Michigan’s Big Ten opener against Iowa now has a date, a time and a national TV home.
The Wolverines will host the Hawkeyes at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, the program announced Monday.
Brad Nessler and Charles Davis will be on the call, with Jenny Dell working the sideline. Davis has taken over for Gary Danielson alongside Nessler.
That means Michigan will have back-to-back 3:30 p.m. ET kicks to open this stretch.
The Wolverines are set to face UTEP this Saturday at the same time, with that game airing on the Big Ten Network. Michigan is 2-0 and will close out nonconference play before the Big Ten slate starts on Sept.
Iowa enters that matchup in the same spot, sitting at 2-0 after wins over Northern Illinois and Iowa State. The Hawkeyes opened with a dominant 40-0 win, then survived a much tighter one in the Cy-Hawk bowl, pulling out a 16-13 victory over the Cyclones. Iowa is ranked No. 18 in the country and will host Northern Iowa this weekend before heading to Ann Arbor, so both teams appear set to enter Week 4 undefeated.
Offensively, Iowa has turned to a new quarterback in Hank Brown, the Auburn transfer. He has thrown for 320 yards and one touchdown through two games, including 129 yards in Week 1 and 191 last weekend. Brown has also added 34 rushing yards on 10 carries, along with one touchdown.
The Hawkeyes are still built around their defense and a run-first approach, with Kamari Moulton leading the ground game. Moulton has 26 carries for 240 yards and two touchdowns so far.
Michigan and Iowa have been meeting since 1923, and the Wolverines lead the all-time series 43-14-4. Michigan has also taken five of the last nine meetings over the past 10 seasons and has won the last three straight. That stretch includes the 2023 Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis, a 26-0 Michigan win, and the 2021 title game, when the Wolverines rolled 42-3.
For now, the setup is pretty clear: two unbeaten teams, both leaning on defense, both still trying to sort out the offense, and both headed for a 3:30 p.m. CBS stage at the Big House.
In Other News...
Tony Diaz Added Extra Edge To Iowa's Emerging Passing Attack
Tony Diaz has given Iowas passing game a different kind of jolt through the first two weeks, emerging as the Hawkeyes most productive receiver and helping widen an attack that has looked more varied than it has in recent seasons. With more options showing up in the passing game, Iowa is no longer leaning on just one route to move the ball, and Diaz has been at the center of that early expansion.
After the win, Diaz added a little more spice to the week by calling out Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers for mistakenly referring to him as Nate Diaz. He was quick to acknowledge the Cyclones as a strong opponent, but the moment also underscored how a receiver making noise on the field can create a little edge off it too, especially when an emerging passing game is still trying to establish its identity. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Sent Iowa Fans A Frustrating Cy-Hawk Message
Iowa walked out of the Cy-Hawk game with the result it wanted, improving to 2-0 after beating Iowa State, but the mood around the Hawkeyes got a little less pleasant once ESPNs latest FPI update arrived. Despite the win, Iowa fell six spots to No. 32 in the rankings, a reminder that the advanced metrics still have plenty of questions about how high this team can climb.
The bigger picture for the Hawkeyes did not shift much, at least not in ESPNs projections. Iowas outlook still points toward a bowl trip with a 91.4% chance to get there, while the College Football Playoff remains a long shot at 8.1%. For a team that already has one of its biggest rivalry wins in hand, the challenge now is proving the numbers wrong in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's 2-0 Start Is Starting To Look Very Real For One Reason
Iowas 2-0 start has been built on more than just a couple of timely plays. The Hawkeyes have gotten impact from across the roster, with linebacker Cam Buffington emerging as one of the early tone-setters after piling up 21 tackles through two games. Tony Diaz has given the offense a steady target, leading the team with 179 receiving yards and 15 catches, while Caden Buhr has already shown he can be trusted in tight moments with a game-winning kick among his five field goals.
Bryce Hawthorne has also helped steady the defensive front, ranking second on the team with nine tackles while adding value against both the run and the pass rush. Hank Brown has been efficient enough to keep the offense moving, completing 66% of his throws and adding a rushing score, and that mix of small but meaningful contributions is why this start feels more sustainable than fluky. The bigger question now is whether Iowa can keep getting this kind of balance when the schedule starts asking for more. [Read more 🡒]