Iowa Football's biggest game of the season will be played in front of a sold-out crowd

Iowa is coming off a bye week and will play its biggest game of the 2025-2026 season.

The Hawkeyes entered the bye week with a 6-2 (4-1 Big Ten) record and an outside chance to make the Big Ten Title game and the College Football Playoff.

Iowa's only two losses came against ranked teams (No. 14 Iowa State, No. 11 Indiana) and by a total of eight points.

As Iowa enters its final four-game stretch of the season, it firmly controls its own destiny, but has three tough games ahead of it.

The first opponent standing in the way: Oregon.

The Oregon Ducks started the season hot, winning five of their first six games, including a thrilling 30-24 victory in double overtime against Penn State.

Their victory over Penn State broke the Nittany Lions, starting a chain reaction of losses that ultimately led to James Franklin's firing.

The Oregon Ducks (7-1, 6-1 Big Ten) are in the title picture just behind Indiana and Ohio State, and the Hawkeyes would love nothing more than to beat them at home and throw a curveball into the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff picture.

Before Iowa's matchup against the Ducks this Saturday, the University of Iowa announced there will not be an empty seat in the house.

In a battle of the birds, Kinnick Stadium will be soldout for a pivotal Big Ten matchup.

This game will be won in the trenches as both the Hawkeyes and the Ducks love to run the football to get the offense going.

Iowa ranks No. 39 in rushing yards per game (185.3) and leans on its offensive line to open up big holes for the run game.

Oregon ranks even higher in rushing yards per game at No. 9 overall (237.0).

Oregon is also ranked as the No. 1 defense against the pass (126.4 yards per game), so the Hawkeyes will have to establish the run early.

This will be an old-school battle of big men in the trenches on a cold Saturday afternoon in Iowa City as Iowa has aspirations for a Big Ten title and its first CFP appearance.