Inside The Hawkeyes

Kirk Herbstreit Drops Bold Iowa vs. Oregon Prediction

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit dropped a bold prediction ahead of the Iowa Hawkeyes' game vs. the Oregon Ducks.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Kirk Herbstreit speaks on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.
Kirk Herbstreit speaks on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

When it comes to college football analysts, Kirk Herbstreit is among the best. His longevity and knowledge is second to none, and when he speaks, people listen. Herbstreit recently appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to preview the Iowa Hawkeyes upcoming game against Oregon.

While Iowa opened as underdogs, they've been getting more national attention than ever before. After being named No. 20 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, Iowa seems to have all the momentum in the world and not even Oregon can stop it.

Kirk Herbstreit Predicts Iowa Will Defeat Oregon

Currently, ESPN Analytics gives Iowa a 29.7% chance to win. Even though the Ducks are on the road, the No. 9 ranked team finds themselves as 6.5-point favorites.

Analytics are one thing, but nothing is decided until the game is played. In Herbstreit's recent appearance on McAfee's show, he whispered a bold prediction:

"Oregon loses Saturday."

"I'm telling you, we all love Dan Lanning, we all love the Ducks and their potential, but there's just something about certain teams that go to Iowa in November. The only blessing they have is that it's not a night game. If it were a night game it'd be a given it was a loss," he said.

"At 3:30 it's going to get dark in the second half," Herbstreit continued. "I'm telling you, it's going to be typical Iowa. It's going to be ugly, it's going to be like 15-12... That's part of the fun with Iowa. Something crazy, something whacky, and then they're going to be lined up to kick a game winning field goal."

Herbstreit later changed his prediction, having Iowa trail 13-15 before their 45-yard winning game field goal from the right hash. He knows that a win over the Ducks puts Iowa in contention for the College Football Playoff, something Hawkeyes fans have dreamed of.

Iowa Looks To Pull Off The Upset

Even McAfee hyped up this team and called fifth-year senior quarterback Mark Gronowski a "dog". He acknowledged that he isn't one of the premier passers in the country, but Herbstreit is beyond impressed that this Iowa team is winning with much more than just punting and their defense.

Kinnick Stadium is prepared for one of the biggest games in recent memory. When Oregon comes to town, all eyes will be on the Hawkeyes who have seemingly emerged as the national media's favorite overnight.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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