Iowa Looks To Regroup vs. Michigan State

Coming off two straight losses, the Iowa Hawkeyes couldn't be more grateful to see Michigan state on their schedule. The Spartans are 3-7 (0-7) and were embarrassed on CBS against Penn State, 28-10.

While they started the season 3-0, head coach Jonathan Smith is in the hot seat after the Spartans dropped seven straight. Iowa returns to Kinnick Stadium for the final time this season as they await MSU in a game that should be as straight-forward as it gets.

Iowa Heavily Favored Over Michigan State

Nov 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kamari Moulton (28) runs the ball against Southern California Trojans linebacker Jadyn Walker (31) during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

One thing that has become painfully obvious is the fact that Iowa either wins big or losses close. They always take care of business against sub-par opponents, look no further than Minnesota and Wisconsin. Knowing what they've done against lower-level opponents in the B1G, things could get ugly against the Spartans.

Currently, ESPN Analytics gives Iowa 89.6% chance to win. They're favored by 16.5 points, an extremely large total for a team that has just lost two in a row. Ultimately, they've lost to quality teams that could find themselves in the College Football Playoffs.

Iowa hasn't dropped two straight regular season games since they lost three in a row from October 1-22, 2022. It's been quite some time since head coach Kirk Ferentz was in this position, but Iowa is primed to finish the regular season with a pair of wins.

Iowa Can't Look Past Michigan State

Just because MSU has lost seven straight doesn't mean Iowa can look past them. It's not like they're facing a difficult Nebraska team to close the season, but a pair of losses could drop Iowa to .500. They know how much potential they had this season, but crucial last-second losses to Iowa State, Indiana, Oregon, and USC have left them out of CFP consideration.

They will no longer be ranked, but that doesn't mean Iowa's season is over. At this point, they have one more chance to give their hometown fans a show. For fifth-year senior quarterback Mark Gronowski, this is his final time playing at a stadium that he won over in no time.

Gronowski's passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown against USC weren't enough to get the job done this past weekend. The all-time winningest QB in college football history is far from perfect, but he's one of the best talents Iowa has seen in quite some time. He'll look to end the season on a high note as he can further pad his stats against the Spartans.

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