Friday, October 22, 2010

Iowa-Wisconsin: Old-School Big Ten Football

Iowa and Wisconsin battle each other in Iowa City Saturday and look for an old-time Big Ten Conference football game.

Both teams will try to establish their manhood early. Translation: both want to run the ball well and often. This will resemble Bo and Woody in the Michigan-Ohio State days.

The Badgers feature John Clay—a powerful back. The Hawks feature Adam Robinson who has power but also speed.

Iowa will throw the ball too. Wisconsin wants to keep it close because it doesn’t function well depending on the pass.

These games are usually tight and this one should be the same. Look for a low-scoring affair.

Iowa and Wisconsin are not only neighbors but run similar programs. Both recruit a similar player: guys who aren’t necessarily blue-chip prospects but embrace the team concept. Often, they compete for the same player.

Wisconsin Coach Bret Bielema also has extra motivation this week. He is a former Hawk player and coached at Iowa.

Besides all the sub-plots of this game, it is an important one. Iowa is undefeated in the Big Ten, while Wisconsin has just one loss.

The victor will also have bragging rights for a long time. Because of the Big Ten realignment, the schools don’t play again until 2013.

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