The Iowa Hawkeyes are quietly gaining momentum from multiple outlets. Just recently we saw them picked as one of the chief Big Ten West contenders by 247Sports. The newcomers from the transfer portal are believed to be among some of the best additions that America is still sleeping on. Fans will hear about them once the season kicks off.
Meld all of that together with the Hawkeyes’ 2023 schedule, and you can begin to wonder just how many games they can win this season. FanDuel released the Big Ten win totals for 2023 and has the Hawkeyes with a total of 7.5.
CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli looked at every Big Ten win total and is aboard the Hawkeyes’ train in 2023 believing that they eclipse their win total and rattle off a record of 9-3.
Wins: Utah State, at Iowa State, Western Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers
Losses: at Penn State, at Wisconsin, at NebraskaAnalysis: I have no idea what Iowa’s offense will look like this season, but this team does a good job of winning eight games despite never scoring points. So if it figures out where the end zone is on offense, it could be dangerous. I don’t see this team losing a game at home, and the road schedule has a few challenging games but it isn’t impossible. Pick: Over 7.5 (-110) – Fornelli, CBS Sports
The picks by Fornelli aren’t entirely shocking here. The wins make sense. He believes Iowa should keep a clean slate at home and it isn’t hard to see that happening with the hardest game at Kinnick likely being Minnesota, a team they have dominated for the last decade.
The road games get a bit tricky. Taking on Penn State early in the year is a big game, but in the grand scheme of things, it won’t have as seismic of an effect on the Big Ten West that the other two will. There is a chance that the game at Camp Randall against Wisconsin ultimately decides the Big Ten West.
Should Iowa turn its fortunes and steal one of these road games, Nebraska likely being their best chance as they are ushering in a new era, all signs point towards another trip to Indianapolis to represent as Big Ten West Champions. Since 2018, the winner of the Big Ten West has never won more than 10 games. Should Iowa hit 10 wins, that appears to be the magic number.
Ultimately, Iowa should eclipse 7.5 wins on the season with any sort of offensive boost. The Hawkeyes went 8-5 last year in a season that saw one of the worst offenses in program history. If there is even average output paired with the always stout defense, Iowa could crush this win total.
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