CBS Sports Predictions

[HuckFinn]

Interesting quote.

The Hawks have not had fewer than 8 wins since 2014. That is a string of 10 consecutive seasons in which the Hawks have won at least 8 games.

In 6 of those years Iowa won at least 9 games. And in 4 seasons the Hawks had at least 10 wins.

So, of course, the experts predict 7.5 wins for Iowa in 2026. OK then.

 

[Westernhawk]

Interesting quote.

The Hawks have not had fewer than 8 wins since 2014. That is a string of 10 consecutive seasons in which the Hawks have won at least 8 games.

In 6 of those years Iowa won at least 9 games. And in 4 seasons the Hawks had at least 10 wins.

So, of course, the experts predict 7.5 wins for Iowa in 2026. OK then.

Did they also predict Nebraska in the top 10? That's usually how these things go.

 

[Fryowa]

Interesting quote.

The Hawks have not had fewer than 8 wins since 2014. That is a string of 10 consecutive seasons in which the Hawks have won at least 8 games.

In 6 of those years Iowa won at least 9 games. And in 4 seasons the Hawks had at least 10 wins.

So, of course, the experts predict 7.5 wins for Iowa in 2026. OK then.

Did they also predict Nebraska in the top 10? That's usually how these things go.

Any season with a brand new QB is totally unpredictable.

We could win 4 games, we could win 11.

 

[CP87]

Any season with a brand new QB is totally unpredictable.

We could win 4 games, we could win 11.

But history would strongly suggest we will not win 4. We won 10 with Deacon Hill.

 

[CP87]

Last 11 years of regular season win totals:

2015: 12
2016: 8
2017: 7
2018: 8
2019: 9
2020: 9 (extrapolated)
2021: 10
2022: 7
2023: 10
2024: 8
2025: 8

Average: 8.7 regular season wins per year

This season: we are out of the B1G West, which probably takes away at least 0.5 wins, on average. But, we are coming off a season in which we had a really hard sched and had a pretty stellar point differential and net ratings. Our schedule should be easier. It is tough to see 5 regular season losses. I suppose you would have to say:

OSU (almost for sure)
Mich on the road (we will be an underdog)
Wash on the road (west coast trips are tough, teams will probably be fairly even)
At least 3 of: Minny (road), Wisky (home), Illinois (road), and Nebraska (home)

That would be a pretty catastrophic season, and I sure wouldn't bet on it. I am not going back to look up the regular season win over/unders for all of those 11 seasons I listed above, but my guess is Iowa hit the over on at least 8 of them (I think they missed 2016, 2017, and 2022). If I am right on that, meaning Iowa has hit the over on 7 of the last 8 seasons, it would be pretty tough to bang the under for this coming season.

 

[Fryowa]

But history would strongly suggest we will not win 4. We won 10 with Deacon Hill.

I'm going with the safe 8 just because it's the safe 8. The safe 8 never lets you down.

 

[Chickenlounge]

I'm going to the Washington game this year, and Iowa is undefeated in away games that I've attended. Granted, I've only been to like 4 away games in 20 years, but still undefeated!

 

[haydensly]

Wasn't our number 7.5 last year? We far exceeded that. With this year's schedule, I would bet the over.

 

[CP87]

Wasn't our number 7.5 last year? We far exceeded that. With this year's schedule, I would bet the over.

I mean, we won 8 in the regular season. We couldn't have exceeded it any less, while still exceeding it. But our team was better than the 8-4 record indicated, according to pt differential and efficiency models. We had some bad luck in some of those close games, so I take your point.

I did some checking on historical reg season win total over/unders. Here are the over/under lines, and Iowa's performance relative to:

2015: 7.5 (+4.5)
2016: 8.5 (-0.5)
2017: 6.5 (+0.5)
2018: 7.5 (+0.5)
2019: 7.5 (+1.5)
2020: 7.5 (+1.5, prorated)
2021: 8.5 (+1.5)
2022: 7.5 (-0.5)
2023: 7.5 (+2.5)
2024: 7.5 (+0.5)
2025: 7.5 (+0.5)

Average performance vs. the over/under line: +1.1 wins (excluding 2015 as an outlier, +0.8 wins)

# of times underperforming the line in the last 11 years: 2x

# of times overperforming the line in the last 11 years: 9x (and 8 of the last 9 years)

 

[Westernhawk]

Last 11 years of regular season win totals:

2015: 12
2016: 8
2017: 7
2018: 8
2019: 9
2020: 9 (extrapolated)
2021: 10
2022: 7
2023: 10
2024: 8
2025: 8

