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4 teams Iowa football is happy they escaped on their 2024 schedule

Thank goodness the Hawkeyes don't have to face these teams.

By Ericka Brockish

Dec 2, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (6) is tackled by Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Xavier Nwankpa (1) during the second half of the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (6) is tackled by Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Xavier Nwankpa (1) during the second half of the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
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The college football season is about to start, teams have been gearing up and looking at their schedule for months now figuring out how to game plan against every opponent. Each team is different, and how Iowa can beat one team could be different from what they need to do to beat another.

Looking at Iowa's 2024 football schedule, they definitely play some heavy hitters, of course, the biggest name you immediately take notice of is Ohio State. However, there are some other teams that are going to be tough such as Washington, Wisconsin, and even Iowa State which isn't in the Big Ten.

However, there are some teams that the Hawkeyes avoid having to play this season, including most of the top teams in the Big Ten. Of course, any team is going to be tough because every team will bring their best to every game, but some opponents are a little more daunting than others.

With the College Football Playoff expanding this season, the Hawkeyes have a better chance of making it without a conference championship under their belt. So not having to face some of these teams could help them reach that mountain.

So here are four teams the Hawkeyes give a sigh of relief that they don't have to play in the regular season this year.

Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks are about to play their first season in the Big Ten and they are already projected to do well. Dan Lanning and Dillon Gabriel have taken the conference by storm and they are a team that is feared by almost every team in the Big Ten.

Lanning's team is stacked in every phase. The defense is scary and even though Gabriel is new to the system, he proved at both UCF and Oklahoma that he has what it takes to go to any program and be an elite quarterback.

Michigan Wolverines

The reigning National Champions may have lost some firepower this season, but they are still Michigan and they are still a dangerous team. One things that Jim Harbaugh did in his time at Michigan was recruit and recruit well, even if sometimes he got in trouble for it. However that means that he had backups that were better than some starters on other teams.

New head coach Sherrone Moore showed he can win when he took over for three games last season during Harbaugh's suspension, but now he has to do it for a full season. Even so, Michigan is still a dangerous team and not having to face them is something the Hawkeyes can be happy about.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State always seems to be a team in the mix of everything every season as James Franklin has shown he knows how to run that program very well. Iowa was shut out by Penn State last season and it was an embarrassment on the offensive side of the ball.

Iowa seems to battle Penn State a lot, but they only have a 14-18 record against the Nittany Lions. All-in-all, the HAwkeyes can let out a deep breath knowing they don't have to face this thorn in the side this season.

USC Trojans

USC is another newcomer to the Big Ten this season and even though they lost Caleb Williams to the NFL, they still have Lincoln Riley as their coach. The Trojans still have a lot of potential this season and the one thing that Iowa can be happy about is that they don't have to travel to California twice this season as they already have to face UCLA at home.

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