No. 17 Iowa heads into one of the biggest early tests on its schedule when the Hawkeyes travel to No. 18 Michigan on Saturday to open Big Ten play at the Big House.
Iowa has put together a strong start to the regular season with wins over Northern Illinois, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 55-0 shutout of Northern Iowa, and the early offensive surge has been hard to miss. Through three games, Iowa has piled up 111 points and allowed just 16, with shutouts in Weeks 1 and 3.
Michigan also enters the matchup off a convincing result, rolling past UTEP 52-17. Even so, the Wolverines still have not fully settled into an identity through their first three games, which makes this a particularly intriguing early conference showdown.
The betting market has Michigan favored at -220 on the moneyline, while Iowa sits at +180. The total is set at 39.5, with the over priced at -105 and the under at -115.
Weather in Ann Arbor should not be much of a factor. Forecasts call for 73 degrees, very little wind, and only a small chance of precipitation. With humidity around 47 percent, it should feel like 75 degrees - a solid afternoon setup for football.
The series has gone Michigan’s way for a long time. The Wolverines lead the all-time matchup 45-15-4, and the last meeting came in the 2023 Big Ten Championship, when Michigan won 26-0.
Iowa’s last trip to the Big House came in 2019, and this will be only the third time the Hawkeyes have played there since 2012. In the Ferentz era, Iowa has beaten Michigan twice, in 2002 and 2010.
There is also a clear history angle for Iowa here. The Hawkeyes have not beaten a ranked opponent on the road since taking down No. 9 Iowa State in 2021, and they have not beaten a ranked Big Ten team on the road since 2019.
Stylistically, this one sets up as a defensive fight. Michigan and Iowa both lean on strong defense and a productive rushing attack, which points toward a game where every possession matters.
Michigan has had a mixed first three weeks, opening with a win over Western Michigan, then upsetting Oklahoma, before taking care of UTEP. Iowa, meanwhile, has looked dominant in two of its three games and has also been better than expected on offense.
With Hank Brown locked in as the starting quarterback, Iowa enters the matchup with a clearer offensive identity and a defense that remains a real strength. The Hawkeyes also have a better passing attack through the first three games, and that could matter if this turns into the tight, low-scoring game the matchup suggests.
The ground game should be central as well, with Iowa’s deep running back group, Michigan running back Jordan Marshall, and quarterback Bryce Underwood all expected to play major roles. In a game built for toughness, the defenses are likely to decide it. Iowa is being picked to edge Michigan in a close one in Ann Arbor.
In Other News...
Braeden Jackson Just Added To Iowas Walk-On Tradition
Braeden Jacksons name already carries some football weight in Iowa circles, and now the walk-on running back has given Hawkeye fans another reminder of why that tradition still resonates. In a notable game, he flashed the kind of burst and versatility that can turn a roster afterthought into a real storyline, piling up 125 rushing yards, adding 24 more as a receiver and finding the end zone twice.
It fits the family history, too. Jackson is the son of Fred Jackson, the former Coe College standout who went from unrecruited long shot to a nine-season NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, and Braeden followed a similarly determined path after a strong high school career as both a football player and track star. He chose to walk on at Iowa in part because of his fathers connection to the coaching staff, and performances like this only deepen the sense that the Hawkeyes may have found another name worth remembering. [Read more 🡒]
Braeden Jackson Just Made Iowas Backfield Picture A Lot Tougher
Braeden Jackson turned a lopsided afternoon into something worth watching for Iowa. In the Hawkeyes 55-0 win over Northern Iowa, the second-year running back piled up 125 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns, continuing the kind of steady rise that has made him easy to notice in a crowded backfield. A preferred walk-on who arrived in December 2024, Jackson has been one of the quieter development stories on the roster, but his progress has been hard to miss.
What stands out most is how much cleaner and more complete his game looks now. Iowa quarterback Hank Brown and head coach Kirk Ferentz have both pointed to Jacksons improved awareness and physical development, and his background helps explain why he keeps trending up. As the son of former NFL running back Fred Jackson, he has had the benefit of football knowledge at home, and it is starting to show on the field in a way that could make the Hawkeyes backfield even harder to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Ferentz Sends Iowa Fans A Promising Message Before Michigan Test
Iowa is heading into its first Big Ten game of the season with a familiar kind of test waiting on the other side, and Kirk Ferentz spent part of the buildup offering a reassuring look at his roster. The Hawkeyes are set to face No. 18 Michigan on Sept. 26, and Ferentz said the recovery process is moving in the right direction for several key players, including Kamari Moulton and Bryce Hawthorne, as the team tries to get healthier at an important point on the schedule.
The matchup itself brings the bigger challenge, of course, and Ferentz made clear that Iowa will need its defense locked in against a Michigan offense led by quarterback Bryce Underwood. For a Hawkeyes team trying to open conference play on solid footing, the combination of improved health and a stern test against a ranked opponent gives this week a little extra weight, even before the game kicks off. [Read more 🡒]