With the release of the Big Ten’s new football divisions for 2011 and beyond, Iowa fans are ponderinig just what it all means for the Hawks. But in my opinion, things couldn’t have worked out much better for Iowa.
Iowa gets Nebraska (ok, a tough game but one we want to see every year…and it ends the year the Saturday after Thanksgiving), Michigan (traditionally one of the higher rated TV games in the Big Ten each year and one that Iowa actually has won from time to time) and then Michigan State, Minnesota, and Northwestern (while each has been good and beaten Iowa hre and there, none seems like a good bet to become a true football power). Iowa’s protected rival from the other Division will be Purdue (who has been down and looks to remain down for the foreseeable future).
So, while Iowa, Nebraska and Michigan will play the same Divisional schedule each year, the Hawks get Purdue every year while Nebraska gets Penn State and Michigan gets Ohio State. In other words, there seems to be a slight built-in advantage.
Had this Division set-up been in effect over the last eight years, Iowa would have won two outright Divisional Titles and would have tied for two more. All things considered, I’d accept a shot at the Big Ten Championship game once every four years….possibly every two years.
Iowa does lose its game with Wisconsin every year, but they will still play the Badgers at least 4 out of every 10 years, so the battle for the Heartland Trophy isn’t over.
All in all, the Hawks come out in pretty good shape in this scenario.
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