Not clear why that isn't number 4 in the national unreciprocated list. Looks like it should be.
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Rivalries
- Thread starter HuskerWeatherman
- Start date
Not clear they really norm the data for intensity in their rankings. Says Arizona - Arizona State is #1 by total rivalry points allocated, but that doesn't mean each of those people allocating feel as strongly about that as do, say, Ohio State and Michigan fans. I think that's a significant factor in measuring rivalry. They collected some data about intensity, but appear not to have attempted to convert it into a score.
I was aware of this as I filled it out. I had 10 teams and could have added one more. I think our transition has lowered the intensity of all our rivalries. I would almost say we don't really have any significant ones anymore. They're either historical and only nostaligic really, or in their infancy. That's very different for fans of some other teams.
I was aware of this as I filled it out. I had 10 teams and could have added one more. I think our transition has lowered the intensity of all our rivalries. I would almost say we don't really have any significant ones anymore. They're either historical and only nostaligic really, or in their infancy. That's very different for fans of some other teams.
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Well, Iowa isn't Nebraska's rival in Nebraska fans' minds, according to this data, at least. Nor in my mind. OU and Wisconsin were way far ahead of Iowa and were really the only two significant rivals Nebraska fans. Iowa was third, but with only 9 of 100 points, grouped with a bunch of others, including Michigan, which it bested by probably only a statistically insignificant margin. The only reason I can think fans might say Michigan is because they were our rivals for the awarding of the 1998 National Championship and that's it.
If that's all the rivalry Nebraska fans feel toward Iowa, I'd say they aren't really a rival. In a previous thread on here posters discused their feelings and it seemed that only Husker fans living in Iowa or with significant interaction with Iowans viewed them as a rival, but not the fan base as a whole.
Doesn't mean they won't end up being one. But Nebraska fans really will view as their rival whoever they tussle with the most if we start contending for the West, at least if there's consistency in that. Nebraskans still view themselves as championship contenders, even though it's now really outdated, and will understand rivalry in terms of who blocks us from winning championships the most. We understand a rival as an OU, not as a border war opponent.
If we never contend again, or only once every 10 years or so, we may form a neighboring state rivalry with Iowa in place of a rival for championships, but a lot of old timers - and the children they raised to think like them - are going to have to die off before Nebraska will start having strong feelings of rivalry toward a team simply because they're in a neighboring state.
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Not trying to get all deep here, but really in ways both emotional and practical, Nebraska's biggest rivalry today is with its past. I think people who were alive for the 90s will always compare the team to that more than anyone else, certainly as long as we remain a basket case.
I would bet that's due to Michigan having an in-state rival while Ohio State does not. OSU can focus all of their hate on Michigan.
"I'm really liking our chances against Michigan this year, after what we did to Alderaan."
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Great answer, I guess I am an "Old Timer" because I still think of Oklahoma as a rival. They broke my heart so many times. Oh how I miss playing them every year.
Rivalry is sort of a form of unrequited love.There's obviously many ways to define a rivalry. Though a recent survey tackles the debate:
Two business professors set out to try to find the biggest rivalries on an objective, statistical basis.
“People don’t agree,” said B. David Tyler, an associate professor at Western Carolina. “Some people say you can only have one rival. We decided to get some clarity on the idea.”
Their data, collected at KnowRivalry.com, highlights some of the rivalries we know well, but also unearths some surprises.
The professors sought out hard-core fans of North American professional teams and college football teams and asked them to allocate 100 points among their most hated rivals. A Minnesota fan might allocate 50 points to Wisconsin, 40 to Iowa and 10 to Michigan. Other fan bases might target their dislike more sharply. A U.C.L.A. fan might give 80, 90 or even all 100 points to Southern California.
America’s Biggest Sports Rivalries? You Might Be Surprised (Published 2019)
Which rivalries are most intense? Can a team have more than one rival? What if the hatred isn’t returned? Two professors wanted answers.www.nytimes.com
And yes, you can find out where Nebraska fans rank our rivals here (you may be surprised):
Home - Know Rivalry
KNOW YOUR TEAM. KNOW YOUR RIVALS. Add your opinion: TAKE THE SURVEY Search for your team: CLICK TO SEE THE DATA OR TAKE THE SURVEY. RIVALRY RESEARCH We surveyed over 30,000 fans across different sports to better understand rivalries. Learn more about this research or rivalry in general. Add Your...knowrivalry.com
(It's a pretty fun website)
They usually are one sided and usually result from the underdog wanting and needing to beat a historically superior or strong opponent to gain stature.
For years right after WW2 OU was the poor boy Okies with poorer oil fields against Texas. After OU had a very long, strong run, UT needed to beat OU to get its status back. And a lot of grads competing in the Oil Bidness wanting bragging rights.
NU needed to defeat OU to validate its national aspirations. Same with Arkansas vs Texas. A&M was the poor farm boy Ag College against the rich uppity teasips.
