Iowa football schedule 2020: Predicting every Iowa Hawkeyes game

November is the most important stretch of the Iowa football schedule.

Nov. 7: at Illinois Fighting Illini (Champaign, IL)

At 4-4, Iowa is running out of time to achieve bowl eligibility. The same thing applies to Lovie Smith’s Illinois Fighting Illini, who are looking to play in a holiday season bowl for the second consecutive season. With this game being in Champaign, Illinois will eke out a narrow victory to secure bowl eligibility a few weeks before Iowa does. Illinois, 24-21.

Nov. 14: Nebraska Cornhuskers

When the Nebraska Cornhuskers come to Kinnick, they’ll be in the midst of a bad losing streak that just won’t end. Big Red will be fired up to play in this rivalry game and will give the Hawkeyes their best effort. However, a tipped pass will result in an Iowa pick-six. Adrian Martinez thought he had a game-winning drive there for Nebraska but had it taken away from him. Iowa, 30-20.

Nov. 21: at Purdue Boilermakers (West Lafayette, IN)

Iowa has two shots left at achieving bowl eligibility. Their best chance is to beat the Purdue Boilermakers on the road. The question is if they’ll get it done. Rondale Moore has an incredible game for Purdue, but Iowa gets 17 points off Boilermaker turnovers. Without them, Iowa isn’t going bowl this year. With them, Iowa improves to 6-5 and can celebrate. Iowa, 31-28.

Nov. 28: Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers will have already clinched its spot in the Big Ten Championship Game where they will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in Indianapolis. Iowa is already going bowling, so this game has little factor in postseason outcomes. However, Wisconsin still has its slim playoff dreams alive. It’ll be close, but the Badgers prevail in Kinnick in late November. Wisconsin, 33-27.

Music City Bowl vs. Kentucky Wildcats (Nashville, TN)

Having bowl practices will be key for Iowa moving forward as a program into 2021. They’ll have a comparable matchup in the Music City Bowl vs. a slightly better than .500 Kentucky Wildcats team out of the SEC. Big Blue Nation will make the trek to Nashville and will want to win this game more than Iowa does. It’s another rough outing for what was a rough season for Iowa. Kentucky, 34-20.

To say it hit the fan for Iowa this year wouldn’t be entirely truthful. The Big Ten East draws of Ohio State and Penn State back-to-back ruined the Hawkeyes’ season before it even started. What this season shows us more than anything is that Iowa football is in need of a major revamping in 2021. It’s time to look for someone else to lead the program beyond Kirk Ferentz. He’ll end up retiring.

Prediction: 6-7 (4-5) 3rd Place Finish in Big Ten West

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