Gameday #12

VS

Yup it's that time again. Time for giving thanks. And one of things Nebraska fans have to be grateful for is when they left the Big 12 for the B1G  that they traded 3 Ne'er do well fan bases with a massive inferiority complex for just one. This means instead of 3 weeks a year of LOOK AT US!!! LOOK AT US!!! LOOK AT US!!! IT'S YOUR FAULT NOBODY EVER LOOKS AT US!!! we only have to live through one week of it. And to be honest Iowa fan is much like Opie Taylor is kinda cute when it throws a tantrum. 

In the 6 years Bo Pelini has been head coach of Nebraska his teams have never fared worse than 9-4. In the same time frame Iowa has had 1 good team. The rest have been average to... well shitty. Still it's Pelini who is looked at as being on "the hot seat" while the media can't get enough of that voodoo that Kirk Ferentz do so well. It's Nebraska at 8-3 who is seen as the poor team sliding down to hell while Iowa at 7-4 is seen as the powerful beast. "Best 7-4 team ever. Could beat the Pats on a neutral field." How is beating Northwestern in the final seconds a sign that Nebraska isn't very good while beat Northwestern in overtime is a sign that Iowa is for real? Because Iowa is the beneficiary of what I like to call the G.W. Bush or Republican debate syndrome. If a Republican shows up to a national debate 3 minutes ahead of time, in the right arena, and with both of his shoes tied the media will already consider it a draw. The same thing goes for Iowa. If they show up on time in the right stadium with their shoes laces tied properly the media will sell that they have over achieved. Part of this is do to the disposition of their fan bases. Nebraska fan, most of them anyway, will be happy...(only just) if Nebraska wins its last 2 games and finishes 10-3. Clem in Carroll is already so happy about being 7-4 he doesn't know whether to carve his prize pig up for breakfast or save him for something else different entire.

There is good news for Iowa. This figures to be the closest the two teams have been since the "rivalry" started in 2011. Iowa has played the tougher schedule and with the Nebraska just one injury away from Ryker Fyfe playing QB there is plenty of reason for Nebraska fan to hold it's breath and for Iowa fan to be optimistic... well again no matter what happens it will get sold as Iowa showing true grit even if the score is somehow 45-7 Nebraska.

Neither of the "Hero's" games have been works of art with Nebraska pounding out a 20-7 win in Lincoln in 2011 and beating both Iowa and the cold in Iowa City 13-7 last year. Iowa likes to hold on to the football play ground pound and keep you down with their excellent defense. Nebraska's defense has gotten better every week while their offense is literally down to the nub with injuries. All of it means expect another ground and pound low scoring slug-fest that wont find it's way to the Louvre or even the Joslyn Art Museum. Or even the Clem and Curly Sue house of finger paintings in downtown Ottumwa.

Count's Krystal Bawl

Nebraska 20
Iowa 14