Nebraska-Iowa to be family affair

Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb.

The Fisher household figures to be a flash point for the new Nebraska-Iowa rivalry in the Big Ten.

Sean Fisher will be a junior linebacker at Nebraska this fall. Cole Fisher will be a freshman defensive back at Iowa. Cathy Fisher of Omaha might want to invest in one of those half-Cornhusker, half-Hawkeye jerseys for moms with split allegiances.

“My parents make jokes about it pretty frequently,” Sean Fisher said Tuesday during the Big Ten Legends Division spring football teleconference. “Unfortunately, we both play defense, so I don’t think I’ll probably get the opportunity to tackle little brother, which would be fun, unless it’s on special teams.

“It’s all in good fun within the family.”

Fun isn’t the word Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald uses when discussing the challenges for him and his Legends brethren.

“It’s going to be a meat-grinder,” he said. “You have to find a way to win and move on.”

The Cornhuskers, who leave the Big 12 officially on July 1, figure to have the toughest road to the first Big Ten championship game on Dec. 3.

They play Ohio State, Michigan State, Northwestern and Iowa at home and Wisconsin, Minnesota, Penn State and Michigan on the road.

Coach Bo Pelini (Cardinal Mooney High) said the Huskers haven’t worked on any Big Ten opponents in spring practice, preferring instead to focus on shoring up their own areas of concern.

Pelini played at Ohio State and understands Big Ten rivalries.

The Huskers haven’t had a true rival since Oklahoma in the old Big Eight days.

Having Iowa as a border rival fits the bill for Huskers fans hankering for a red-letter opponent.

The feeling is mutual on the other side of the Missouri River.

“I think the most requested team or opponent through the years has been Nebraska,” Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said. “When you go to events, people ask, ’Are you going to be picking them up in nonconference?’

“Outside of playing Iowa State, that’s been the most asked question. You get out toward western Iowa, and they’re closer to Nebraska’s campus than ours.”