A pig, tomahawk, bucket and wooden box at stake in Big Ten rivalry games

A pig, tomahawk, bucket, and wooden box at stake in Big Ten rivalry games

football trophies

Rivalry week has arrived in the Big Ten, and spaces are being cleared in trophy cases stretching from Minneapolis to State College.

At stake Saturday: a bronze pig, a tomahawk, a bucket and a giant wooden box celebrating the nation’s two oldest land-grant universities. OK, so the last one is a little lame, but this year, the Penn State-Michigan State clash is even more important than The Game (Ohio State-Michigan). Not only will the winner hoist the Land Grant Trophy, but also the hardware everyone covets — the Big Ten championship trophy. Two of the other games have major bowl implications, while Purdue will bid farewell to its all-time winningest coach. Here’s a closer look at the Big Ten’s four trophy games Saturday.