Knock Big Ten football all you want, but when it comes to trophies, no conference in the country can match. Among others, Big Ten teams play for a turtle, a bronze pig, a bucket with bling, a bull, an axe, a jug and a hat.
The Big Ten West — specifically the four Heartland teams: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin — has a particular affinity for trophy games. Of the six games those teams play against each other each year, four already have trophy games, and they've just added one more:
#Badgers & #Huskers introduce Freedom Trophy: depicts each team's stadium, honors veterans http://t.co/KVIXC92Sdg pic.twitter.com/rpPqTT4N47
— Badger Football (@BadgerFootball) November 10, 2014
So that means five of the six Heartland rivalry games will have a trophy.
| Game | Trophy |
| Iowa vs. Minnesota | Floyd of Rosedale |
| Iowa vs. Nebraska | Heroes Trophy |
| Iowa vs. Wisconsin | Heartland Trophy |
| Minnesota vs. Wisconsin | Paul Bunyan's Axe |
| Nebraska vs. Wisconsin | Freedom Trophy |
Currently, Minnesota-Nebraska is the only game in that foursome not to have a trophy, and while those two schools seem to have virtually nothing in common, Minnesota running back David Cobb said in the summer he plans on turning Minnesota-Nebraska into a competitive annual series.
"Right now, we don't play for a trophy, but we definitely play for a lot of respect," Cobb said.
Could that, against all odds, turn into a trophy game? Well, this is the Big Ten West; there has to be some sort of antique item or farm animal to play for eventually.
This story is an updated version of one from July.