Iowa Needs Decisive Road Win at Wisconsin

Coming off their biggest win of the Ben McCollum era, the Iowa Hawkeyes need to take care of business at No. 24 Wisconsin.

Beating No. 9 Nebraska at home is one thing, but time and time again Iowa has struggled mightily on the road.

Of their seven losses, all but two of those have come on the road. Their lone home losses were to No. 16 Illinois and No. 5 Purdue.

There's nothing wrong with losing either of those games, but losing on the road to unranked Minnesota and Maryland certainly hurt them in the long run. Now, they have a chance to make up for those losses.

Iowa's Resume Needs a Decisive Road Win

Iowa HC Ben McCollu — Feb 11, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum sends instructions to his team in the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

According to ESPN Analytics, Wisconsin is given an astonishing 62.5% chance to win. That leaves Iowa as quite a significant underdog, with their chances sitting at just 37.5%.

Nebraska fans tried to deny the analytics going into their game at Iowa, but at the end of the day, these numbers don't lie. Not every scenario is going to play out how it's supposed to, but it's a bit alarming to see 19-7 (9-6) Iowa that much of an underdog against a Wisconsin team that's 18-8 (10-5).

On paper, these two teams have similar records. That said, their resumes are entirely different. Wisconsin has some bad losses, no doubt, but they're the only team in the nation to hand No. 1 Michigan a loss. Not only did they beat the Wolverines, 91-88, but they did it on the road.

Iowa Must Take Advantage of Wisconsin's Inconsistencies

Iowa G Tavion Bank — Iowa’s Tavion Banks (6) catches a pass as Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort (21) defends Feb. 17, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coming off a brutal 86-69 loss at Ohio State, there's a real chance the Badgers no longer find themselves in the Top 25. That said, their loss to the Buckeyes could be redeemed if they take down a team that just beat No. 9-ranked Nebraska.

Had Iowa dropped their third straight, they would have absolutely no momentum, even with Wisconsin losing to OSU. Now, the roles are reversed. Iowa heads to Madison fresh off their biggest win since they took down Purdue in the B1G Championship a few years ago.

Iowa got off to a rough 1-3 start in 2026 but turned things around with a six-game winning streak. Their resume features road wins, no doubt, but none would be as big as this. Sure, Iowa still has to play at Nebraska to end the year, but this is a much easier road victory compared to what the Cornhuskers will have in store for them on March 8.

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