Iowa Football 2026 Schedule Breakdown and Analysis

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Iowa beat the teams it was supposed to, lost to the teams it was supposed to – with the exception of the 50/50 rivalry game against Iowa State – and it was another good year.

Do that again this season, and it’ll be a great run – there aren’t a slew of teams on the 2026 Iowa schedule that are uh-oh nasty like Indiana and Oregon last year.

Breaking Down Iowa’s 2026 Football Schedule

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz huddles with his team during a football game against the Indiana Hoosiers Sept. 27, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.© Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Good

The Hawkeyes miss a whole slew of top Big Ten teams – more on that in a moment – and get Ohio State at home.

The only two-game road run – at Washington and Minnesota – is broken up by a week off, and, no offense, but at Northwestern, Purdue, at Illinois, and Nebraska is a rather light November. However …

The Bad

The first three Big Ten games – at Michigan, Ohio State, and at Washington – are a bear, and going to Minnesota, Northwestern, and Illinois won’t be easy.

What Big Ten Teams Iowa Will Miss

Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC.

Yeah, there are some big teams on the slate, but missing Indiana, Oregon, and USC is about as friendly as a Big Ten schedule can get.

Iowa’s Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2026

Best Case: Iowa is still alive for the Big Ten title after six games

Survive and advance, Iowa.

Iowa State is always a nasty non-conference rivalry game, but Iowa gets through that and is 3-0 going into Big Ten play.

It wins at least two of the three games against Michigan, Ohio State, and Washington, and then it gets a week off.

After winning the road date at Minnesota, it goes on a roll and doesn’t lose again in the Big Ten. Or …

Worst Case: 0-3 Big Ten start

Loss at Michigan, loss to Ohio State, loss at Washington. Going 0-3 to start a Big Ten season hasn’t happened since 2007 in a 6-6 run.

In a worst-case scenario, Iowa loses the first three conference games, gives back the Floyd of Rosedale trophy to Minnesota, and it takes a battle over the last five weeks just to get bowl eligible.

Iowa Football 2026 Schedule

Sept 5 Northern Illinois
Sept 12 Iowa State
Sept 19 Northern Iowa
Sept 26 at Michigan
Oct 3 Ohio State
Oct 10 at Washington
Oct 17 OPEN DATE
Oct 24 at Minnesota
Oct 31 Wisconsin
Nov 7 at Northwestern
Nov 14 Purdue
Nov 21 at Illinois
Nov 27 Nebraska

Games That Will Decide Iowa’s Season

1. at Michigan, Sept. 26
It’s the Big Ten opener, and it’s the first of a run of three road games in four weeks. Lose this, and there’s a huge problem because the Hawkeyes next have to deal with …

2. Ohio State, Oct. 3
The last Iowa win over Ohio State was the 55-24 shocker in 2017, and before that, it was 2004. It’s a home game, and it’ll be an electric atmosphere. It’s the toughest game on the slate, and if Iowa wins this, look out.

3. at Washington, Oct. 10
Iowa thumped the Huskies 40-16 in 2024. This time around, it’s a road game after dealing with Michigan and Ohio State. There’s a real chance the Hawkeyes will need this to avoid an 0-3 Big Ten start.

This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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