Iowa vs. Wisconsin: Fun Facts, the U2 Edition

Despite what the sports propaganda divisions of the University of Iowa or University of Wisconsin may tell you, the road to Indianapolis doesn't go through Iowa City or Madison. However, there are roads out of both cities that connect to roads that will lead you to Indy.

With that said, here are the Iowa-Wisconsin football Fun Facts:

1. Defense is the story here. Iowa is third nationally in scoring defense, Wisconsin is tied for fourth. The Badgers are first in total defense, the Hawkeyes sixth.

2. Wisconsin junior running back Jonathan Taylor is averaging 154.2 rushing yards in his 33 career games not against Ohio State, 46.5 yards in his two games against the Buckeyes.

3. Taylor is the fourth collegian to rush for 5,000 career yards before the end of his junior season. One of the other three is Wisconsin's Ron Dayne.

4. Taylor leads the nation in touchdowns with 19. Iowa's Keith Duncan shares the national lead in field goals with 19, and Duncan has played in one fewer game than co-leader Jake Verity of East Carolina.

5. This is the eighth time the two teams have met when both were ranked. Iowa won four of the previous seven times.

6. Something must give. Wisconsin leads the nation in time of possession per game (36:47). Iowa is seventh (34:20).

7. Wisconsin didn't allow a point in its first 10 quarters this season. It has allowed 38 points in its last three quarters (against Ohio State).

8. Iowa is the nation's only team that hasn't allowed a run of 20-plus yards.

9. The Badgers have outscored their opponents in first quarters by a total of 65-3.

10. The Hawkeyes have four shutouts in their last 11 Big Ten games. They are 6-5 in that time.

11. Iowa is fifth in the nation in fewest penalty yards per game.

12. The Badgers have a three-game winning streak over the Hawkeyes. Iowa ended a two-game losing streak to Purdue and a three-game losing streak to Northwestern in its two previous games.

13. Iowa is 1-6 against Wisconsin this decade. Its last losing decade against the Badgers was the 1960s.

14. Wisconsin has two players from Menomonee Falls, Wis., and one from Menomonie, Wis. The two cities are 268 miles apart.

15. Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley is from Menomonie. No Badger players are from Iowa.

16. Former Hawkeye tight ends Noah Fant, T.J. Hockenson and George Kittle combined for 250 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the most-recent week of NFL games.

17. In August, Sports Illustrated said Madison was the greatest college football town.

18. Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta's daughter is named Madison.

19. The two teams are competing for the Heartland Trophy. Yet, the long-running television series 'Heartland' is set in Alberta, Canada, and New Zealand has a Heartland Bank.

20. U2 has a song called 'Heartland' A portion of the lyrics:

Mississippi and the cotton wool heat

Sixty six a highway speaks

Of deserts dry

Of cool green valleys

Gold and silver veins

Of the shining cities

Does that sound like Iowa and Wisconsin to you?