Ranking the top 10 best Big Ten football rivalries
By Shane Lunnen
9. Illinois vs. Northwestern
Another rivalry that flies under the national radar is the one between the two Big Ten programs in the state of Illinois. Do not tell Illini and Wildcat fans this game does not matter though.
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The two schools play for the Land of Lincoln trophy, which is a bronze replica of a stovepipe hat worn by Abraham Lincoln.
This is the third different trophy to be contested in the series. The original trophy was a carved wooden “cigar” Indian but that was stolen and replaced by the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk. The Tomahawk was awarded to the victor from 1945 through 2008. It was in the final year the NCAA mandated the removal of all Native American imagery deemed hostile from college athletics. Since 2009, the Land of Lincoln trophy has been the prize.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald embraces this rivalry. Since taking over his alma mater in 2006, he declared Northwestern to be Chicago’s Big Ten team. This was certainly taken as a shot at Illinois. The game has even been played at other Chicago stadiums, Solider Field and Wrigley Field. The Wrigley game was quite memorable due to the configuration of the field being a safety issue. Each offense had to run plays in the same direction, towards the west end zone.
The Illini have a slight 55-52-5 series lead, but it is the Wildcats that have dominated as of late, winning seven of the last 10 meetings including the last four. With Northwestern trending up in the conference and Illinois not so much, the Wildcats could overtake the series lead soon.