Much of the talk involving the Big Ten West has centered around Nebraska and a resurgent Wisconsin team, but the pair of one-loss conference teams meeting Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis will also have plenty to say about the division race. Iowa and Minnesota both enter the weekend 6-2 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play, tied with Wisconsin and Nebraska.
How to watch Iowa vs. Minnesota: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Two teams in the thick of the Big Ten West race square off in Minneapolis.
Iowa enters with momentum after a 48-7 dismantling of Northwestern last weekend. Yes, that was a Hawkeyes team dropping 48 points and 483 total yards on a Big Ten opponent. Setting aside the lopsided final score, the win was extra promising considering Iowa also received excellent defense and special teams play. Northwestern is certainly in a tailspin, but a thoroughly impressive performance like Iowa’s can’t be dismissed at this point in the season -- especially with games against Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska ahead.
Minnesota, meanwhile, is coming off a bye; previously, the Gophers lost on the road to Illinois, 28-24. That loss snapped a four-game winning streak over mostly unimpressive teams. Still, a third straight year of bowl eligibility has Gophers fans excited about the evolution of the program under Jerry Kill.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Noon ET
TV: ESPN2 (Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway, Paul Carcaterra)
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Both teams are 6-2 (3-1 Big Ten) and unranked.
Vegas: Minnesota opened as a 1-point favorite, but the line is now even. The over/under is set at 44.
Weather forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 39 and low of 32.
Two things at stake
It’s really all about the division here, as laid out above. Both teams have difficult remaining schedules, though Minnesota’s is probably even tougher after Saturday: vs. Ohio State, at Nebraska and at Wisconsin. Iowa gets a trip to Illinois, then hosts Wisconsin and Nebraska.
One big matchup
Minnesota's rushing attack vs. Iowa's defense. The Gophers struggle through the air and the Hawkeyes rank 16th in passing defense, so let's assume that matchup is settled. Minnesota ranks 32nd in rushing with 216 yards on the ground per game; Iowa's rushing defense is 38th with 137.4 yards allowed per game. It's all about David Cobb for Minnesota: The senior has rushed 211 times (third-most in the nation) for 1,131 yards and seven touchdowns. He's averaged more than 5.4 yards per carry in each of his last two games, receiving 22 carries vs. Illinois and 35 vs. Purdue the week before.
Further reading
For more on Iowa, Black Heart Gold Pants has you covered. For more on Minnesota, head to The Daily Gopher.
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