BTN's Tom Dienhart: Here are my top 5 Big Ten rivalries (MN/UW #3; MN/IA #4)

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BleedGopher

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per Dienhart:

3. Wisconsin-Minnesota. Yes, this has no national sex appeal, but the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe is an epic rivalry in the northlands. It’s also the longest played FBS rivalry in the nation. Grab your cheese wheel and toque and enjoy this slice of frozen goodness! Here’s a taste of what it’s all about from 2005. Oh, Goldy.

4. Iowa-Minnesota. The sheer coolness of the Floyd of Rosedale trophy alone makes this one of the Big Ten’s best rivalries. The states share a border–and lots of hatred. Hayden Fry had some fun with Minnesota after a win in 1982, emerging for his postgame presser wearing a red flannel shirt, a white cowboy hat trimmed with a red bandana and overalls after Gophers coach Joe Salem supposedly mocked the attire of Iowans leading into the game. Big mistake. Since that 1982 win, Iowa is 21-10 vs. Minnesota.

http://btn.com/2013/09/03/dienhart-what-are-big-tens-best-rivalries/?cmp=user+shared+twitter

Go Gophers!!
 

Good gracious we need to get that Axe back....waaaaay too long. We need to get an HD highlight of our guys holding it at SOME point lol.
 

Well, we have won 2 out of the last 3. That's not bad! Plus, it'll be 3 out of 4 in a few weeks!!! :clap:
 

That would be Floyd, not the Axe.
 



I did not need to see that blocked punt again.
 

I stand corrected, and have self-imposed a two-day suspension from the Gopherhole, will not text for 8 hours, will not allow home visits for any recruits for the next week, and will serve 20 hours of community service by standing at the Minnesota border and telling the Wisconsites to stay the he!! out!!
 

I never understood the development of rivalries outside of the commercial interests of those making money off of them. I enjoy the game regardless of the opponent.
 

EaganGopher said:
I stand corrected, and have self-imposed a two-day suspension from the Gopherhole, will not text for 8 hours, will not allow home visits for any recruits for the next week, and will serve 20 hours of community service by standing at the Minnesota border and telling the Wisconsites to stay the he!! out!!
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:)
 



Dienhart has it correct. Clearly the most intense rivalries are between Michigan/Ohio and Michigan/Michigan St. However, I would put the Little Brown Jug as an equally good rivalry with the Axe. The problem we Gopher's fans have is that we've seen a mediocre product for the past 40 + years and thus the full level of the rivalry has been diminished. I fully expect Kill and company to raise the bar and thus the intensity of our rivalries.
 

I've never seen the Gophers win the axe since becoming a fan my freshman year of college (2004). Would love to see it happen this year.
 

tinyarch said:
Dienhart has it correct. Clearly the most intense rivalries are between Michigan/Ohio and Michigan/Michigan St. However, I would put the Little Brown Jug as an equally good rivalry with the Axe. The problem we Gopher's fans have is that we've seen a mediocre product for the past 40 + years and thus the full level of the rivalry has been diminished. I fully expect Kill and company to raise the bar and thus the intensity of our rivalries.
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You might want to make that Michigan/Ohio State.
 






Let's just win both the axe and the jug this year, and then throw in Floyd as a .341 bonus.
 

tinyarch said:
Dienhart has it correct. Clearly the most intense rivalries are between Michigan/Ohio and Michigan/Michigan St. However, I would put the Little Brown Jug as an equally good rivalry with the Axe. The problem we Gopher's fans have is that we've seen a mediocre product for the past 40 + years and thus the full level of the rivalry has been diminished. I fully expect Kill and company to raise the bar and thus the intensity of our rivalries.
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I agree 100%. The 1977 win against Michigan is when I became a Gopher fan! The Jug means a lot more to me than the Axe & Pig (though those are nice too). The time has come to turn this into an actual rivalry again.
 

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