The home/away schedule lays out pretty nice this year, so it's pretty easy to look at an "Iowa as a dark-horse" scenario. With Pitt coming to Kinnick this year, I think we go 4-0 into B1G play...
@ PSU: PSU gave Iowa NO CHALLENGE AT ALL last year and KF called off the dogs early in the 3rd quarter. Maybe we'll be down some from last year, but they'll have to be much better than last year to beat Iowa - even AT their house.
Northwestern: If Iowa loses to Northwestern at Kinnick this year, I'll freak out. Could JV outshine DP in this one?
Indiana: W
@ Minnesota: Floyd returns to Iowa.
Michigan: Under a new system this team will likely still be in a state of chaos.
MSU: At Kinnick... I'd say Iowa has a chance, no?
@ Purdue: I have no idea why people would chalk this up as a loss - unless they're trying extra hard not to be a "homer". We won't roll 'em, but I think Iowa wins this game.
@ Nebraska: Last game of the regular season after Nebraska's brutal and physically demanding initiation into the B1G. Don't discount that fact. Those left standing will NEED the home crowd for energy by this point. This game could go either way. Let the rivalry begin.
Since Wisconsin seems to be the media darling of the Leaders Division: It took a fake punt on a TOTALLY sleeping Iowa staff/team to beat Iowa last year in what was arguably one of Wisconsin's best years ever. Maybe it's because of my age/experience over the years of following Iowa football, but I'm never scared of Wisconsin. Unless Ron Dayne is involved, it's usually one of two things - Iowa clobbering Wisconsin or Wisconsin squeaking by Iowa. Iowa over Wisconsin is usually the case.
So there you have it. The glass half-full... of Kool-Aid.