Spreads are Here for Minnesota at Wisconsin, Nebraska at Iowa

It's rivalry week across the world of College Football, and a few of our area programs are gearing up for the tough yearly matchups that often set the tone of a season.

The Minnesota Gophers and Wisconsin Badgers meet in the Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe on Saturday in Madison, while Iowa and Nebraska collide in Iowa City.

Both games will be on Friday, with the Badgers and Gophers kickoff set for 11:00 on CBS. The Hawkeyes and Huskers can be seen at 6:30 on NBC Friday Night.

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The spreads are here, with both home teams being favored by a small margin.

Here's the betting numbers for both games:

ESPN.com - Odds via ESPN Bet

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota dates back to 1890, and they play for Paul Bunyan's Axe.

The Badgers have the all-time advantage in the series 63-62-8 but have dropped two of the last three. From 2004-2017, the Badgers won every game in the series.

The Hawkeyes and Huskers first met in 1891 but have only met 54 total times. The 55th meeting is Saturday, and the Hawkeyes are aiming to win for the 9th time in the last 10 meetings.

This weekend is a special one in College Football. There are many other storied rivalries writing a new chapter this weekend as well, but these two are unique in both history and proximity to our area.

Sources: Iowa-Neb Wikipedia, Paul Bunyan's Axe - Wikipedia

Top 12 Iowa Hawkeyes All-Time Passing Leaders

Gallery Credit: Bert Remien

Recent Dakota Marker History Between NDSU and SDSU

Gallery Credit: Bert Remien

South Dakota Born NFL Players of this Century

While not a traditional powerhouse Nation Football League feeder, South Dakota has produces a fair number of football players that went on to the big time in the NFL.

Here are some that have played on various teams over the last couple of decades.