It's pretty clear what the Iowa Hawkeyes , as a team, have to gain from beating Northwestern this weekend. First, it gets Iowa to 7-2, which likely propels them higher in the College Football Playoff rankings. That leads to another thing that Iowa can gain from this.
A win over Northwestern would put Iowa three wins away from its first College Football Playoff trip. Yes. A 10-2 Iowa team, coming from the Big Ten, would make the field. That won't get snubbed. But saying it is a lot easier than doing it. It's going to fall on a few Hawkeyes to get the job done.
The Northwestern offense, for as fun as it is to watch this year, has had some pass-protection issues at times. Northwestern is No. 91 in college football, with 18 sacks allowed. Iowa is No. 12 in America, with 24 sacks under its belt. This is an advantage Iowa can force the issue in.
Bryce Hawthorne has an opportunity in this game to create chaos in the middle of the line, both by blowing up run plays and by getting Iowa some one-on-one matchups from its pass rushers. His presence on the inside may not light up stat sheets, but could influence this game.
Last weekend we saw Iowa come out and throw the ball around the yard. Tim Lester opened it up and let Hank Brown sling it. I think we will see that again this weekend, but in a tamer way. Iowa is going to try to establish the run to keep Northwestern's offense off the field.
L.J. Phillips Jr. has been close all year. He has had some ankle injuries that nagged him earlier in the year, but he is healthy now. Northwestern is giving up over 4.5 yards per carry this year, and his ability to run between the tackles could come up massive for Iowa in his first big game as a Hawkeye.
November is where Kirk Ferentz shines. It's late in the year. Teams are beat up. Depth charts are being tested. The stress of a long season is setting in. It's easy to slip up at times. He manages to have Iowa ready to go in the month of November every single year.
While Kirk Ferentz won't admit it, he definitely knows what's at stake for Iowa. He has another shot at making his first College Football Playoff appearance, which has been elusive for him. Getting this game taken care of is a huge step in that direction.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa as Who Has the Most To Gain for the Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Northwestern? .
