Iowa vs. Northwestern: 3 Bold Predictions as the Hawkeyes Take On the Wildcats

Ryan Field in Evanston is in for quite the game on Saturday evening. The Iowa Hawkeyes hit the road to take on the Northwestern Wildcats in a monster game, which has so much riding on it. College Football Playoff and outside hopes of a Big Ten run hang in the balance.

Can Iowa slow down the Northwestern offense? Who steps up for the Hawkeyes? Could Iowa and Northwestern break the mold and turn into a shootout? Let's dig into how this game could unfold.

Phil Parker turns over Northwestern at least twice

Northwestern is staggeringly good at not turning the ball over. It's incredibly impressive. The Wildcats currently have a +10 turnover margin. They have turned it over just three times on offense, by way of one interception and two fumbles.

Games this tight are often decided by stealing possessions and winning the turnover battle. Iowa has been elite at this under Phil Parker. The Hawkeyes are just +1 in the turnover margin, but by no fault of the defense.

Iowa has forced four turnovers over the last two games, which might be a sign that the turnovers are starting to come in bunches for Iowa. The Hawkeyes are going to be hyper-aggressive, punching at the ball and looking for tipped passes here to set up the offense.

Tony Diaz breaks 100 yards receiving for the first time

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

Tim Lester is going to continue to dial it up for Tony Diaz, and this matchup is one that favors the Hawkeyes' star wide receiver. Northwestern gives up room in the passing game. The Wildcats are 95th in defending the pass, which is normally okay against Iowa, but not this year.

Last week, Diaz had four receptions for 75 yards. In Iowa's eight games, he has had three catches at least six times. Iowa is 5-1 in those games. He has an explosive element to his game, which Iowa needs to exploit early and often.

Look for Iowa to continue pushing the ball down the field to Tony Diaz on go routes, posts, and other shot plays, but don't be surprised if Iowa works him some easy touches in space to try and turn a short route into a long catch-and-run.

Iowa scores 30 points - is it enough?

I think this Iowa offense has found something. It had a struggle against Minnesota, but after seeing the Gophers slow down Indiana, maybe that's just due to them having a good defense. Northwestern, on the other hand, is a mixed bag.

While the Wildcats are No. 25, allowing just 18.8 points per game, they are No. 84 in total yards allowed (374.1), No. 75 in rushing yards allowed (4.52 yards per carry), and No. 95 in passing defense (227 passing yards per game allowed). They are 17th in red zone conversions allowed.

What this tells me is that Northwestern lets teams move the ball and tries to bend but not break. It's going to be about the red zone. Iowa is 38th in red zone efficiency this season. I think the Hawkeyes convert when they get down there with Tim Lester's creativity.

Add us as a preferred source on Google