Iowa football vs. Michigan expert predictions nationally

The day has finally arrived. The 2026 season for the Iowa football program officially begins in Ann Arbor.

After handling business in the non-conference, the Hawkeyes open up Big Ten play with a top-20 matchup against Michigan . It's a huge opportunity for Iowa to prove they belong among the better teams in the conference. On the road, the Wolverines provide a great measuring-stick opportunity for Kirk Ferentz's team.

Michigan has been a good, if not uninspiring, team this season. Despite some close calls early on, it's still a talented group playing in front of one of the best home-field advantages in college football. The Hawkeyes have mostly looked the part up to this point, but this will be their biggest test by far.

Will Michigan protect home field? Or will Iowa prove to the country that they're a serious threat in the Big Ten? Here's who the experts are predicting to win this huge game on Saturday.

College Football News : Michigan 20, Iowa 16. Pete Fiutak of College Football News is picking the home team to get the win. Here's what he had to say about the game.

"Here's the problem with the sputtering Michigan offense – it's not controlling the clock in any way, and against Iowa, that could be deadly. The Hawkeyes haven't been dominating the time of possession battle so far, partly because it hasn't needed to. It'll control the clock, slow things down, get a great performance out of the defense, and … The Michigan defense will be just a bit better, and Underwood will come up with the one scoring drive that matters in the third."

"Here's the problem with the sputtering Michigan offense – it's not controlling the clock in any way, and against Iowa, that could be deadly. The Hawkeyes haven't been dominating the time of possession battle so far, partly because it hasn't needed to. It'll control the clock, slow things down, get a great performance out of the defense, and …

The Michigan defense will be just a bit better, and Underwood will come up with the one scoring drive that matters in the third."

Bleacher Report : Michigan 20, Iowa 16. David Kenyon at Bleacher Report is also rolling with the Wolverines in a low-scoring affair. Here's what he had to say about it.

"On the complete other end of the spectrum, the scoreboard probably won't get a workout in Ann Arbor. Both teams have strong defenses. The offenses—well, they are unproven . It's difficult to trust Michigan because of Bryce Underwood 's issues against top competition, but the Wolverines can survive at home as long as they limit Iowa's running game."

CBS Sports : Six of the nine CBS Sports experts picked Michigan to win. One expert who picked Iowa, Shehan Jeyarajah, explained why he chose the Hawkeyes.

"Michigan has been living on borrowed time the entire season, including the stunning Hail Mary against Western Michigan . Iowa will be the team to finally make them pay -- and ironically, it'll start on offense. Running back Kamari Moulton and wide receiver Tony Diaz give the program one of its best RB-WR combos of the past 20 years, and they will make just enough explosive plays to pull off the upset in the Big House."

USA Today : Matt Hayes of USA Today believes Iowa can win this game on the road. He provided the following rationale.

"Love what Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester has done to change the identity of the team's offense after years of malaise. Made significant strides last season, and now has big arm quarterback Hank Brown who can stretch the field and accurately throw to all levels. If Iowa can protect Brown, it can escape Ann Arbor with a statement win at Michigan since 2010."

Athlon Sports : Two of the three experts at Athlon Sports picked the Hawkeyes to pull off the road upset.

Pro Football Network : Michigan 14, Iowa 13. The team at Pro Football Network is calling for a tight, low-scoring win for the home team.

Fox Sports : Three of the four experts at Fox Sports picked Iowa to win this game. Here's what RJ Young had to say about this matchup.

"In a rock fight — and it's almost always a rock fight with Iowa — you're better off siding with the Hawkeyes than their adversaries, especially against a Michigan offense that hasn't really demonstrated it can score with any consistency."

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