Iowa football schedule 2020: Predicting every Iowa Hawkeyes game
By John Buhler
The Iowa football schedule gets much tougher in October.
Oct. 3: Michigan State Spartans
34. 878. Prediction. 17. 805
If there is a team to short this year in the Big Ten, it would have to be the Michigan State Spartans. Even though they weren’t the least bit good of late under former head coach Mark Dantonio, it’s going to be a trying year to say the least for his successor Mel Tucker. Though he’ll get it right at some point, Sparty isn’t anything close to a bowl-caliber team in 2020. Iowa, 34-17.
Oct. 10: at Ohio State Buckeyes (Columbus, OH)
812. Prediction. 20. 878. 45
It will be quite the leap up in Big Ten East competition when Iowa takes on the Ohio State Buckeyes in The Horseshoe. No, it’s not going to go well for Kirk Ferentz’s team. They will lose the instant they step off the bus and head into the Ohio Stadium locker room. We’re going to see one of Justin Fields‘ best games of the season at Iowa’s expense. Ohio State, 45-20.
Oct. 17: at Penn State Nittany Lions (University Park, PA)
806. Prediction. 23. 878. 37
You better believe that brutal loss to Ohio State will carry over into the following week. Iowa has to play another playoff-contending team on the road out of the Big Ten East in James Franklin’s Penn State Nittany Lions. Though it won’t be as bad of a horror show for the Iowa faithful, it will be another easy victory for what should be a very good Penn State team. Penn State, 37-23.
Oct. 24: Northwestern Wildcats
882. 35. 878. Prediction. 17
I have a feeling the Northwestern Wildcats will be everyone’s punching bag in Big Ten play this year. We like Pat Fitzgerald as a head coach, but Iowa will put a thorough beatdown of the Wildcats after suffering back-to-back awful losses to Ohio State and Penn State on the road. This convincing victory for the Hawkeyes gets them back to .500 before Halloween. Iowa, 35-17.