Even though the Hawkeyes have already qualified for bowl eligibility, they have a golden opportunity to improve the game they make with a win over Nebraska.
Iowa earned bowl eligibility after defeating Minnesota 41-3 in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale trophy, but has slightly stumbled down the final stretch.
After winning three consecutive games against Wisconsin, Penn State, and Minnesota, the Hawkeyes lost two straight before getting back on track with a hard-fought win against Michigan State.
Iowa has stayed relatively healthy over the past few months, but that changed against USC.
Three starting linemen, including Beau Stephens, Gennings Dunker, and Kade Pieper, spent time on the sidelines against USC and have been working their way back to full strength.
No one has been completely ruled out for Friday's game against Nebraska, and even with the offensive line being banged up, Mark Gronowski and the offense are not changing the attack strategy.
During a portion of his media availability this week ahead of the trip to Nebraska (posted by "247Sports"), Gronowski stated that they have the same plan of attack this week as they do every week.
Gronowski stated that Nebraska presents some unique challenges on defense as they try to confuse the quarterback with a bunch of different looks and blitzes.
The Nebraska defense has been much better against the pass (No. 2 overall) than the run (No. 93 overall) this season, which plays into the Hawkeyes' strategy.
Gronowski mentioned that, even with some offensive linemen nursing injuries, they are still going to "pound the rock" and try to take advantage of deep throws when Nebraska plays man coverage.
The Hawkeye offense has heavily relied on the offensive line all season, and that will not change on Friday morning.