Iowa Tops Chart With Two Games Of The Week

For the first time all season, the Iowa Hawkeyes have not one, but two of Autumn Johnson's games of the week.

January 22 kicks off their tough week as the No. 10 Hawkeyes put their undefeated B1G record to the test in a massive road showdown against No. 15 Maryland.

Just a few days later, No. 12 Ohio State comes to town for another showdown between two of the top teams in the B1G.

No. 2 South Carolina has a pair of games in Johnson's Top 5 as well, though Iowa coming in at No. 1 and No. 4 trumps the Gamecocks at No. 3 and No. 5.

No. 1: Iowa vs. Maryland

🍿👀 @autumnjohnsontv 's Games of the Week#NCAAWBB pic.twitter.com/ICQJu5FkMT
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) January 21, 2026

Of the five games listed, this will be the one with the biggest audience. NBC plays host to a Top 15 showdown as Iowa awaits one of their toughest road conference games of the season.

Iowa has played a trio of ranked teams away from home this year, but only Iowa State was a true road game. Their win against Baylor and brutal loss to UConn were both at neutral sites.

Maryland hasn't exactly been playing their best basketball, but it's only a matter of time before things turn around. With the world watching, Johnson knows this Hawkeyes vs. Terrapins showdown will be one to watch and will likely go down as one of, if not the best game of the entire week.

No. 4: Iowa vs. Ohio State

Iowa G Taylor McCab — Iowa guard Taylor McCabe (2) attempts a 3-pointer against the Michigan State Spartans Jan. 18, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

From NBC to Peacock, the Hawkeyes remain in the national spotlight. Even though the Buckeyes are ranked higher than the Terrapins, Johnson doesn't believe this game will end up being as great.

Either way, both teams are riding stellar winning streaks and the outcome of their January 22 games will determine just how big of a game this truly is. Seeing as it's a home game for Iowa, the Hawkeyes know the environment will be top notch and well-tipped in their favor.

ESPN Analytics sees Maryland as a bit time favorite over Iowa, but then they have the Hawkeyes taking care of business against OSU. If that doesn't show important home court advantage is, who knows what will.

Before heading to Iowa City, Ohio State hosts Indiana, a team that gave the Hawkeyes a run for their money. Should the Buckeyes once again take care of business, they'll be riding a seven-game winning streak heading into Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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