Iowa, the defending Big Ten West champions, face a must-win situation in Week 6 against Minnesota. Here’s how to watch the game online.
After an undefeated regular season culminating in a division win last year, the Iowa Hawkeyes have fallen from grace. They started this year as the only Big Ten West team to get ranked, and after a solid start, they’re well behind Nebraska and Wisconsin in the pecking order.
A lot of people chalked up Iowa’s 12-0 season to an easy schedule. But they haven’t lost to quality teams so far. They lost to North Dakota State, although they’re far from your average FCS team, and Northwestern, while they needed a fourth quarter touchdown to get past Rutgers. And to make matters worse, they’ve lost their star wideout Matt VandeBerg for the year. However, they still have projected first round defensive back Desmond King to help guide them.
Meanwhile, Minnesota has gotten off to a better start than expected. They only just lost for the first time last week against Penn State. But any conference loss stings worse than a regular one. This one was no different, as they lost in overtime after Tyler Davis converted on a field goal on the last play.
But even in defeat, Minnesota proved that they’re a scrappy team that will be hard to kill off. They will certainly want to pile on the misery against the Hawkeyes, as the atmosphere at TCF Bank Stadium should be terrific. Meanwhile, a 4-1 start to the season would be a real success for first-year coach for Tracy Claeys.
Next: All live stream info in one place
This game will be broadcast on ESPN2. The best way to watch it online is through their streaming service WatchESPN. It is readily available on computers and mobile devices, but you’ll have to log in with your TV service provider.
Date: Saturday, October 8
Start time: 12 PM ET
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Stadium: TCF Bank Stadium
TV Info: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
As crazy as it sounds, not all hope is lost for the Hawkeyes. Both Wisconsin and Nebraska could finish the year with two losses since they still have to play Ohio State and each other. That means Iowa still has an outside chance of winning the Big Ten West, but only if they run the table. That’s why this game, and every other this season, is a must-win for them.