No. 19 Iowa gets Purdue at home this week, and the matchup comes with a few moving parts worth watching beyond the final score.
One of the biggest questions sits right in the middle of the offensive line. Starting center Cael Winter missed Iowa’s game against the Wildcats, and Michael Myslinski stepped in and handled the starting duties Saturday night.
On Monday morning, Iowa’s depth chart still had Myslinski listed as the starter. The sixth-year lineman, who received a medical hardship waiver to participate in the 2026 season, made his first career start against Northwestern and appears set for a second straight start against the Boilermakers unless Kirk Ferentz offers another update.
There’s also a new face on the other sideline in a familiar setting. Purdue head coach Barry Odom will coach against Iowa for the first time in that role, though he has seen the Hawkeyes before.
He was an assistant at Missouri when it played Iowa in the 2010 bowl game. Odom said Monday that Ferentz is a “hall of fame-level coach” and called Iowa “solid in every single area.”
He also said he’s looking forward to taking part in The Wave for the first time during his first trip to Iowa City.
Purdue’s defense is another major storyline, especially after Odom announced he dismissed defensive coordinator Kevin Kane following last week’s loss to Maryland. Odom said the defensive staff has helped build the plan for Iowa, but he did not say who will handle the play-calling until after the game.
The numbers tell the story of a unit that has struggled all season: Purdue is 124th nationally in scoring defense, giving up 32.3 points per game, while also allowing more than 400 yards per game and nearly 250 passing yards per game. Outside of its two Big Ten wins, Purdue has given up at least 31 points in every game but its opener against Indiana State.
Iowa’s ground game is still adjusting after Kamari Moulton’s season-ending injury at Minnesota, and LJ Phillips is one of the players the Hawkeyes were hoping would take a step forward. He did that against Northwestern, posting his first 100-yard game. Even so, the ball security issues Iowa has dealt with remain part of the picture.
And with Selection Sunday getting closer, the stakes around every game keep tightening. Iowa is still on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff, and the second CFP rankings will be revealed Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN. That will give the Hawkeyes a better read on where they stand, but the clearest path forward is simple: keep winning.
In Other News...
Iowa Depth Chart Hints At An O-Line Shakeup Before Purdue
The Week 11 depth chart from the University of Iowa Athletics Department offered a notable look at how the Hawkeyes may line up up front heading into Purdue, with LJ Phillips listed as a starter for the first time since transferring. Michael Myslinkski is now shown at center, while Gene Riordan appears as the backup at right tackle, a set of changes that suggests Iowa is still sorting through its best combination in the trenches as the season enters its stretch run.
It comes at a time when the Hawkeyes remain No. 16 in the rankings with a 7-2 record, so even small shifts on the offensive line carry real weight. Purdue has already made a change of its own by firing defensive coordinator Kevin Kane, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game Iowa will approach with both its standing and its line stability in focus. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas Defense Just Sent Another Message With Three Games Left
With Northwestern down to backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol after Aidan Chiles was likely out, Iowas defense had to make a quick adjustment and still looked every bit like one of the nations better units. Marchiol completed 24 of 32 passes for 181 yards with one touchdown and added 52 rushing yards, but the Hawkeyes kept the pressure on all afternoon, finishing with six sacks in a 24-10 win.
It was the kind of performance that has become familiar in Iowa City, where the defense has stayed steady even as opponents try to change plans on the fly. With three games left, the bigger question is how much more this group can still raise the bar, especially if it keeps forcing opponents to play from behind and make tough decisions under center. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Enters Its First Real Test Week With One Roster Question
Iowas basketball season is still young, but the schedule is about to sharpen quickly. The women are 2-1 after wins over Towson and Eastern Illinois and a loss to UConn, while the men are off to a 2-0 start with victories over Lipscomb and Eastern Illinois as they head toward a tougher stretch that includes Virginia Tech and Creighton.
Amid that early-season momentum, one roster question remains on the mens side: Andrew McKeever has yet to make his debut. The transfer is dealing with a back injury, leaving Iowa without a piece it expected to evaluate before the nonconference tests start piling up, and his status is one of the few lingering unknowns as the Hawkeyes move into a more demanding part of the calendar. [Read more 🡒]