Iowa lost the bull trophy at Wisconsin, but there’s still important livestock to secure Saturday when No. 20 Iowa hosts Minnesota for Floyd of Rosedale. The 15.5-inch high, 21-inch hog statue has a history that dates back to 1935.
The Floyd of Rosedale bacon bet
Before sportsbooks in Iowa, there was bacon — the Iowa and Minnesota governors wanted to calm the waters with a live hog wager 86 years ago. At the time, the rhetoric between the two fanbases got a little crispy.
Minnesota won the prize hog 13-7 that year. Live-action Floyd was delivered right inside the Minnesota Capitol building, according to Minnesota Public Radio.
MPR’s feature on the bacon bet mentions that Floyd wasn’t cooked at the governor’s mansion. He was moved to a farm near the Iowa border.
But, Oregon Trail alert: Everyone assumed a high-profile pig like Floyd was vaccinated. Unfortunately, he caught cholera down on the farm. Floyd “just leaned up against a straw pile and died,” descendants of the family told MPR.
Betting should be lively, though. Iowa was favored by about 5 points at midweek.
Floyd of Rosedale odds
Minnesota has a 62-50-2 edge in the rivalry. The teams are (cough) dead even (cough, cough) at 42-42-2 with anti-vax Floyd or bronze trophy Floyd on the line.
The Land of 10,000 Lakes hasn’t embraced statewide sports wagering yet, but Minnesota fans who make the trip to Iowa can certainly find a WiFi spot to download an Iowa sportsbook, open an account and place a wager. In fact, DraftKings Sportsbook IA has a great offer for fans who want to give it a try.
Iowa doesn’t have online casino games but Minnesota travelers on Interstate 35 will find Diamond Jo Worth Casino just inside the Iowa border. Riverside Casino & Golf Resort is just 15 miles south of Kinnick Stadium too. There are a lot of ways to bet on the Iowa Hawkeyes this weekend.
How to watch the Floyd of Rosedale game
- What: Minnesota (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) at Iowa (7-2, 4-2)
- When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City
- TV: BTN
2021-22 bowl game projections — Floyd of Rosedale edition
Iowa’s major bowl hopes don’t have cholera, but there are sniffles in the hog lot. The No. 20 Hawkeyes moved up two spots in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff Selection Committee top 25. They’ll need to be in the top 10 neighborhood or win the Big Ten Conference championship for a New Year’s Six bowl berth. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz wants his team focused on Minnesota. He told reporters:
“There’s plenty of opportunity out there for us. Plenty of opportunity for a lot of teams in our conference. It will be interesting to watch see what happens over the next couple of weeks for sure. For us it’s pretty easy. Our focus has to be on what’s in front of us — three tough competitive games in front of us.”
Vegas is a popular destination among the bowl guessers this week:
Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 30)
- Stewart Mandel at The Athletic — vs. UCLA
- Mark Schlabach at ESPN — vs. UCLA
- College Football News — vs. UCLA
- Erick Smith at USA Today — vs. Oregon State
Music City Bowl (Dec. 30 in Nashville)
- Steven Lassan at Athlon Sports — vs. Arkansas
- Bill Bender at Sporting News — vs. Kentucky
Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1 in Orlando)
- Kyle Bonagura at ESPN — vs. Ole Miss
- Jerry Palm at CBS — vs. Texas A&M
Big Ten odds for Week 11
11 a.m. games
- No. 6 Michigan at Penn State (ABC)
- Northwestern at No. 18 Wisconsin (ESPN2)
- Rutgers at Indiana (BTN)
2:30 p.m. games (unless noted)
- No. 19 Purdue at No. 4 Ohio State (ABC)
- Minnesota at No. 20 Iowa (BTN)
- Maryland at No. 7 Michigan State (3 p.m. Fox)
CFB odds from other top 25 games
Friday, Nov. 12
- No. 5 Cincinnati at South Florida (6:30 p.m. ESPN)
Saturday Nov. 13
11 a.m. games
- New Mexico State at No. 2 Alabama (SEC Network)
- No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 13 Baylor (Fox)
- Mississippi State at No. 17 Auburn (ESPN)
- No. 24 Utah at Arizona (1 p.m. Pac-12 Network)
2:30 p.m. games
- No. 1 Georgia at Tennessee (CBS)
- Southern Miss at No. 23 UTSA (ESPN+)
6:30 p.m. games (unless noted)
- No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 15 Ole Miss (6 p.m. ESPN)
- No. 9 Notre Dame at Virigina (ABC)
- No. 16 North Carolina State at No. 12 Wake Forest (ACC Network)
- No. 25 Arkansas at LSU (SEC Network)
- TCU at No. 10 Oklahoma State (7 p.m. Fox)
9:30 p.m. games
- Washington State at No. 3 Oregon (ESPN)
- Nevada at No. 22 San Diego State (CBS Sports Network)
