With Saturday’s Week 0 slate in the rearview, the 2023 college football season is officially underway!
Fans still have to wait until Thursday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m. on FOX when Nebraska travels to Minnesota for the Big Ten’s 2023 season to start, though. That is the first of 11 games in Week 1 involving Big Ten teams and the first of three league matchups.
The other two contests pitting Big Ten squads against one another in Week 1 are No. 4 Ohio State at Indiana on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 2:30 p.m. on CBS and Northwestern at Rutgers on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 11 a.m. on CBS.
Of course, the Iowa Hawkeyes open their 2023 season against Utah State at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2, on FS1 from inside Kinnick Stadium.
Though he has been nursing his way back from a non-contact injury sustained in Kids’ Day at Kinnick, Iowa starting quarterback Cade McNamara was pictured at practice on Saturday with his helmet on and is expected to be available in the Hawkeyes’ opener versus Utah State.
Expectations nationally for the Hawkeyes vary a little bit, but the general consensus seems to be that Iowa will be right in the thick of the Big Ten West race versus primary challenger Wisconsin.
Iowa just missed out on the top 25 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, garnering the most points in the receiving votes section. The Hawkeyes did crack the preseason Associated Press Top 25, checking in right on the fringe at No. 25 nationally to start the season.
As the 2023 season officially arrives in Big Ten country, how does ESPN see the league’s collective fate playing out? Let’s take a look at final Big Ten preseason bowl projections and opponents from ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach.