Iowa-Indiana vital for Big Ten's divisional identity

IOWA CITY — As vital as Saturday's game is for Iowa's College Football Playoff chances, it's also significant for perception within the conference.

The No. 9 Hawkeyes (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten) travel to Indiana, the Big Ten East Division's last-place squad. The Hoosiers (4-4, 0-4) have lost close games against current unbeatens No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Michigan State. Indiana has more offensive firepower than traditional last-place teams and boasts the league leader in passing yards per game in quarterback Nate Sudfeld. Regardless of statistics and qualifiers, if the current last-place team in the East can upset the West's leading squad, it really puts a wedge between the divisions.

The Big Ten East is recognized as the league's stronger division, and the records reflect it. Ohio State and Michigan State both are 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the league, while Penn State (7-2) and Michigan (6-2) have combined for a 7-2 record in Big Ten play with losses to only the East Division leaders. East teams have a 4-2 advantage against the West in their six crossovers and eight more take place this season. In the only crossover game involving upper-echelon divisional teams, Michigan pounded Northwestern 38-0, which further enhanced the divisional disparity.

The rhetoric already has tilted that way among coaches and their sales pitches.

'As you go around, everyone wants to beat their chest about conferences,' Indiana Coach Kevin Wilson said. 'I know we've got great coaches, great players in our conference. I'm very, very proud of the Big Ten East and we're proud to be a part of it. We're playing a crossover this week.

'It's going to be a strong challenge. We're excited to play them, and we're excited this week. That's the beauty of recruiting and building the program at Indiana. When you play in the Big Ten East, you're playing some of the best football week in and week out. It's an exciting challenge. I know our players and coaches embrace it. We look forward to a great challenge this week against the Hawkeyes, but I know our men are excited to play them and see how we match up.'

From the Big Ten's inception in 1896 until divisional play began in 2011, most programs viewed themselves simply by the league moniker. Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz spent his first 12 seasons playing Wisconsin and Minnesota annually and every team six times over an eight-year period. With expansion — Nebraska in 2011, Maryland and Rutgers in 2014 — the frequency of those match-ups have changed. Iowa has lined up against Ohio State just three times in the last nine years.

But Ferentz is not concerned with perceptions, just results.

'Sounds like the SEC,' Ferentz said. 'Everybody is always complaining about it. Doesn't matter what the system is, whatever. In the old days, hey, you don't play these two teams or whatever.

'Maybe I'm an exception. I just look at our schedule. Right now we got a tough game against Indiana. It's about as simple as that. I look at every game and say, 'Geez, you know, what are we going to have to do to beat these guys?'

'Again, you look around college football. Pretty much anybody can beat anybody. It's not 100 percent true, but it's pretty much true. I'll let other people argue about all that stuff and worry about all those comparisons.'

Every football game is important but Iowa's game this week carries a little more relevance than most. Its reputation — along with its divisional identity — is at stake.

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