How will the Badgers fare against Iowa this weekend?
It’s been a damn hot minute since the Wisconsin Badgers have beaten the Iowa Hawkeyes in football, and that job won’t be easy when the Badgers travel to Iowa City to play under the lights Saturday night.
While the season has been far from perfect for the Hawkeyes, they’ve still had some nice moments and appear to be running out an offense that looks like it belongs in the 21st century. Leaving quarterback Cade McNamara on the bench certainly hasn’t hurt that effort.
Can the good guys win in that hellhole we call Kinnick? Let’s look at the best, worst, and most likely scenarios against Iowa.
Best Case: There is no realistic chance that Wisconsin rolls Iowa with the current staffing we have on offense, but there is a scenario where the Badgers summon just enough toughness, both mental and physical, and skill to win a slugfest here on the backs of hard running, stout defense, and sheer force of will.
But, it will require a complete game spanning four quarters and quarterback Braedyn Locke having no WTF moments. And the good half/bad half thing a la USC and Penn State simply won’t get it done.
However, this is a best-case scenario so let’s call it 23-20 Badgers on a late Nathanial Vakos FG after some solid running by Tawee Walker and a timely forced turnover from defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s crew. Wisconsin’s bowl eligibility is here earlier than most expected.
Worst Case: Worst-case Iowa games, especially on the road, have become kind of a thing recently, as the Badgers haven’t bested the Hawkeyes since Jonathan Taylor was toting the ball for the Cardinal and White.
Recent contests have all been ugly, sloppy, and ultimately sad. It’s not a big stretch to imagine Wisconsin simply getting out-toughed and outclassed in Iowa City, ending up on the wrong end of a 27-13 snoozefest.
I don’t see a blowout here, even in this dour scenario, but a brutal, unwatchable loss is very much a possibility anytime Phil Parker’s guys line up across from yours in Iowa City.
Most Likely: I don’t think this is going to be very popular and I’m wrong, but remember, this is what is most likely, not what we want.
Night environments in Kinnick are historically brutal and have claimed hides a lot more impressive than 2024 Wisconsin’s. I see a tight, hard-fought slobber-knocker that could go either way, but I’m taking the Hawkeyes here, 20-16. The Heartland Trophy, easily one of the top 100-150 rivalry game trophies, stays in Iowa.