Average: 8.7 regular season wins per year

This season: we are out of the B1G West, which probably takes away at least 0.5 wins, on average. But, we are coming off a season in which we had a really hard sched and had a pretty stellar point differential and net ratings. Our schedule should be easier. It is tough to see 5 regular season losses. I suppose you would have to say:

OSU (almost for sure)
Mich on the road (we will be an underdog)
Wash on the road (west coast trips are tough, teams will probably be fairly even)
At least 3 of: Minny (road), Wisky (home), Illinois (road), and Nebraska (home)

That would be a pretty catastrophic season, and I sure wouldn't bet on it. I am not going back to look up the regular season win over/unders for all of those 11 seasons I listed above, but my guess is Iowa hit the over on at least 8 of them (I think they missed 2016, 2017, and 2022). If I am right on that, meaning Iowa has hit the over on 7 of the last 8 seasons, it would be pretty tough to bang the under for this coming season.

Minny is OK/decent, but beating them is likely. Wisky, who knows? They were turrible last year and I'd be surprised if they came into Kinnick and looked fantastic. Illinois had a lot of seniors last year. Nebraska is still Nebraska.

 

[HuckFinn]

Last 11 years of regular season win totals:

2015: 12
2016: 8
2017: 7
2018: 8
2019: 9
2020: 9 (extrapolated)
2021: 10
2022: 7
2023: 10
2024: 8
2025: 8

Average: 8.7 regular season wins per year

This season: we are out of the B1G West, which probably takes away at least 0.5 wins, on average. But, we are coming off a season in which we had a really hard sched and had a pretty stellar point differential and net ratings. Our schedule should be easier. It is tough to see 5 regular season losses. I suppose you would have to say:

OSU (almost for sure)
Mich on the road (we will be an underdog)
Wash on the road (west coast trips are tough, teams will probably be fairly even)
At least 3 of: Minny (road), Wisky (home), Illinois (road), and Nebraska (home)

That would be a pretty catastrophic season, and I sure wouldn't bet on it. I am not going back to look up the regular season win over/unders for all of those 11 seasons I listed above, but my guess is Iowa hit the over on at least 8 of them (I think they missed 2016, 2017, and 2022). If I am right on that, meaning Iowa has hit the over on 7 of the last 8 seasons, it would be pretty tough to bang the under for this coming season.

Yeah. You have agreed with cbs on the losses, but they added Illinois.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Interesting quote.

The Hawks have not had fewer than 8 wins since 2014. That is a string of 10 consecutive seasons in which the Hawks have won at least 8 games.

In 6 of those years Iowa won at least 9 games. And in 4 seasons the Hawks had at least 10 wins.

So, of course, the experts predict 7.5 wins for Iowa in 2026. OK then.

Easy $ everyone take the over baby

 

[Fryowa]

Easy $ everyone take the over baby

Sunday I looked at the moneyline right before the Iowa/Florida game and $100 on the Hawks won $440. Should've done it.

Then again had I done it, Hawks lose by 30.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Sunday I looked at the moneyline right before the Iowa/Florida game and $100 on the Hawks won $440. Should've done it.

Then again had I done it, Hawks lose by 30.

I'm the worst better ever... I've never been lucky and there's just no way I'd stick my neck out

 

[NCHawker]

Interesting quote.

The Hawks have not had fewer than 8 wins since 2014. That is a string of 10 consecutive seasons in which the Hawks have won at least 8 games.

In 6 of those years Iowa won at least 9 games. And in 4 seasons the Hawks had at least 10 wins.

So, of course, the experts predict 7.5 wins for Iowa in 2026. OK then.

SSDD. I'll bet if you go back you'll find 7.5 is Iowa's O/U nearly every year

 

[NorthKCHawk]

Does the over/under include bowl games and playoffs, or is it just regular season?

 

[Fryowa]

Does the over/under include bowl games and playoffs, or is it just regular season?

Depends on whether you're a nebraska fan or not.

 

[CP87]

Does the over/under include bowl games and playoffs, or is it just regular season?

Just regular season.

 

[haydensly]

Just regular season.

Yeah, I figured that out after my earlier post where I said we far exceeded the over. And, our season seemed more successful to me, even with a 9 win total after the bowl game.

 

[CP87]

Yeah, I figured that out after my earlier post where I said we far exceeded the over. And, our season seemed more successful to me, even with a 9 win total after the bowl game.

It definitely was more successful by various efficiency metrics. One of these years, everything is going to come together AND we are going to catch some breaks. One of these years...