Two Iowa football dates made the cut among On3’s top 10 Big Ten games of the 2024 college football season.
Iowa’s Nov. 2 date versus Wisconsin and its Nov. 29 date versus Nebraska were both among Jesse Simonton’s top 10 Big Ten games for 2024.
The Hawkeyes’ trophy games against the Badgers and Cornhuskers are always two of the games that Iowa fans look forward to the most. There’s no love lost on the other end of the equation either.
According to Simonton, Iowa-Wisconsin is the No. 9 game on the 2024 Big Ten slate.
The two Big Ten West rivals are now just plain ole conference rivals but the battle for the Heartland Trophy is both a very important game for Midwest bragging rights — and potential College Football Playoff ramifications.
The Hawkeyes have beaten the Badgers three of the last four seasons, and with maybe the oldest and most experienced defense in the nation this year, they should remain a pain to play against (Wisconsin has been held to 10 or fewer points in its last three losses to Iowa). Outside of Ohio State, the Hawkeyes don’t play another surefire preseason Top 25 team. Continue handling business against the likes of Wisconsin, Nebraska and Minnesota and Kirk Ferentz’s team might be a playoff bid-thief in 2024. – Simonton, On3.
Simonton ranks Iowa-Nebraska as the No. 8 Big Ten game in 2024.
The Hawkeyes have controlled the “Heroes Game” for the past decade, losing just twice since 2013. They squeezed out a 13-10 win on Black Friday last year, as Nebraska grabbed a loss through he jaws of victory with an interception with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter — two plays after it had picked off Iowa with what looked like a play to win the game.
Perhaps 5-star freshman Dylan Raiola can avoid a similar fate and lead Big Red to a victory on the road this fall. While the Big Ten West is no more, both of these teams should have two of the top defenses in the conference and both programs look capable of winning north of eight games in 2024. – Simonton, On3.
Iowa managed to win both of its trophy games against Wisconsin and Nebraska last season. The Hawkeyes topped Wisconsin in Madison, 15-6, and Nebraska in Lincoln, 13-10.
Iowa running back Leshon Williams rumbled for an 82-yard touchdown run to get the scoring started against the Badgers. The Hawkeyes added a safety and a pair of Drew Stevens field goals to down Wisconsin.
Iowa forced a pair of turnovers and limited Wisconsin to 2-of-17 on third-down conversion tries in the victory to bring the brass bull back to Iowa City.
Against Nebraska, backup kicker Marshall Meeder just snuck a 38-yard field goal over top the crossbar as time expired to secure the Heroes Trophy for the Hawkeyes.
Simonton ranked Michigan at Ohio State as the No. 1 Big Ten game, Ohio State at Oregon is No. 2, Ohio State at Penn State is No. 3, Oregon at Michigan is No. 4 and USC at Michigan is No. 5.
Michigan at Washington checks in at No. 6, Penn State at USC is No. 7 and UCLA at USC rounds out the top 10 matchups.
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