Iowa’s 2026 schedule has the familiar Big Ten grind, a few softer landing spots, and plenty of games that should tell us a lot about what kind of team Kirk Ferentz is working with in his 28th season.
The biggest wrinkle is the roster itself. This is a group that will be leaning on a lot of new faces in starting roles, which makes the whole season feel like a test of how quickly Iowa can blend youth with its usual formula. With fall camp underway, the schedule sets up a pretty clear path to judge that.
The opener should be the kind of game Iowa likes to keep simple. It won’t turn into one of those massive national blowouts, but the Hawkeyes should have enough defense to control it, even if the offense starts slowly and settles for a couple field goals along the way.
Then comes Iowa State, and this is where the prediction gets more decisive. The last seven Cy-Hawk games have all been decided by 10 points or fewer, but that run is expected to end here. Iowa State’s rebuild is the big reason, and with the game set for night in Kinnick Stadium, plus Iowa trying to snap a two-game skid, the Hawkeyes are expected to take command.
The final tune-up before the heart of the schedule should be just that: a tune-up. Against an in-state FCS opponent, Iowa is projected to sort out some things on offense, get the defense rolling, and have the game under control by halftime.
Michigan presents a much tougher assignment. This is described as a brutal spot for Iowa to catch the Wolverines, and the timing matters.
The prediction says that if the matchup came about three weeks later, the score would be flipped. As it stands, Iowa is expected to struggle more offensively against a very physical Michigan team under Kyle Whittingham in his first year as head coach.
Ohio State is a different kind of challenge, but one Iowa is expected to handle better at home than most teams would. The Hawkeyes rarely get blown out in Kinnick against elite opponents, and the idea here is that Iowa keeps it tight into halftime before Ohio State’s offensive firepower eventually breaks through.
The road trip that follows is where Iowa is projected to show its edge. The Hawkeyes are viewed as dangerous when their backs are against the wall, and even more dangerous when they’re doubted away from home. That’s the setup here, and the pick is for Iowa to respond the way it often has after consecutive losses: by punching back.
The bye week comes at exactly the right moment, after a brutal stretch and before a six-game run that could feature Iowa as the favorite in several of those matchups.
Halloween in Kinnick is expected to favor Iowa against Wisconsin, especially with the Badgers potentially without their head coach by that point in the season. Iowa has taken control of this rivalry, and that trend is projected to continue.
Northwestern is next, and this one is expected to be ugly in the best Big Ten way possible - a mud-soaked, physical fight in Evanston. Northwestern is expected to be scrappy and to give Iowa a real battle, especially with the game tucked between other winnable matchups.
Purdue comes to Kinnick after that, and the numbers make the call easy. Purdue is 3-21 over the last two years and 0-18 in Big Ten play, so Iowa is expected to handle that one with ease.
Illinois is the one that could really make things interesting. That road game is called the biggest test of the stretch, because Illinois should be every bit as physical as Iowa and make it another bruising matchup. The location makes it tougher, and if Iowa is rolling going into it, this will be the game that asks whether the Hawkeyes can stay locked in.
Nebraska closes things out, and while it won’t be a replay of Iowa’s 2025 win in Lincoln, the Hawkeyes are still expected to find a way. Iowa’s recent control of the rivalry is a big part of the call, but the key factor here is the game being back in Iowa City. The prediction has the Hawkeyes pulling it out late again, this time with a touchdown as the clock nears zero.
In Other News...
Former Hawkeye Kaden Wetjen Is Already Turning Heads In Pittsburgh
Kaden Wetjen wasted little time making his first NFL appearance count for the Pittsburgh Steelers, flashing the same versatility that made him an intriguing draft pick out of Iowa. In the preseason opener, the former Hawkeye was involved on offense and special teams, finishing with two catches for 79 yards and a touchdown while also handling kick and punt return duties.
Wetjens debut gave Steelers fans an early look at why Pittsburgh used a fourth-round pick on him in the 2026 NFL Draft. For Iowa followers, it was a familiar sight: a player whose value stretches beyond one role, and whose next step will be just as much about carving out a consistent place in the offense as it is about continuing to impact the game in the return game. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas Quarterback Battle May Be Starting To Break One Way
The quarterback competition at Iowa has been tight enough that every practice rep carries weight, but a recent scrimmage at Kinnick Stadium offered the clearest sign yet that Jeremy Hecklinski is making a move. The battle to replace Mark Gronowski has centered on two co-No. 1 quarterbacks, and in this one snapshot, Hecklinski put together the kind of day that forces a closer look.
He completed 17 of 25 passes for 205 yards and five touchdowns, while head coach Kirk Ferentz was careful to note it was still only one of several practices in the process. Even so, Ferentz pointed to Hecklinskis improved decision-making and accuracy, the sort of traits that tend to matter most once a competition starts narrowing down to one guy. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas Offense Suddenly Has A New Reason For Real Optimism
For a program that has spent plenty of recent seasons trying to squeeze more production out of the passing game, Iowa has at least one area that now looks far less uncertain. The Hawkeyes are expected to get a meaningful boost from a wide receiver room that brings back Reece Vander Zee, Dayton Howard and KJ Parker, while also adding transfers Evan James and Tony Diaz, giving the offense a deeper and more varied mix of options than it had a year ago.
Kirk Ferentz said Vander Zee and Howard have shown considerable growth during fall camp, a sign that the group may be ready to take a real step forward. Iowa still has decisions to make at quarterback, but the bigger picture is encouraging enough: the Hawkeyes appear to have multiple weapons at receiver, running back and tight end, which at least gives the next starter a better support system than this offense has often enjoyed. [Read more 🡒]