Iowa Football '24 Game-By-Game Predictions

Forecast for Hawkeyes in the Fall

Iowa Football Swarm (Photo: Rob Howe/HN) /

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The seasons arrive faster these days. It makes sense. Time moves faster with time. 

Here's goods news, though. We gain knowledge and perspective over time. 

Sorry, there's more bad news. That doesn't much impact sports predictions. We're pretty much still pulling you-know-what out of our you-know-what. 

Yet, we push on. Around here, around this time of year, that means Iowa Football prognostications. They can arrive packaged as game-by-game predictions. 

Game 1 - Illinois State 

11 AM CT, Saturday, Aug. 31, Kinnick Stadium

Skinny: On paper, where you may have heard, games are not played, this should be Iowa's "easiest" competition of 2024. If the Hawkeyes are going to be as good as many of us expect them to be, this is a lay-up win. 

No need to deep dive into this one. The Redbirds call one of the country's top FCS conferences home. Still, finishing .500 in said league the last two seasons should not equate to hanging with the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. 

ISU Fun Fact (football related): Kansas State transfer Jake Rubley, who is competing for ISU's starting quarterback position, played his senior prep season at West Des Moines Valley. He reported an Iowa scholarship offer. 

ISU Fun Fact (non-football related): Illinois State’s Gamma Phi Circus dates to 1926, and is the oldest collegiate circus in the United States and one of only two still in existence.

Game Prediction: Comfortable Iowa Win. 

Game 2 - Iowa State 

2:30 PM CT, Saturday, Sept. 7, Kinnick Stadium

Skinny: There are folks out there that claim they'd be OK with this game going away or, at least, not being played annually. Hogwash. It should be a thing every single season, a celebration for the state. This installment should be a doozy. They're both worthy of being in the Preseason Top 25, meaning they're thinking College Football Playoff. It shapes up like a defensive struggle on paper, but series history tells us to expect the unexpected. It also has settled into a matchup where a few key plays are the difference most years. 

ISU Fun Fact (football related): Following an Iowa State victory in 1895, The Chicago Tribune wrote: “Northwestern might as well have tried to play football with an Iowa cyclone as with the Iowa team it met yesterday." They've been the Cyclones ever since. 

ISU Fun Fact (non-football related): Former slave George Washington Carver enrolled at ISU in 1891 and earned a bachelor's degree in 1894. An expert in botany and horticulture, he was appointed to the college's faculty, becoming the university's first African American faculty member. 

Game Prediction: Hold-on-to-your-ass-into-the-fourth-quarter Iowa victory. 

Game 3 - Troy

3 PM CT, Saturday, Sept. 14, Kinnick Stadium

Skinny: The Trojans have enjoyed a successful run, posting a 23-5 record during the last two seasons. That led to their head coach jetting for Tulane and Sunbelt Conference folk wondering if the two-time defending league champions might be knocked from their perch. They lost a lot to graduation, testing the program's depth in '24. New faces in old places with a new coach often means growing pains early in the season. Maybe Troy would be more prepared for a Big Ten road game later in the year, but not in Week 3 against one of the conference's better teams. 

Troy Fun Fact (football related): In 1971, Troy fielded its first integrated squad when Cliff Dunham became the first African American football player in school history. 

Troy Fun Fact (non-football related): Troy has built a reputation for educating educators since opening in 1887, when an act of the Alabama Legislature established Troy State Normal School as an institution to train teachers for Alabama’s schools.

Game Prediction: Comfortable Iowa Win. 

Game 4 - Minnesota

TBD, Saturday, Sept. 21, Huntington Bank Stadium

Skinny: Casual college football fans probably are unfamiliar with Max Brosmer. Those people and others in the Iowa fan base hope they become acquainted with him in Week 4 while he's on his back a lot. The quarterback transfer from New Hampshire takes over the Gopher controls after being 247Sports' top-ranked FCS QB in the portal this cycle. He'll ride what should be a good running game and sound defense through the first three games, but he'll need to make some plays in this one. The best defense he's ever faced will make sure of it. 

Minnesota Fun Fact (football related): The famous Minnesota phrase Ski-U-Mah (SKY-YOU-MAH) dates back to 1884 when two Minnesota rugby players, John W. Adams and Win Sargent, wanted to think of a fitting team yell. Years earlier, Adams heard a young Native American boy yell "Ski-oo!" after a victorious canoe race on Lake Pepin (in southeastern Minnesota). Adams and Sargent added "Mah" to represent the University of Minnesota. The phrase is now used to proclaim Victory for Minnesota.

Minnesota Fun Fact (non-football related): The University of Minnesota has the second largest student population in the nation, with approximately 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students visiting campus on a daily basis.

Game Prediction: Goldy ekes one out even without a favorable call on an Iowa punt return. 

