Iowa Hawkeyes football game-by-game predictions for the 2024 season

Iowa football will be here in one week, that is right let me say it again. Iowa. Football. Is. Back.

The joys and pitfalls of watching football are within our grasp and I for one am excited to see what the Hawkeyes have in store this season. Cade McNamara has been the starting quarterback, the offensive line is being finalized, the running back group is as strong as ever, and the wide receiver room will hopefully follow suit.

Iowa is coming off a Big Ten Championship appearance from last season, even with how horrible the offense was. If there is one thing Phil Parker knows how to do, it is put together a dominant defense and he is ready to do it again this season.

So looking at the season ahead, we are going to make game-by-game predictions for every game of the season.

Win

Even though Iowa will be without head coach Kirk Ferentz, wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr, wide receiver Kaleb Brown, and offensive lineman Cade Borud due to suspensions. Ferentz and Budmayr are serving suspensions for recruiting violations and Brown and Borud are serving suspensions for OWI charges from the summer.

Even with the suspensions, there shouldn't be any problems for Iowa against Illinois State. Assistant coaches will jump in and it should be a fairly easy win, but everyone will be knocking off rust from the offseason. It will be a good measuring stick for the offense, to say the least.

Loss

This will be a tough game no matter how you look at it. While Iowa has the advantage of playing at home, this is an in-state rivalry and Iowa State is looking like a strong team this year. Not only do the Cyclones have a strong offense, but they also have a shutdown defense, and with all the questions surrounding the Iowa offense, it could turn ugly.

If it comes down to offenses, Iowa State will probably get the win, but if it comes down to defenses, it goes Iowa's way. This is a tough game to pick, but with all the unknowns with the offense, this one will probably go to the Cyclones who just seem like the more complete team between the two.

Win

The final non-conference game of the season for Iowa should be another fairly easy one. Troy can come out with talent but with the rust officially all off by the third game of the season, the Hawkeyes should have no problems getting a win in this game.

Getting a win against Troy will be big, even if the competition does not seem that way. Heading into Big Ten play 2-1 versus 1-2 is very different. It is better to get into Big Ten play ahead of the game instead of behind it.

Win

This was a matchup last season that Iowa lost all due to a stupid call that it was a fair catch. The Hawkeyes have their eyes set on revenge this season and are ready to get it. Minnesota is bringing in a new quarterback this season who had great stats in the FCS, but he is in the FBS now where the competition is tougher.

The defense will probably be the toughest to go up against, but Phil Parker's defense is pretty stiff and can give any offense a run for its money. This should be a win and a great way to start out Big Ten play, especially before the big game against Ohio State.

Loss

Ohio State is rated as the best team in the Big Ten right now and while Iowa's defense is great and gives the offense a run for its money, this might be too big of an offense even for the Iowa defense. Unless the Buckeyes come out with a flat offense, this is going to be a tough matchup to come away with a victory for the Hawkeyes.

The defense for Ohio State is no slouch either so with the Iowa offense having so many unknowns right now it is hard to predict anything other than a loss. However, as we all know, any team can be given on any given day.

Win

Washington is new to the Big Ten this season and even though they were in the National Championship last season, they are nowhere near the same team. Right now they are a copy of Arizona from last season after Jedd Fisch left for the Huskies.

There are a lot of new things for Washington this season and while they have a solid roster, that is going to be a long trip for the Huskies to take. Iowa should be able to shut down the offense and send the Huskies home with a loss.

Win

Michigan State is in a bit of a rebuild right now and with the way they are looking, they are a bit of a question mark this season. They have good talent, but can they sustain it and turn it into a winning team in a really tough conference?

This will be a tough game at Michigan State, but even in a hostile environment, Iowa should be able to walk away with a win. After facing two tough teams in Ohio State and Washington, Iowa might be happy to see a team that isn't one of the top ones in the conference. Should be a win for the Hawkeyes, but it could truly go either way.

Win

At home and against Northwestern, this should definitely be a win for Iowa, but it could also be looked at as a trap game. Northwestern will probably be one of the teams at the bottom of the conference this season, but that means they can be one of the most dangerous.

A team at the bottom of the conference can simply play spoiler all season. Depending on what is going on at the quarterback position, backup Brendan Sullivan could see the field against his former team. It could be a really fun matchup to see, all in all, it should be a game in the win column for the Hawkeyes.

Win

This is a really interesting matchup as I feel these teams are more equally matched than most people might think. There were a lot of questions about Wisconsin's new quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, but he is proving himself in fall camp.

Iowa on the other hand has questions about the quarterback position. This will be Luke Fickell's second year with the BAdgers and he has shown he knows how to coach a good team adn Wisconsin is a good team. This is one of the most intriguing matchups for Iowa this season and could go either way, but I'm giving Iowa the edge here.

Loss

Now don't freak out here. Yes, UCLA does not look like a huge threat in the Big Ten this season, but Iowa will be riding a win streak at this point if the predictions are true and UCLA might just be the trap game that gets the Hawkeyes.

The Bruins have some good qualities and yes they have a new coach, but they aren't striking fear in a lot fo opponents. That is exactly what makes them scary and Iowa could fall prey to that. Plus this will be a long road trip for the Hawkeyes and that does play into it as well.

Win

Maryland just lost their starting quarterback and they are not looking as strong as they have in the past. This is an away game so that adds to the difficulty, but there isn't a lot to fear this season when it comes to Maryland. This should definitely be a win and a big one as the season is nearing an end.

Win

No one knows how Nebraska will be this season behind new quarterback Dylan Raiola. He could come out and dominate, or he could come out and look like a freshman and struggle a lot and Nebraska will be right back where they started.

This will be senior night for the Hawkeyes so that always adds more incentive. This should be a win for Iowa and they should close the season strong at 9-3.