After an 8-5 season, the Iowa Hawkeyes are looking to return to the type of heights that saw them finish with double-figure wins and make an appearance in the 2021 Big Ten Championship game the season before.
In some ways, this spring feels like Groundhog Day with the conversations surrounding this team. The defense should again be one of the nation’s elite, but there’s all sorts of offensive questions that need to be answered.
Buy Hawkeyes Tickets
CBS Sports recently highlighted the biggest question Iowa needs to answer this spring. Go figure, it’s whether or not the new-look offense actually looks any different.
The arrival of Michigan transfer quarterback Cade McNamara has Hawkeye fans excited about the possibility of an offensive overhaul in Iowa City. So much of that will depend on the growth of an offensive line that’s finished each of the past two seasons with the nation’s 101st and No. 124 rushing offenses (94.9)
The Hawkeyes averaged just 94.9 rushing yards per game and ranked 105th nationally in sacks allowed. There’s star power in the backfield with rising sophomore Kaleb Johnson if the offensive line can gel.
In the meantime, the questions will persist about how much improvement the Hawkeyes make offensively. That won’t stop analysts across the country from sharing their spring predictions.
College Football News published their Big Ten Football predictions and here’s what they think about how the Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2023 season will play out. Plus, a look at their prediction for the rest of the teams in the Big Ten.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Overall Record: 8-4
Big Ten: 5-4
Sept. 2 – Utah State, W
Sept. 9 – at Iowa State, W
Sept. 16 – Western Michigan, W
Sept. 23 – at Penn State, L
Sept. 30 – Michigan State, L
Oct. 7 – Purdue, W
Oct. 14 – at Wisconsin, L
Oct. 21 – Minnesota, W
Nov. 4 – at Northwestern, W
Nov. 11 – Rutgers, W
Nov. 18 – Illinois, W
Nov. 24 – at Nebraska, L
Indiana Hoosiers
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Overall Record: 4-8
Big Ten: 2-7
Sept. 2 – Ohio State, L
Sept. 9 – Indiana State, W
Sept. 16 – at Louisville, L
Sept. 23 – Akron, W
Sept. 30 – at Maryland, L
Oct. 14 – at Michigan, L
Oct. 21 – Rutgers, W
Oct. 28 – at Penn State, L
Nov. 4 – Wisconsin, L
Nov. 11 – at Illinois, L
Nov. 18 – Michigan State, W
Nov. 25 – at Purdue, L
Maryland Terrapins
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 7-5
Big Ten: 4-5
Sept. 2 – Towson, W
Sept. 9 – Charlotte, W
Sept. 16 – Virginia, W
Sept. 23 – at Michigan State, L
Sept. 30 – Indiana, W
Oct. 7 – at Ohio State, L
Oct. 14 – Illinois, W
Oct. 28 – at Northwestern, W
Nov. 4 – Penn State, L
Nov. 11 – at Nebraska, L
Nov. 18 – Michigan, L
Nov. 25 – at Rutgers, W
Michigan Wolverines
Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
Overall record: 10-2
Big Ten: 7-2
Sept. 2 – East Carolina, W
Sept. 9 – UNLV, W
Sept. 16 – Bowling Green, W
Sept. 23 – Rutgers, W
Sept. 30 – at Nebraska, W
Oct. 7 – at Minnesota, W
Oct. 14 – Indiana, W
Oct 21. – at Michigan State, W
Nov. 4 – Purdue, W
Nov. 11 – at Penn State, L
Nov. 18 – at Maryland, W
Nov. 25 – Ohio State L
For more on the Michigan Wolverines, visit Wolverines Wire.
