Entering November, Iowa and Iowa State are tied for first place in football

Theoretically, Iowa and Iowa State could be playing for football conference-championships on Dec. 2.

Going 4-0 in November would seal the deal for Iowa State, and give Iowa a pretty good chance, in fact. Easier said than done.

But as October turns into November, the Hawkeyes are 3-2 and tied with Nebraska, Wisconsin and Minnesota for the Big Ten West lead. The Cyclones are 4-1 in the Big 12, sharing a five-way tie at the top with Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas.

If Iowa wins out, the only way it doesn’t take the West title is if Minnesota does the same. The Gophers still must play at Ohio State.

The Hawkeyes face Northwestern Saturday in Chicago, host Rutgers and Illinois, then close on Black Friday at Nebraska. Is winning all four a lot to ask? Uh, yeah. Are any of those four opponents scary monsters? Uh, no.

Iowa State has won its last three Big 12 games by an average of 15 points. Its remaining games are Saturday night at home against Kansas, at BYU, No. 7 Texas in Ames, and at Kansas State.

Those last two games are nice little challenges, eh? And Kansas isn’t exactly a slouch, as Oklahoma can tell you. But the way the Cyclones have been improving of late, who’s to rule out them making a serious run at being one of the league’s two top teams at season’s end?

If ISU beats Kansas and BYU, oh how that would ramp up that Texas game at Jack Trice Stadium on Nov. 18. The Longhorns host Kansas State Saturday, so something has to give there.

If nothing else, the Cyclones having a bounce-back season with a freshman quarterback in Rocco Becht is a rejuvenating deal in central Iowa.

As for Iowa, how bonkers would it be for the Hawkeyes to overcome their own offense and peel off four straight wins to take a 10-2 record to Indianapolis and play for a Big Ten title?

Northwestern and Nebraska both won Saturday, against Maryland and Purdue. Rutgers is bowl-eligible. I don’t know how Iowa wins all four. But can Northwestern score much against the Hawkeyes? Can Rutgers? Can Illinois? Bet the under in all of them, though you already knew that.

How about if the Hawkeyes went to Nebraska needing a win to claim the final Big Ten West crown? The Huskers are riding a three-game winning streak, their longest since 2016. They have allowed just 10 points per game in those three wins. They held Purdue to 195 yards Saturday in their 31-14 win in Lincoln.

Black Friday and a potential 7-6 or 6-3 or 3-0 game are still a ways off, though. If Iowa doesn’t come home from Wrigley Field next Saturday with a win over Northwestern, just give the Hawkeyes a berth in the Las Vegas Bowl and be done with it

I’ll host a party for all my favorite Iowans in my villa at the Belaggio, and we’ll all make the best of the situation.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com