Nebraska Football 2011: Nebraska-Iowa, Heroes Game Trophy Revealed

When Nebraska announced last summer that it was joining the Big Ten, talk immediately began about who Nebraska's new rival would be. 

There were the usual heavyweight suggestions—i.e. Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State—and Wisconsin's athletic director, Barry Alvarez, made a big push to make Nebraska-Wisconsin matchups a staple every year.

The Big Ten and Nebraska decided, in the end, to go with the Hawkeyes of Iowa as the 'Huskers' newest rival. 

That decision made sense on numerous levels.  There's the most obvious aspect of geography.  As any third-grader will tell you, Nebraska and Iowa share a common border, as well as the Missouri River. 

Then there's the common nature the residents of the two states share.  Both Nebraska and Iowa are based mainly in agriculture, especially corn.  Residents of both states are hard-working and honest.

Finally, Nebraska and Iowa are guaranteed to play every year as the Big Ten placed both teams in the Legends division.  It'd be hard to establish a rivalry, or even maintain one (Big 12 and Oklahoma), if the two teams meet only every two years or so. 

If this rivalry feels forced that would be because it kind of is.  Look at the historic rivalries: Ohio State-Michigan, Nebraska-Oklahoma, Alabama-Auburn.  Those rivalries took time to develop.  That's not to say that game won't become a great rivalry, but it will take time.

This summer, Nebraska and Iowa announced the name of their newly founded rivalry.  It was to be called the Heroes Game.  The trophy was to be shown later.

After that, speculation abounded as to what it would be.  Some people wanted a trophy with an agricultural base.  Others wanted something that resembled the name of the rivalry.  That is, something symbolic of the Heroes Game.  But no one would know exactly what it would be until...

Today, November the 4th, one of the Heroes Game's trophies was finally revealed.  The trophy that the 'Huskers and Hawkeyes will play for is the Corn Bowl.  It looks almost exactly as you'd imagine.  It is a bowl full of corn.  Okay, it may be more articulate-looking than that but you get the gist. 

Here's the link to the picture of it, as well as some other candidates that didn't make the cut.

You decide whether you like it or not.

There is another trophy scheduled to be unveiled later this month, the "official" trophy of the Heroes Game.