The rivalry between the Wisconsin Badgers and Iowa Hawkeyes is one of the most intense and historic in the Big Ten—but in recent years, it hasn’t lived up to that billing for Wisconsin.
This season, the Badgers are under pressure to snap a frustrating losing streak.
Dating back over 130 years, the battle for the Heartland Trophy has been a tightly contested series. Wisconsin holds a narrow all-time lead at 49-47-2, but that edge is slipping away.
Iowa has taken the last three meetings—and each one has stung.
The most painful of those defeats came just last year, when Iowa routed Luke Fickell’s Badgers 42-10. That blowout has stuck with the team ever since. In fact, it’s become a motivator: the Badgers have been doing 42 pushups during practices as a reminder of the loss and the need to respond.
Now, with pride and positioning on the line, Wisconsin hopes to flip the script.
In 2023, the embarrassment was less about the margin of defeat and more about how the Hawkeyes got there.
The Badgers allowed only 15 points but couldn’t muster more than two field goals in the home loss while giving up a safety in the process.
The worst part was, the win belonged to former Wisconsin four-star QB Deacon Hill, who had transferred to Iowa that season at beat his former team while throwing for only 37 yards in the game.
The first game of the current losing streak in 2022 was lopsided too, a 24-10 loss highlighted by three Wisconsin turnovers that included a pick six by Graham Mertz.
The Badgers had won five of the six previous matchups and consistently dominated the rivalry since 2010.
Fickell must steer Wisconsin back on track against the Hawkeyes and put a stop to the recent string of disappointing losses.
If he doesn’t, the Badgers could be staring at the possibility of going nearly two months without a single win this season.
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