Game 5 - Ohio State

TBD, Saturday, Oct. 5, Ohio Stadium

Skinny: The Buckeyes will be coming off of a rivalry game at Michigan State,  while Iowa will be arriving in Columbus following a bye. Will it matter? The Hawkeyes have lost eight in a row at The Shoe, the last win coming in '91 following a mass shooting on the UI campus. A 54-10 OSU win there two years ago was one of the few times you'll see Iowa embarrassed. The Buckeyes are beefed up from the transfer portal, continue to recruit with the best in the country and won't take Iowa lightly. The Hawkeyes can't play much worse than they did in '22, but it's hard seeing a path to anything more than a moral victory until their offense shows us something. You ain't winning this one with just defense and special teams. 

OSU Fun Fact (football related): The tradition of placing Buckeye Leaves on the Ohio State helmets started in 1968 when Woody Hayes and longtime trainer Ernie Biggs changed the look of the Ohio State uniforms. The new look included names on the back of the jerseys and a wide “Buckeye stripe” on the sleeves of the jersey believed to be the first of its kind in the sport of football.

OSU Fun Fact (non-football related): Orton Hall is one of the most iconic buildings on The Ohio State University campus. It, along with Hayes Hall, which is across the Oval from Orton Hall, were both completed in 1893, and both are on the National Register of Historic Places. Orton Hall is one of the most fascinating buildings in the world. It is the only one we know of that was intentionally designed to reflect geologic time, and its architecture is a reflection of the geologic time scale.

Game Prediction: A non-woodshed-level win for the Buckeyes 

Game 6 - Washington

TBD, Saturday, Oct. 12, Kinnick Stadium

Skinny: Big changes arrived in Seattle this offseason. The Huskies saw their head coach jump to Alabama and their move to the Big Ten was completed. They'll face their first real road challenge in the new conference with only a trip to Rutgers under their belts to this point. Washington will be replacing a lot of on-field production in addition to the staff changes, including quarterback Michael Penix Jr., last year's Heisman Trophy runner-up. It added prolific passer Will Rogers from Mississippi State and other offensive pieces via the portal, though, and the previous staff did not leave the cupboard bare. 

Washington Fun Fact (football related): First played in 1900, 124 years ago, the Washington-Washington State matchup - The Apple Cup - was traditionally the final game of the regular season for both teams and generally took place on the Saturday preceding Thanksgiving. With the NCAA's extension of the regular season to twelve games in '06, the game was often played at a later date. With conference realignment, it's been moved to Game 3 in '24. 

Wasington Fun Fact (non-football related): The UW Quad’s signature Yoshino cherry trees are nearly 90 years old and were originally set in a grove at the Washington Park Arboretum. In early 1962, the school transplanted the trees to their current spot, bringing thousands of visitors to campus each spring. 

Game Prediction: Hawkeyes deliver winning, second-half plays with Huskies flinching against Kinnick crowd

Game 7 - Michigan State

TBD, Saturday, Oct. 19, Spartan Stadium

Skinny: Like Iowa did for its previous game, it will be watching a lot of PAC-12 film in preparing for the Spartans. Head coach Jonathan Smith takes over in East Lansing after a successful six-year run at Oregon State. The offensive outlook centers on talented quarterback Aidan Chiles, a dual-threat redshirt freshman who followed Smith from Corvallis to the Midwest. He'll have talented skill guys around him, but the line is a question mark. The D-Line also carries uncertainty, but if it gels well, the back seven is sound. MSU is one of the bigger mystery teams in the league this year. While beating one of the conference's top programs at home should be motivating, a Spartan would be a decent-sized upset. 

MSU Fun Fact (football related): Led by Kirk Gibson and Ed Smith, Michigan State won its fourth Big Ten title in school history with a record-breaking offense, averaging 37.8 points and 481.2 yards per game in 1978. The Spartans beat No. 5 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 14, 24-15, and finished 7-1 in the league standings, but NCAA probation prohibited MSU from playing in the Rose Bowl.

MSU Fun Fact (non-football related): Abrams Planetarium is primarily an astronomy education venue. The lobby holds exhibits about astronomy and a 141-seat theater with the Digistar 6 planetarium system. 

Game Prediction: Hawkeyes control trenches in grinding out well-earned road  victory

Game 8 - Northwestern

2:30 PM CT, Saturday, Oct. 26, Kinnick Stadium

Skinny: At this time a year ago, Northwestern was expected to be among the Big Ten's worst teams following the unceremonious firing of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald. Interim replacement David Braun, his staff and the student-athletes rallied for an improbable eight wins. Repeating that good fortune could be difficult with significant roster turnover. There is talent, however, and the Wildcats might surprise if the guys click early enough. They certainly had a history of springing upsets at Kinnick under Fitzgerald, and this could be a dangerous spot for the Hawkeyes with Wisconsin up next. 

Northwestern Fun Fact (football related): Purple has been associated with NU since 1879, when purple and gold replaced black and gold as the school colors.  In 1892, Royal Purple was made not only the official school color, but the symbol of the University.  The school’s athletic teams were unofficially called “The Purple” from the mid 1890s through the 1920s.  

Northwestern Fun Fact (non-football related): Armadillo Day (Dillo Day) began in 1972 when Northwestern University Texans held a small celebration in honor of the official mammal of their home state. More than 40 years later, Dillo Day is the largest student-run music festival in the nation.

