Iowa vs. Oregon Picks and Predictions

Now, the fun begins. Big Ten football kicks off on Nov. 8 between two teams that emerged in the initial playoff rankings, as No. 9 Oregon will go across the country against newly-ranked No. 20 Iowa. Iowa initially emerged in the first College Football Playoff rankings with a 6-2 overall record and going 4-1 in conference play, while Oregon is 7-1 with a loss to still-undefeated Indiana.

The Hawkeyes will host with the fans of Kinnick Stadium in their corner, but it's also important to point out that kickoff is slated for 3:30 EST, meaning the field could get hit with a decent amount of rain and notable winds due to the current projected weather forecast.

But weather, records and playoff contention aside, what does the Iowa Hawkeyes On SI staff think?

Jennifer Streeter, Staff Writer

I hate to be a negative nelly, but I'm going to have to be. Oregon's offense averages nearly 484 yards and 41 points per game, compared to the modesty of Iowa's offense and the Hawkeyes' passing game. While Iowa does have the home field advantage, the Ducks' tendency for big plays leads me to believe Kirk Ferentz just won't be able to get the win on this one.

Though, Iowa certainly has the ability to keep themselves in the matchup if the roster is able to get early stops and force turnovers.

Iowa 17, Oregon 24

Jordan Lawrenz, Staff Writer

It's really, really hard not to pick Iowa this week. Coming off the Bye, everything is on their side. Quarterback Mark Gronowski may not be 100%, but he's proven to be just fine in past weeks. At 80%, he's still better than some of the QBs Iowa has had in recent memory.

When the lights shine the brightest, Iowa fails to step up. They lost to Iowa State, fell just short to Indiana, and I'm extremely interested to see if they can get off to a hot start against Oregon. If they can get to the Ducks early, they'll be just fine. This is one of, if not the biggest game at Kinnick in recent memory. Hawkeyes, don't let us down.

Iowa 23, Oregon 21

Jayesh Pagar, Staff Writer

Oregon looks like the better team here. They're dropping 41 points per game with an offense that's got speed everywhere. They lead the entire country with 24 explosive runs of 20+ yards, and their defense is no joke either, ranking first against the pass. On paper, they should win this.

But if we're gonna pull this off at Kinnick, here's what needs to happen: We've gotta create turnovers. Our defense has been ball-hawking lately with nine picks in the last five games, and if we can rattle Dante Moore early, that changes everything. Second, we need to absolutely dominate the clock. Pound the rock with our monster offensive line, let Gronowski use his legs like he's been doing all year, and keep Oregon's offense standing on the sideline getting cold. Third, special teams have to be the difference. Kaden Wetjen has flipped games for us this year, and we commit the fewest penalties in college football. Win the field position battle, and we're in business.

If Iowa does those three things? I honestly think we can win this. Kinnick in November is different. The crowd's gonna be insane, and our defense can absolutely shut down their explosiveness if we get them in third-and-longs.

Iowa 24, Oregon 21

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