Michigan State Spartans
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
Overall record: 7-5
Big Ten: 4-5
Sept. 2 – Central Michigan, W
Sept. 9 – Richmond, W
Sept. 16 – Washington, W
Sept. 23 – Maryland, W
Sept. 30 – at Iowa, W
Oct. 14 – at Rutgers, W
Oct. 21 – Michigan, L
Oct. 28 – at Minnesota, L
Nov. 4 – Nebraska, W
Nov. 11 – at Ohio State, L
Nov. 18 – at Indiana, L
Nov. 25 – Penn State, L
For more on the Michigan State Spartans, visit Spartans Wire.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
Overall Record: 11-1
Big Ten: 8-1
Sept. 2 – Indiana, W
Sept. 9 – Youngstown State, W
Sept. 16 – WKU, W
Sept. 23 – at Notre Dame, W
Oct. 7 – Maryland, W
Oct. 14 – at Purdue, W
Oct. 21 – Penn State, W
Oct. 28 – at Wisconsin, L
Nov. 4 – at Rutgers, W
Nov. 11 – Michigan State, W
Nov. 18 – Minnesota, W
Nov. 25 – at Michigan, W
For more information on the Ohio State Buckeyes, visit Buckeyes Wire.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 10-2
Big Ten: 7-2
Sept. 2 – West Virginia, W
Sept. 9 – Delaware, W
Sept. 16 – at Illinois, L
Sept. 23 – Iowa, W
Sept. 30 – at Northwestern, W
Oct. 14 – UMass, W
Oct. 21 – at Ohio State, L
Oct. 28 – Indiana, W
Nov. 4 – at Maryland, W
Nov. 11 – Michigan, W
Nov. 18 – Rutgers, W
Nov. 25 – at Michigan State, W
For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions, visit Nittany Lions Wire.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 4-8
Big Ten: 1-8
Sept. 2 – Northwestern, W
Sept. 9 – Temple, W
Sept. 16 – Virginia Tech, W
Sept. 23 – at Michigan, L
Sept. 30 – Wagner, W
Oct. 7 – at Wisconsin, L
Oct. 14 – Michigan State, L
Oct. 21 – at Indiana, L
Nov. 4 – Ohio State, L
Nov. 11 – at Iowa, L
Nov. 18 – at Penn State, L
Nov. 25 – Maryland, L
For more on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, visit Rutgers Wire.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 8-4
Big Ten: 5-4
Sept. 2 – Toledo, W
Sept. 9 – at Kansas, W
Sept. 16 – Penn State, W
Sept. 23 – Florida Atlantic, W
Sept. 30 – at Purdue, L
Oct. 7 – Nebraska, W
Oct. 14 – at Maryland, L
Oct. 21 – Wisconsin, W
Nov. 4 – at Minnesota, L
Nov. 11 – Indiana, W
Nov. 18 – at Iowa, L
Nov. 25 – Northwestern, W
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 8-4
Big Ten: 5-4
Aug. 31 – Nebraska, W
Sept. 9 – Eastern Michigan, W
Sept. 16 – at North Carolina, W
Sept. 23 – at Northwestern, W
Sept. 30 – Louisiana, W
Oct. 7 – Michigan, L
Oct. 21 – at Iowa, L
Oct. 28 – Michigan State, W
Nov. 4 – Illinois, W
Nov. 11 – at Purdue, L
Nov. 18 – at Ohio State, L
Nov. 25 – Wisconsin, W
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Overall record: 7-5
Big Ten: 4-5
Aug. 31 – at Minnesota, L
Sept. 9 – at Colorado, W
Sept. 16 – Northern Illinois, W
Sept. 23 – Louisiana Tech, W
Sept. 30 – Michigan, L
Oct. 7 – at Illinois, L
Oct. 21 – Northwestern, W
Oct. 28 – Purdue, W
Nov. 4 – at Michigan State, L
Nov. 11 – Maryland, W
Nov. 18 – at Wisconsin, L
Nov. 24 – Iowa, W
For more information on the Nebraska Cornhuskers, visit Cornhuskers Wire.
Northwestern Wildcats
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 3-9
Big Ten: 1-8
Sept. 2 – at Rutgers, L
Sept. 9 – UTEP, W
Sept. 16 – at Duke, L
Sept. 23 – Minnesota, L
Sept. 30 – Penn State, L
Oct. 7 – Howard, W
Oct. 21 – at Nebraska, L
Oct. 28 – Maryland, L
Nov. 4 – Iowa, L
Nov. 11 – at Wisconsin, L
Nov. 18 – Purdue, W
Nov. 25 – at Illinois, L
Purdue Boilermakers
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK
Overall record: 6-6
Big Ten: 3-6
Sept. 2 – Fresno State, W
Sept. 9 – at Virginia Tech, W
Sept. 16 – Syracuse, W
Sept. 23 – Wisconsin, L
Sept. 30 – Illinois, W
Oct. 7 – at Iowa, L
Oct. 14 – Ohio State, L
Oct. 28 – at Nebraska, L
Nov. 4 – at Michigan, L
Nov. 11 – Minnesota, W
Nov. 18 – at Northwestern, L
Nov. 25 Indiana, W
Wisconsin Badgers
Alex Gould/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Overall Record: 9-3
Big Ten: 7-2
Sept. 2 – Buffalo, W
Sept. 9 – at Washington State, L
Sept. 16 – Georgia Southern, W
Sept. 23 – at Purdue, W
Oct. 7 – Rutgers, W
Oct. 14 – Iowa, W
Oct. 21 – at Illinois, L
Oct. 28 – Ohio State, W
Nov. 4 – at Indiana, W
Nov. 11 – Northwestern, W
Nov. 18 – Nebraska, W
Nov. 25 – at Minnesota, L
For more on the Wisconsin Badgers, visit Badgers Wire.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF
