Not only is it the Big Ten opener for the Iowa Hawkeyes, but they also start off conference play by jumping right into a rivalry matchup.
After starting the year off with three home games inside Kinnick Stadium, Iowa hits the road to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first Big Ten game for each team.
Hanging in the balance is the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy, which Minnesota took home last season after a controversial ruling on a Cooper DeJean punt return touchdown that would have put Iowa up late.
Both teams are 2-1 with similar paths to the record. Iowa and Minnesota are 2-0 against FCS and Group of Five teams but have stumbled in their Power Five matchups.
Iowa fell to the Iowa State Cyclones in Week 2 and the Golden Gophers lost to North Carolina in Week 1. With identical records and similar showings, it is no surprise this always-close game has opened up with a tight spread.
The Iowa Hawkeyes have opened up as a small road favorite in this one as they are currently favored by 2.5 points over Minnesota. The total in this matchup is low, as expected. The total has opened at just 36.5 points, which highlights the defense expected in this one.
Minnesota leads the all-time rivalry 63-52-2 but as of lately, this game has belonged to Iowa. The Hawkeyes have won eight of the last 10, 15 of the last 20, and 22 of the last 30 matchups.
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