Battling it out at the inaugural Corn Bowl

Iowans like corn. (Do you call them "Iowans?" Is that how you spell it?) They have an Iowa Corn Office, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the Iowa Corn Growers Association. You'd think Saturday's game between IU and the University of Iowa would be played in a big silo. (Do they put corn in silos?)\nSo, what does that have to do with the price of corn in Iowa? Or football, for that matter? Well, not a thing, except that we should start calling the Hoosier-Hawkeye match-up the Corn Bowl.\nHere're the vital signs concerning corn.\n• Iowans (we'll call them that, no matter how you spell it) grew 1.7 billion bushels -- bushels check in at 56 pounds each -- of corn last year. That's more than enough to feed all 112 of Iowa's football players more than 850 million pounds of corn apiece. \n• Indiana produced 850 million, 850 thousand bushels last year. IU could feed each of its 97 players 491 million pounds of corn. That's almost 360 million more pounds for each player at Iowa. So the Hoosiers don't have the corn-per-player factor in their corner. \n• The only time in the last 20 years that Iowa hasn't led the country in corn production came in 1993 during the Mississippi River floods. The last time Iowa was ranked No. 1 in the nation in football was 1985. The Corn Bowl wasn't played that year, thanks to the alternating Big Ten schedule and to the blatant disappointment of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. \n• Indiana ranked fifth in the country in corn production last season. But the last time IU was ranked fifth in the nation -- let alone the Big Ten -- native Americans were showing the Pilgrims how to grow corn. \nHere's the vital signs, concerning non-corn factors.\n• IU has 37,000 students, Iowa has 28,000. \n• Bloomington has about 70,000 residents, Iowa City has about 70,000 \n• IU boasts graduates Jane Pauley and Dick Enberg of NBC, Iowa claims NBC's Tom Brokaw. \n• The communication manager at the Iowa Corn Office, Edith Munro, is a Hoosier native. Munro attended Earlham College and has been working with corn for 20 years. "If you have any questions about corn, call me," she said. \n It's hard to say who Munro would pull for in the Corn Bowl, but lately, the good money has been on the Hoosiers. \n Despite IU's trailing most teams on the football field and constant trailing of Iowa in the corn field, IU has battled the Hawkeyes ear to ear (of corn) lately. \nIowa leads the all-time Corn Bowl series 35-24-4, but IU has captured the corn each of the last three seasons. Prior to that, Iowa shucked the Hoosiers three straight times. \nIowa coach Kirk Ferentz hasn't beaten the Hoosiers since he arrived in corn country three years ago. Coach Cam Cameron has a winning record against one Big Ten team -- Iowa. \nSee, huge Corn Bowl potential.\nNow all the series needs is a prize for the winner, something like the Old Oaken Bucket. IU has two trophies, the Oaken Bucket with Purdue and the Brass Spittoon with Michigan State. Iowa plays Minnesota for a pig named the Floyd of Rosedale and Iowa State for the Cy-Hawk Trophy. \nIU and Iowa will play for a half-eaten ear of corn speckled with red and gold kernels called the "Half-Eaten-Ear-of-Corn-Speckled-With-Red-and-Gold-Kernels Trophy." The losing school will be responsible for getting the new ear each season and painting the red kernels. The winning team gets to eat the half that gets eaten.\nSo, there it is, Hoosier and Hawkeye fans. You'll be able to throw out all the numbers -- bushels, ears, rankings, points and records -- when IU and Iowa meet in the first annual Corn Bowl Saturday in Iowa City. Get your overalls and combines ready.