 2003, 2007, 2008) In three of those four campaigns, (2002, 2003, 2008) Iowa has finished the year in the AP Top 25 with Wisconsin nowhere to be found.
Conversely, Iowa has started ranked/Wisconsin unranked in three years since 2002. In two of those three, Iowa has finished unranked while Wisconsin made the final AP Top 25.
Since the 2011 Preseason AP poll won't be out for several weeks, we don't know for sure where the teams will fall, but many publications are out with their predictions and they have Iowa off the radar and Wisconsin anywhere from 10th to 23rd. If that rings true and we see the Badgers in the mix and Iowa out of the Preseason AP poll... I sure hope the aforementioned trend continues to play itself out for at least one more season.
For whatever reason, both schools seem to excel when expectations are lower and a lot of experts are high on the Badgers this year. Many think --- with Ohio State's troubles and the prospect of Russell Wilson moving to Madison --- that Wisconsin is in the driver's seat in the Big 10.
I disagree based on what history shows.
They struggle when expectations are greatest.
I wouldn't be surprised if Wisconsin's season mirrors Iowa from a year ago with an early-season loss to a Pac 10 team (Oregon State) and some close, bitter losses in conference play to teams they should beat (Nebraska at home and either Illinois or Minnesota on the road.) They also have tough games on the road at Michigan State and Ohio State in successive weeks.
Don't be surprised if they finish 8-5 and out of the rankings at the end of the year.
If that happens, and Iowa ends up surprising the experts... we can revisit this trend once again next summer.
