College Football News predicts Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Oregon in Week 11 matchup
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Kinnick Stadium could not ask for a better opportunity to flex its muscles to the rest of the college football world than what awaits this Saturday afternoon.
The No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) will welcome the No. 6 Oregon Ducks to what figures to be a wet, cold, and rainy Kinnick Stadium for a heavyweight Big Ten bout, which is going to play an important factor in the entire college football landscape this year. Both teams are trying to keep up with Indiana and Ohio State in the Big Ten race as well as stay in striking distance of the College Football Playoff.
Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. CT from Kinnick Stadium and will be airing on CBS. Pete Fiutak of College Football News dug into the matchup and offered a prediction on how each could win:
Why Oregon beats Iowa
For Oregon, its defensive game plan starts with stopping the run. They know it, you know it, everyone knows that the Hawkeyes want to run the ball and dictate the tempo of this game to turn it into a four-quarter fist fight. Oregon’s run defense has been stout, and if they can get off the field a few times, the offense may have just enough firepower to make Iowa play catch-up.
You don’t think Oregon might be a little grouchy? It hasn’t been quite as dominant as expected lately, and it wasn’t great in the rain against Wisconsin, and … it’s No. 9.
This is the type of team that knows how to gear it up when challenged, and all of a sudden, this is more about Iowa than it is about the defending Big Ten champ.
On the field, you stop the Iowa running game, you stop Iowa. There’s a good passing game that too often sits in the garage, but the Hawkeyes win by owning the lines, and that doesn’t happen against Oregon.
When Iowa averages more than 3.5 yards per carry, it wins, and when it doesn’t, it’s 0-2. The Ducks allow just 3.3 yards per carry with the nation’s fourth-best defense.
They’ll hold up just fine in the defensive fight, quarterback Dante Moore is ready to go after getting banged up against the Badgers, and so far this year, they’ve been able to rise up and rock in every road challenge. – Fiutak, CFN
Why Iowa beats Oregon
Oregon’s run defense is good. But is it great? If there is a team that will find and expose any weakness, it is the dynamic Iowa run game, which can go under center, from shotgun, run power, run zone schemes, and even mix in some option attack. Iowa has to play how Iowa wants to, and if they can, they have a shot at the upset.
Oregon’s run defense can be hit a bit. Northwestern and Penn State didn’t exactly rip apart the Ducks, but they had good days on the ground. Iowa will start hammering right away.
Oregon likes to control the tempo and clock in a different sort of way from past teams. It’s not deliberate, but it wants to own third downs and keep the clock moving – it doesn’t go 90 miles per hour.
No one controls the clock like Iowa, the defense is second in the nation behind Ohio State, and it’s playing better and better as the season has gone on.
It’s like it needed a little bit to figure out exactly how to use quarterback Mark Gronowski, but he’s been steady, and he’s looking even more comfortable behind an offensive line coming off a monstrous performance in the dominant win over Minnesota.
No one knocks Iowa off its game. – Fiutak, CFN
Who will win Iowa vs. Oregon?
Oregon will enter this one with some attitude. Head coach Dan Lanning is a master motivator, and he will pull all the levers to have Oregon not only ready but also embracing the Kinnick Stadium environment. College Football News likes the Ducks in this one, but not without Iowa putting up a fight.
Poor Oregon.
Poor … poor, Oregon.
It doesn’t have an amazing win now that Penn State stinks, the CFP metrics apparently weren’t kind, and instead of being good enough to settle into the No. 3 spot, it’s barely pushing its way into the top ten ranking.
Iowa is hot after its own win over Penn State and that 41-3 win over the Gophers, it played Indiana better than the Ducks did, and …
Oregon travels (and it’s favored). It won’t be easy – nothing against Iowa is – but two explosive plays, and a special day from the nation’s No. 1 pass defense, will get it out of Iowa City alive. – Fiutak, CFN
Iowa vs. Oregon Prediction
Prediction: Oregon 24, Iowa 17
The Hawkeyes are playing good football right now. The offense has some life and rhythm to string drives together and convert third downs. The defense is playing as well as anyone in the country. To think Iowa will roll over and get dominated in their own stadium would be shocking. If it shakes out like this, it’s respectable, but the Hawkeyes want much more than just respectable.
Iowa vs. Oregon Takeaways
This is Iowa’s chance. There are only so many opportunities that programs can get to prove that they belong among the national players. Iowa has long been on the cusp of that. This game, at home, against a bona fide College Football Playoff contender, in front of a sold-out Kinnick Stadium, is Iowa’s chance.
It’s time to go, Hawks.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: College Football News predicts Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Oregon
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