Iowa and Northwestern are set to clash for the final time as Big Ten West foes before the conference scraps divisions in 2024. What is expected to be a low-scoring affair -- the over/under sits at just 31 total points -- will be played in a rather unique setting as the Hawkeyes and Wildcats invade Wrigley Field, the longtime home of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs.
It's a pivotal contest for Iowa, which is looking to rebound from a heartbreaking Week 8 home loss to Minnesota and keep its hopes of a West Division title afloat. The game also comes on the heels of the news that Hawkeyes offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz --the son of longtime Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz -- will not return in 2024 as the team averages an anemic 19.5 points per game.
Northwestern won just two games from 2021-22, but has already has already equaled that total in 2023 under interim coach David Braun. He was elevated in the offseason after longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired amid widespread hazing allegations. Now comes a chance for the Wildcats to string together wins and move above .500 for the first time in 2023 while playing at an iconic venue around the corner from campus.
Viewing information and storylines for Iowa vs. Northwestern can be found below.
How to watch Iowa vs. Northwestern live
Date: Saturday, Nov. 4 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Wrigley Field -- Chicago, Illinois
Live stream: Peacock
Iowa vs. Northwestern: Need to know
Where's the offense? As the two teams prepare to play in one of the most iconic baseball venues in the country, most expect a baseball-like score. Iowa is averaging 232.4 total yards -- the lowest mark among all 133 FBS teams -- and Northwestern isn't faring much better. It ranks 121st nationally and second-to-last in the Big Ten gaining 307.4 yards per game. That still makes for a healthy gap as the Wildcats find themselves averaging 75 yards more than the Hawkeyes, but the over/under is what it is for a reason. Fewer than 30 total points have been scored in three of the past six meetings in the series, most recently a 17-12 win for Iowa in 2021.
Wildcats holding their own: Very little was expected in 2023 from Northwestern, a program already on the downswing before a turbulent offseason featuring Fitzgerald's dismissal. Against all odds, Braun has the Wildcats sitting .500 as they enter November, and a victory Saturday would put Northwestern just a win away from reaching bowl eligibility. If the first two months of the season haven't already earned him consideration, a strong finish would give Braun a solid shot at earning the job permanently.
Change on the horizon for Iowa: Brian Ferentz's days as his father's offensive coordinator are officially numbered, though that already looked like a forgone conclusion before Monday's announcement. Iowa is well behind pace for the average of 25 points per game the younger Ferentz was contractually obligated to maintain to earn a renewal. For better or worse, it'll be interesting to see how Ferentz's unit fares Saturday in the Windy City with that pressure removed. The Hawkeyes have averaged just 14.2 points in Big Ten play and were held to 10 points the last time they took the field, marking the team's second-lowest output of 2023.
Iowa vs. Northwestern prediction
Odds via SportsLine consensus
If you want punts over points, this Big Ten feud is the game for you. Touchdowns will be sparse based on what we've seen from these two offenses thus far, and it would be no shock if this game is decided by a single score. That said, Iowa's defense and special teams have bailed out the Hawkeyes more than once this season, and that edge can't be discredited. Rarely have the wins been pretty, but a 6-2 start still has Iowa bowl bound at worst. The Hawkeyes will use the same formula of "winning ugly" on Saturday to extend their winning streak to three in the series with Northwestern. Iowa -5
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