Game Prediction: Home team prevails but visitors keep it closer than expected

Game 9 - Wisconsin

TBD, Saturday, Nov. 2, Kinnick Stadium

Skinny: Year 1 under head coach Luke Fickell left a lot to be desired in Madison. It matched the seven wins the year before his arrival. The seven victories the last two seasons are the fewest in a full season at Wisconsin since '08. A punchless offense hurt in '23, so the Badgers grabbed Miami transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke out of the portal. He should have a good supporting cast. Still, it remains to be seen if the air raid will work up north.  And the defense was good but not its usual dominant self last year. Maybe the new system kicks in, but we have to see it first, making the Badgers clear underdogs here. 

Wisconsin Fun Fact (football related): The Jump-Around tradition at Camp Randall Stadium celebrated its 25th anniversary last season. 

Wisconsin Fun Fact (non-football related): On the top of Bascom Hill, where the campus quad is located, there’s a statue of Abraham Lincoln in a chair. Students like to rub the statue’s foot for some good Abe luck on the first day of their finals each semester. 

Game Prediction: Iowa beats Badgers a third consecutive time for the first time since '02-05. 

Game 10 - UCLA

8 pm CT, Friday, Nov. 8, Rose Bowl Stadium

Skinny: I gotta admit, it's pretty cool thinking about Iowa playing a night game at the Rose Bowl in November. Not traditional, but still pretty cool. As for the game, the Iowa program is pretty far ahead of the Bruins at this point. Alumnus and former NFL running back DeShaun Foster takes over as head coach with Chip Kelly off to be Ohio State's offensive coordinator. We'll have a pretty good idea what UCLA is by this point in the season. If we're projecting the result in early August, the outlook is bleak. Respected NFL coach Eric Bieniemy takes over as offensive coordinator. He'll have his hands full as will new defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe. It should be noted that this roster is filled with talented players. But the rebuild is going to take time in Westwood.  

UCLA Fun Fact (football related): UCLA’s football team was also known as the “Grizzlies” at one point, but since University of Montana had prior rights to that name, UCLA changed it to “Bruins” in 1928.

UCLA Fun Fact (non-football related): UCLA’s colors are “True Blue” and gold, and were chosen specifically to represent the state’s ocean and wildflowers.

Game Prediction: Hawkeyes wear down UCLA en route to sealing the deal in the fourth quarter. 

Game 11 - Maryland

TBD, Saturday, Nov. 23, SECU Stadium

Skinny: While Iowa has a manageable schedule in Year 1 of the New Big Ten, heading to College Park after a trip to Los Angeles could be challenging. There is a bye week in between the contests, but that's still a lot of travel. As for this game late in the season, we have the storyline of Brian Ferentz serving as a Terrapin analyst after being relieved of his duties as Iowa's offensive coordinator last season. It really should have little impact on this game, however. At the time of publishing, Maryland had a quarterback competition with at least three candidates. Whoever wins it, will have talent around him. The Terrapins replaced lost production with portal pieces. How that all comes together will determine if they can build on winning 23 games and three bowls games the last three years or take a step backward. 

Maryland Fun Fact (football related): During Maryland home games, two giant pieces of the Maryland state flag are unfurled from the top of two student sections while a historical video set to the “2001: A Space Odyssey” theme song plays.

Maryland Fun Fact (non-football related): Maryland student and faculty created a computer program designed to beat Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings. It was a success. 

Game Prediction: It's not as easy as '21's trip to College Park but Hawkeyes win by one score 

Game 12 - Nebraska

6:30 pm CT, Friday, Nov. 29, Kinnick Stadium

Skinny: It will be a wild (and cold) atmosphere on Black Friday, hopefully with something on the line. That's what's missing in this rivalry. Rarely did meetings between the teams impact the B1G West Division. With the expanded College Football Playoff, chances are greater that this year-ender could factor into it. As for this edition of the Huskers, you'll hear rave reviews coming out of Lincoln. We always do. But will this be the year Nebraska even makes a bowl for the first time since '16? True freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola is being viewed as a savior by some folks, but that's a lot of pressure and a big jump with the defenses in this league. It does look like Matt Ruhl gets it and is building the program on defense first. It should be good on that side of the ball again. 

Nebraska Fun Fact (football related): Nebraska's football team had several nicknames, including Tree-planters, Rattlesnake Boys, Antelopes, Old Gold Knights and Bugeaters. The team was first called Cornhuskers in 1899. Charles "Cy" Sherman, sports editor of the Nebraska State Journal at the time, assigned the nickname. 

Nebraska Fun Fact (non-football related): The Innocents Society is the only Chancellor's Senior Honorary at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the oldest Nebraskan tradition. Since 1903, it's promoted school spirit. 

Game Prediction: Iowa sneaks out a victory in the Heroes Game version of the Ice Bowl. 

__________________

VERDICT: 10-2

LOSSES: Minnesota, Ohio State