The Iowa football team is undefeated after three games. With nine games remaining, here’s my prediction of how they will finish the 2019 season.
Prior to the start of the season, I thought the Iowa football team could go 9-3 or 10-2 realistically with a 1 game swing in either direction not surprising me much. One of our contributing writers agreed as he picked the Hawkeyes to be 9-3 by season’s end.
Through three games though, he is already a bit off with his prediction as he thought the Iowa football team would lose the CyHawk rivalry game.
But things change on a week by week basis as we begin to learn more about each of these teams, and with a quarter of the season in the books, it’s time to refresh my predictions so I’m going game by game right here.
September 28th: Middle Tennesse State @ Iowa
As long as the Iowa football team isn’t looking ahead, this should be an easy win for the Hawkeyes against the 1-2 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. Moreover, the Hawks will have two weeks to prepare, and they will likely be getting a few key guys back from injury.
Prediction: Win
October 5th: Iowa @ Michigan
This one is tough, and quite honestly, my prediction could change based on how the Wolverines look today against Wisconsin, but in good faith, I can just not pick the Iowa football team to go on the road to Ann Arbor and win in one of the toughest environments in the country. If Michigan craps the bed against Wisconsin though, I would change my pick.
Prediction: Loss
October 12: Penn State @ Iowa
Penn State is still talented, but being ranked in #13 is way too rich for me. Sean Clifford and Journey Brown appear to be replacing Trace McSorley and Miles Sanders, but at home at Kinnick, I’m taking the Iowa football team. This isn’t like the past few years when the Hawks were just outmatched by Saqoun Barkley or they couldn’t close the deal (last year).
Prediction: Win
October 19th: Purdue @ Iowa
This game actually scares me a bit. Purdue has had the Iowa football team’s number recently beating the Hawks the last two seasons. Rondale Moore is a guy who could single-handedly beat Iowa, but outside of him, this team doesn’t scare me too much. Plus, some of these guys have only known defeat to the Boilermakers so they’ll be even more motivated to get the W.
Prediction: Win
October 26th: Iowa @ Northwestern
Northwestern has Iowa’s number, let’s just get out there and say it, but this Iowa football team seems different. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but more so than usual, they seem calm under pressure, particularly Nate Stanley. Plus, Northwestern isn’t as good as they have been in the past.
Prediction: Win
November 9th: Iowa @ Wisconsin
This game will likely decide the Big Ten West. If this is the deciding game, I’m taking the Hawks. If it’s not, then I am taking Wisconsin, and it’s going to be a low-scoring blood bath. I realize predicting a win here might be a hot take, but I wasn’t as high on Wisconsin coming into the season and they haven’t played anyone in their first three games. Again, we will learn a lot today when they take on Michigan, but for now, go Hawks.
Prediction: Iowa
November 16th: Minnesota @ Iowa
Minnesota looks like dumpster trash right now, and until they get a competent quarterback, their talented wide receivers won’t be enough to overcome the rest of the team’s deficiencies.
Prediction: Iowa
November 23rd: Illinois @ Iowa
It’s Illinois.
Prediction: Iowa
November 29th: Iowa @ Nebraska
If Nebraska has 9 or more wins going into this game, I think they should be favored to beat the Iowa football team, but if they have less than 8 wins, I think the Iowa football team will win. I get that Scott Frost brings a different attitude to this team, but not all of those guys are Scott Frost guys, and we saw last year with their early-season meltdown and even this year with the blown-lead in the 4th quarter, this team is not mentally tough. If they lose 2 more games prior, I think this team folds.
Prediction: Iowa
It’s bold, but I do think the Iowa football team has a real chance of going 11-1 this season. I also thought that last year before they lost four agonizingly close games to Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, and Northwestern.
One thing I can predict with certainty, it’s going to be a fun season with this talented group of kids.