They're separated by only 300 miles but seem to occupy different worlds.
Big city vs. college town. Hipster culture vs. agriculture. Young, energetic football coach vs. tried-and-true, consistent veteran.
And come 5:30 on Saturday evening, the worlds of Minnesota and Iowa collide when the Gophers invade Kinnick Stadium. At stake are bragging rights for another year and, of course, Floyd of Rosedale, the 98-pound bronze statue of a prized hog that will either stay in Iowa City or move north to Minneapolis.
A new chapter in the rivalry begins Saturday with P.J. Fleck in his first trophy game as Minnesota's coach. An Illinois native, Fleck was somewhat familiar with the fight for Floyd, but he made it a point to learn more.
"That's what this whole week is, is educating our players of how lucky they are to be in rivalries like this and educating what the rivalries are all about," Fleck said. "You're playing for more than just us. You're playing for the tradition of the rivalry — everybody who played in it before you and our team, and everybody who's going to play in it after you."
Fleck was reminded quickly upon taking the Gophers job that beating Iowa — and Wisconsin — should be atop his priority list.
"I can't tell you how many tweets I had, 'Beat Iowa. Beat Wisconsin.' That's all they said," he said. "And I had the typical, 'Hey, if you only win two games all year, make sure you beat Iowa and Wisconsin.' "
Beating Iowa (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) will be no easy task for the Gophers (4-3, 1-3). The Hawkeyes have won two in a row in the series, 12 of the past 16 and seven in a row in Iowa City. They feature a stingy defense led by All-America linebacker Josey Jewell, and that will be a challenge for sophomore quarterback Demry Croft, expected to make his first road start for the Gophers.