4 games for Iowa football fans to watch during Hawkeyes’ bye week

Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver David Bell (3) is congratulated after his touchdown reception during the second half of their Big Ten Conference football game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. Purdue won 24-7. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — While Iowa has the week off, a handful of college football games could have an impact on the Hawkeyes in coming weeks.

Here are four to watch Saturday. They’re all in midafternoon time slots, so it’ll help to have a couple screens.

Wisconsin at No. 25 Purdue

As painful as it might be for some Iowa fans to watch any Purdue football after last week’s 24-7 shellacking, no game in the Big Ten has more implications for Iowa.

The Boilermakers could dethrone Iowa for first place in the Big Ten West with a win. Both teams would be 3-1, and Purdue has the tiebreaker.

A Wisconsin win in West Lafayette, Ind., meanwhile, would move the Badgers to just one game behind Iowa in the Big Ten standings ahead of the Oct. 30 Iowa-Wisconsin game.

Saturday’s game also will provide a good barometer for how good the Badgers actually are after a rough start. Wisconsin lost three of its first four games, although the losses were to ranked opponents.

Since then, the Badgers won 24-0 against Illinois and 20-14 against Army. Neither of those teams are menacing, so Purdue will be a better test.

Time: 2 p.m.

TV: BTN

Maryland at Minnesota

Minnesota could tie Iowa and possibly Purdue for the top spot in the Big Ten West with a win over the Terrapins.

Saturday’s game also give Iowa fans a preview of what will be coming to Kinnick on Nov. 13.

The Golden Gophers, five-point favorites against Maryland, have shown mixed results in 2021.

They remained competitive with then-No. 4 Ohio State in their season opener, leading at halftime and never trailing by more than two possessions, but also lost to Bowling Green. Three of Minnesota’s four wins have come by only one possession.

Time: 2:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN2

No. 8 Oklahoma State at Iowa State

Iowa State could do a favor for its in-state rival this weekend.

An Oklahoma State loss would mean one less unbeaten team ahead of the Hawkeyes in the rankings.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has reiterated that rankings don’t matter in September and October. November is looming, though, when the College Football Playoff selection committee releases its first rankings.

The higher Iowa is ranked means a better chance of going to a New Year’s Six bowl.

Time: 2:30 p.m.

TV: Fox

No. 10 Oregon at UCLA

Oregon, a two-point underdog, is another vulnerable top-10 team this week that Iowa could potentially leapfrog in the rankings.

The Oregon-UCLA game isn’t quite as important for the Hawkeyes as the three aforementioned games, though, because of the minimal implications on Iowa’s bowl selection.

The Pac-12 will have a representative in the Rose Bowl, and Oregon is the only ranked team in the conference.

Optimistic Hawkeye fans could watch Saturday’s game, which is ironically at the Rose Bowl, to get a glimpse of the likely opponent if Iowa earns a Rose Bowl berth. Iowa has a lot to work on after its 24-7 loss, though, before dreaming of Pasadena.

Time: 2:30 p.m.

TV: ABC

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