Iowa Hawkeyes favored over Rutgers Scarlet Knights via ESPN’s Football Power Index
According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Iowa Hawkeyes should handle business on the road and start off Big Ten play with a win over Rutgers from SHI Stadium.
ESPN’s FPI gives Iowa a 56.7% chance to win this Saturday night over the Scarlet Knights. The Hawkeyes check in as the nation’s No. 48 team in the FPI rankings, while Rutgers is ranked is 72nd.
Right now, Iowa’s projected win-loss is 5.7-6.4 per ESPN’s FPI. According to the Football Power Index, the Hawkeyes have a 55.3% chance to finish with six or more wins and a 3.9% chance to win the Big Ten West.
For Rutger’s part, they’re expecting a mighty challenge from the Hawkeyes. Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano commented in his weekly press conference on what he expects from Iowa.
“They play very hard. They are physical. They are technically sound. So it’s a great challenge for our guys, great challenge for our coaching staff. You put all that together and throw it in this Saturday night, wearing red to the game and packing the place, that’s what college football is all about,” Schiano said.
Iowa is 7-3 in its past 10 league openers and 12-11 all-time in Big Ten openers under head football coach Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes also opened conference play in Piscataway, N.J., in 2016 and came away with a 14-7 win.
C.J. Beathard finished 12-of-23 passing for 162 yards with one touchdown pass to tight end George Kittle. It was running back Akrum Wadley, though, that had the game-winning, 26-yard touchdown run a play after safety Brandon Snyder stripped the football loose.
The Hawkeyes are hoping it doesn’t take quite the same late heroics this time, but, certainly, Iowa would be happy to leave with any kind of winning result. Below, here’s a look at how ESPN’s FPI currently sees the rest of Iowa’s schedule in terms of percentage chance to win each game.
versus Michigan, Oct. 1
Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
FPI percentages versus Michigan: 16.4%
at Illinois, Oct. 8
Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
FPI chances at Illinois: 47.1%
at Ohio State, Oct. 22
Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
FPI chances at Ohio State: 4.6%
versus Northwestern, Oct. 29
AP Photo/Peter Morrison
FPI chances versus Northwestern: 86.9%
at Purdue, Nov. 5
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
FPI chances at Purdue: 24.9%
versus Wisconsin, Nov. 12
Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
FPI chances versus Wisconsin: 35.1%
at Minnesota, Nov. 19
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
FPI chances at Minnesota: 22.0%
versus Nebraska, Nov. 25
Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
FPI chances versus Nebraska: 75.3%
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