Why Iowa Will Win
And THAT’S the Iowa we all know and love.
So what that it only came up with 146 yards of total offense against Wisconsin? The D came up with three takeaways, the special teams cranked up a few big plays, and the front line was a wall against the run in the 24-10 win.
No, the O isn’t the Greatest Show on Turf like it was against Northwestern and Purdue – it came up with over 300 yards – but as long as it does everything else right all should be fine.
Stop the Minnesota running game, don’t get hit with a lot of flags, win the turnover battle. Iowa can do that against a team that has no problem grinding things down.
Keep the Gophers to under 170 rushing yards and it’ll be a win – they’re 1-3 when they don’t get to the mark and 6-0 when they do.
Michigan and Illinois are the only two teams that got past 130 against the Hawkeye D, but …
Why Minnesota Will Win
Back to doing just about everything right – at least outside of having a high end passing game – welcome to Minnesota.
The Gophers have come up with one touchdown pass in the last six games, but they’ve turned it over just twice in the last four games, penalties aren’t an issue, and the team continues to own third downs.
It’s No. 1 in the nation in third down O, No. 2 in third down D, and that’s why the team is second in the country behind Air Force in time of possession.
Basically, Minnesota should be able to out-Iowa, Iowa. As long as there aren’t a slew of turnovers, and as long as the field isn’t tilted the wrong way, the home team should be able to handle it.
