Saturday night at New Ryan Field brings a Big Ten matchup with plenty hanging over it, and the national picks are split on which 6-2 team will come out on top.
Iowa heads to Chicago fresh off a 30-0 win over Wisconsin, a game that gave the Hawkeyes a needed reset. The defense was sharp again, and Hank Brown handled the offense well enough to earn another start this week.
Northwestern, meanwhile, is trying to shake off a 34-26 road loss to Oregon and may have to do it with a different quarterback situation. With Aidan Chiles doubtful, the Wildcats are most likely turning to West Virginia transfer Nicco Marchiol, who has attempted one pass this season.
The experts aren’t seeing this one the same way.
Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon is taking Northwestern, 27-23, though that pick came before the Chiles news surfaced. USA Today is also leaning Wildcats, with three of its five experts picking Northwestern; those selections were made before the quarterback update as well.
Fox Sports has the Hawkeyes getting more support, with two of its three experts backing Iowa. Dave Portnoy pointed to Brown’s steady play and Iowa’s defense in explaining the pick: "Hank Brown has been steady for the Hawkeyes under center and this squad seems to be finding its footing again offensively. Combine that with one of the nation’s better defenses and I think they can stymie whatever offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has up his sleeve for Northwestern."
Athlon Sports is the most decisive of the bunch, with all three of its experts choosing Iowa to win.
In Other News...
Iowa Defense Faces A New Twist In Crucial Northwestern Road Test
Iowa heads to Northwestern with the same familiar edge that has defined so many meetings in this series, but this one comes with a different kind of wrinkle. The Hawkeyes have owned the matchup historically and beat the Wildcats convincingly a year ago, yet the road test now carries extra intrigue because Northwestern is likely to be operating with a different quarterback than expected.
Aidan Chiles is expected to miss the game because of injury, which pushes Nicco Marchiol into the starting role and changes the way Iowa has to prepare for the Wildcats offense. For a Hawkeye defense that has leaned on its rushing stops and steady playmakers all season, the challenge is not just handling a backup quarterback but adjusting to whatever new looks Northwestern decides to lean on in a game that already feels important in the Big Ten race. [Read more 🡒]
McKenna Woliczko Already Looks Like A Problem For Iowa Opponents
McKenna Woliczko wasted little time making her presence felt for Iowa, scoring a game-high 22 points in the Hawkeyes 80-39 win over Eastern Illinois. In a game that also featured 21 forced turnovers, Iowa looked sharper in its passing and more engaged defensively than it did in the season opener, a welcome sign for a team still sorting out its early-season identity.
The bigger test, of course, is coming fast. Iowas schedule now turns toward No. 2 UConn, along with matchups against UNI and Vanderbilt, and Woliczkos early scoring punch gives the Hawkeyes another weapon to lean on as the competition stiffens. What she can do against a mid-major is one thing, but the next stretch should tell a lot more about how quickly she can become a real problem for better teams. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces A New Road Test Built To Rattle Visiting Offenses
Iowas next road trip comes with a familiar kind of warning label. Northwesterns new Ryan Field is designed to make life uncomfortable for visiting offenses, and the student section known as the Wildcat Wall is expected to bring the kind of noise that can disrupt communication and timing. For a Hawkeyes team that has long leaned on discipline and clean operation away from home, it is the sort of setting that demands attention before the first snap.
Kirk Ferentz and his players have already started talking through the adjustments, including the use of a silent cadence to help cut through the crowd. There is also a change up front, with Michael Myslinski set to handle center this week because Cael Winter is out. In a game where the environment may be as much of a factor as the opponent, Iowas ability to stay organized at the line could end up shaping the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]