Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

Some of the most captivating stories in college football arise from rivalries between universities across the country. These rivalries have been around for over a century, from the first Army/Navy game in 1890, to the famous Stanford-Cal game in 1982 that ended with six laterals and the band on the field as the final score was taking place. And most of these rivalries come with equally interesting trophies, including the Golden Hat from the annual Texas and Oklahoma game and the life-size, 500 pound Fremont Cannon awarded each year to the winner of the Nevada-UNLV game. But no conference in college football exemplifies the spirit of rivalries and the trophies that come with them like college football’s oldest conference and Texas Bowl tie in, the Big Ten Conference.

The Big Ten Conference began in 1896 as the Western Conference and included six universities: Chicago, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue and Michigan. Twenty years later, after Iowa, Indiana and Ohio State joined, the Big 10 was formed. Through the next 90 years, the Big Ten would lose the University of Chicago but add Michigan State, Penn State, and, starting next season, the University of Nebraska to finalize the 12 members who now compete in the conference.

Between some of those schools exist some of college football’s oldest and most storied rivalries.  Below is a list of some of the more prominent rivalries and the trophies that accompany them:

Paul Bunyan’s Axe (1948): Wisconsin vs. Minnesota, Wisconsin leads 36-24-3 
While the Axe has only been around since 1948, Wisconsin and Minnesota’s 120 meetings since 1890 are the most in Division 1-A (FBS). Wisconsin has won the Axe more times than not, but Minnesota owns the overall series record at 59-53-8. The first trophy of this rivalry was called the Slab of Bacon, a piece of wood with the letter M or W (depending on which way you looked at it) carved into the top of it. The trophy was lost in 1943 and not found again until 1994 during a renovation to Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium. As a result, Paul Bunyan’s Axe was created as the new symbol of the rivalry in 1948. Following the game each year the winning team will grab the axe and carry it around the field, and afterwards the score of the game is carved into the axe’s 6 foot handle.

Illy Illibuck (originated in 1925): Ohio State vs. Illinois, OSU leads 59-23-2 and 63-30-4 overall
The Illibuck started off as one of the only living rivalry trophies in college football history. Illy Illibuck was originally a live turtle awarded to the winner of the longstanding rivalry each year. The turtle was chosen because its long life expectancy was symbolic of the long life of the rivalry. Ironically enough, the turtle passed away just two years later and a wooden replica turtle was created with the score of each year’s game carved on the turtle’s shell. Ten Illibuck trophies have been created since then and it remains the second oldest trophy in the Big Ten.

Little Brown Jug (1903): Minnesota vs. Michigan, Michigan leads 66-22-3
The oldest ongoing trophy in college football history, the Little Brown Jug originated after the 1903 game between the undefeated Wolverines and the 4-0-1 Gophers. Michigan coach Fielding Yost was concerned that Gopher fans might contaminate his team’s water supply, so he ordered a team manager go to purchase a five gallon jug to carry water in during the game. The game ended prematurely in a 6-6 tie when Minnesota fans rushed the field following a late Gopher touchdown and the jug was left in the visiting team locker room as Michigan hurried out of Minneapolis.

The next morning, custodian Oscar Munson brought the jug into the office of Minnesota Athletic Director L.J. Cooke. They were so excited to have stopped Michigan’s 26 game winning streak that they decided to paint the jug brown and write on the side “Michigan Jug, captured by Oscar, October 31, 1903.” Munson also added “Michigan 6, Minnesota 6,” with Minnesota’s score painted, according to witnesses, “‘as big as a house,’ dwarfing the Michigan score beside it.”

Floyd of Rosedale (1935): Iowa vs. Minnesota, Minnesota leads 40-34-2
Much like the Illibuck, the Floyd of Rosedale trophy also started out as a live animal. This time, it was an Iowa prize hog that was sent to Minnesota by Iowa governor Clyde Herring as part of a bet concocted by Minnesota governor Floyd Olson to ease the tension between the two schools. That tension arose from the 1934 contest, a 48-12 Minnesota victory, where Iowa star runningback Ozzie Simmons endured so many hits from the Gophers that he had to leave the game early. The day before the 1935 game in Iowa City, Herring implied to reporters that if Simmons was treated the same way, Iowa fans would come out of the stands and riot to protect him. As a result, Olson created the bet in the hopes that it would lighten the mood and prevent any altercations from taking place.

As word of the light-hearted bet spread between Iowa fans before the game, the tension was alleviated and Minnesota ended up winning a hard fought but clean game 13-6 en route to their second consecutive national championship. Governor Herring personally delivered a hog that was donated by the owner of Rosedale Farms in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, walking him into Governor Olson’s carpeted office in St. Paul. The actual Floyd of Rosedale died a year later and is buried about halfway between the two campuses. The trophy passed between the two schools today is a bronze statue of the original hog and has the scores mounted on its wooden base.