Colorado & Mizzou were also huge games early in the Devaney & Osborne era. We dispatched them enough times that victory was expected. Devaney had lost out on Mizzou job which probably explained some things. Osborne always felt Mizzou greatly underachieved as a program. Really probably thought the same about CU, as he actually almost went there.
McCartney inheriting the Chuck Fairbanks (who CU hired after TO turned them down) disaster had to pick his measuring stick - who else but the Big Red?
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I agree, Nebraska is Nebraska's biggest rival the last 18 years. This team, even when talented hasn't been able to get out of it's own way for so long its the norm.
There are some good ones around the country, but we don't have one at this point. I'm left cold at the anger that some people on the board have for Iowa, for example. Or Colorado, And on Oklahoma, their big rival was always Texas, with us and OSU notches below. It takes years to build up a good rivalry, but there has to be some other connection -- we played Kansas more games over time than we played Oklahoma, but there never was a rivalry there.
I went to school at an Ivy league college, and there were a lot of rivalries there, but they had been competing against each other for a long long time, people from those schools ended up working together on Wall Street, and they aren't all tied in knots about national championships and bowl games. Their games were a lot of fun, much more so than ours. Ours are so intense and the outcome is so important to so many fans that it kind of takes the fun away.
Iowa is a natural for a rivalry and maybe over the next couple of decades it can become one if we can beat them as often as they beat us.
I went to school at an Ivy league college, and there were a lot of rivalries there, but they had been competing against each other for a long long time, people from those schools ended up working together on Wall Street, and they aren't all tied in knots about national championships and bowl games. Their games were a lot of fun, much more so than ours. Ours are so intense and the outcome is so important to so many fans that it kind of takes the fun away.
Iowa is a natural for a rivalry and maybe over the next couple of decades it can become one if we can beat them as often as they beat us.
Rivalries are built over years and decades. Border states make good rivals. It gives bragging rights for the fans for the year. Like year before last up in Mn when the Huskers lost to MN. The stadium turned to Iowa during the game chanting...Who hates IOWA! WE HATE IOWA! Who Hate Wisconsin! WE HATE WISCONSIN! It was funny as hell and fun.
I agree about living in the past. This subject was brought up when NU joined the BIG and no one thought any in the BIG was the Huskers equal. Rival games are a blast Trophy games are a blast. Put down the Trophy from 1997 and just have some fun and and enjoy the natural rival of Iowa happen
I agree about living in the past. This subject was brought up when NU joined the BIG and no one thought any in the BIG was the Huskers equal. Rival games are a blast Trophy games are a blast. Put down the Trophy from 1997 and just have some fun and and enjoy the natural rival of Iowa happen
It's REALLY interesting to see how we rank our rivals versus how they rank us.
Both Oklahoma and Nebraska consider each other rivals. However, we consider Wisconsin a main rival but they do not reciprocate. Likewise, Colorado and Iowa see Nebraska as a main rival, but we don't reciprocate. I would generally say the Top 5 teams in either measurement (our ranking vs their ranking) are gonna be the teams I want to play (and beat) the most.
I'm gonna have to dig into this site a bit and use it for justification for Oklahoma and Texas joining the Big Ten at some point. Funny enough, we're not even on Texas' radar. After the usual suspects of Oklahoma + Former SWC schools, they also include KState and Alabama. Odd.
Both Oklahoma and Nebraska consider each other rivals. However, we consider Wisconsin a main rival but they do not reciprocate. Likewise, Colorado and Iowa see Nebraska as a main rival, but we don't reciprocate. I would generally say the Top 5 teams in either measurement (our ranking vs their ranking) are gonna be the teams I want to play (and beat) the most.
I'm gonna have to dig into this site a bit and use it for justification for Oklahoma and Texas joining the Big Ten at some point. Funny enough, we're not even on Texas' radar. After the usual suspects of Oklahoma + Former SWC schools, they also include KState and Alabama. Odd.
Good
One other thought is the discrepancy in how many total rivals a team has.
For example, Wisconsin only has 6 total teams listed on their results. Sparty has 5. Ohio State has 11 and Nebraska has 13.
Some of that comes from our jump from XII to B1G, but I'd also argue that some of it is based on who's been winning a lot. If this site was around in the 1990s, I guarantee you'd see Florida, FSU and Miami listed for us as well.
In an odd way, it speaks to relevancy. Despite our losing streaks, there are STILL a lot of teams who want a piece of us. Go figure.
For example, Wisconsin only has 6 total teams listed on their results. Sparty has 5. Ohio State has 11 and Nebraska has 13.
Some of that comes from our jump from XII to B1G, but I'd also argue that some of it is based on who's been winning a lot. If this site was around in the 1990s, I guarantee you'd see Florida, FSU and Miami listed for us as well.
In an odd way, it speaks to relevancy. Despite our losing streaks, there are STILL a lot of teams who want a piece of us. Go figure.
