As the 2025-26 college football season approaches, ESPN named Iowa's Big Ten home opener one of the conference's best games of the year.
As the 2025-26 college football season approaches, ESPN released an article featuring the top 10 Big Ten games of the season, with one particular Iowa football matchup involving an upward-trending conference opponent.
While the beginning of the season features many high-profile matchups in both conference play and non-conference action, ESPN has listed Iowa's Sept. 27 game against Indiana from Kinnick Stadium as one of its top matchups.
Indiana is fresh off one of their most successful seasons in program history in 2024, where the Hoosiers finished with an overall record of 11-2, an 8-2 conference record, and qualified for the program's first-ever College Football Playoff appearance in head coach Curt Cignetti's first season.
While ESPN did not provide much of an explanation as to why they chose the Sept. 27 game against the Hoosiers over the other impactful matchups on the Hawkeyes' slate, the clash between both former Big Ten West division foes will be Iowa's first significant challenge of the season and be a precursor for their ability to compete against the conference's top programs later on.
The article also took a deep dive into each Big Ten program's outlook for the upcoming season, identifying Iowa's need to win close games with its consistently stingy defense, as the strength of its newly improved offense is still unknown.
With six games projected within one score and visits from Penn State and Oregon (you know Iowa will scare at least one of them), close games will make the difference between potential CFP contention and finishing 7-5. But it's almost comforting knowing exactly what the Hawkeyes are going to look like regardless. - Bill Connelly, ESPN
The Hawkeyes open their 2025-26 campaign on Aug. 30, when FCS-level UAlbany visits Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on FS1.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: ESPN names Iowa football home Big Ten opener a top conference matchup
Category: General Sports
