Fast Iowa Football Start Could Create Huge Primetime Clash

The Iowa Hawkeyes open the 2026 slate with three very manageable games, and if we can all be honest with each other, anything besides 3-0 before Big Ten play opens up could realistically write off any College Football Playoff chances for this team.

Iowa opens up with Northern Illinois in Week 1 and Northern Iowa in Week 3, two teams Iowa has to simply be able to be faster, stronger, and better than.

Sandwiched in between is the always tricky Cy-Hawk game against Iowa State, despite the Cyclones having a depleted roster after Matt Campbell's departure.

Iowa Football's Big Ten Slate

Iowa has been given no favors with the Big Ten slate this year. The Hawkeyes open up at Michigan, then host Ohio State, which is then followed by a trip to Washington on short rest for a Friday night kickoff before the reprieve of a bye week. I mean, really?

Let's say the Hawkeyes get out of that stretch 1-2, or even somehow 2-1, they are sitting at 4-2 and 5-1 with losses out of the way early. And if we know anything, the playoff committee likes early-season losses if a team is hot down the stretch.

Floyd of Rosedale in Primetime

Coming out of that bye, Iowa makes the short trip north to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the Floyd of Rosedale, which is arguably the greatest rivalry trophy in all of college football.

If Iowa is 4-2 or 5-1, this game could get the primetime treatment. The Gophers play Eastern Illinois, Mississippi State, Akron, Washington, Michigan, and Purdue. They could be 4-2, or even 5-1, if things break the right way.

With those records in play, this game has been determined to likely be at 2:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. CT. If the latter, this game could get the NBC primetime slot that the Big Ten owns.

Iowa Versus Minnesota History

Oct 21, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; A referee signals for a touchdown on a late punt return by Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean (3) as wide receiver Jacob Bostick (7) reacts against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. The touchdown was called back after a replay review due to a fair catch signal by DeJean. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Calling this rivalry one-sided may not even be descriptive enough. Since 2000, Iowa is 20-6 against the Gophers, which includes 10 of the last 11. All-time, Minnesota leads the series 63-54-2, but that gap is rapidly narrowing.

No Floyd of Rosedale discussion can be complete without mentioning the infamous invalid fair catch call that negated Cooper DeJean's touchdown to take the lead late in 2023. That call resulted in Minnesota's only victory since 2014.

The last meeting, October 25 of last year, saw Iowa roll Minnesota 41-3 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

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