This long ad-nauseam debate over “are they/aren’t they” has played out far too long. Just accept it, the Iowa Hawkeyes are our Nebraska Cornhuskers true rival in the Big Ten at this point. It is not a forced rivalry, nor does it matter what the all-time record is. Any argument otherwise is a pretentious attempt to swat away the opposing side’s fanbase while demonstrating one of the very points of why it is in fact a rivalry.
Look, if you think a rivalry can only be defined by two top-tier programs going at it year-in and year-out for titles then you are a [sports] snob who nobody likes and always ignores at parties in addition to being dead wrong.