Iowa's Schedule, Worst to Best: No. 11 W. Michigan

I'm on vacation, but the Hlog is not. Through the power of time-stamping, while I'm gone this blog will publish a ranking of Iowa's 12 football games in 2013 in terms of being interesting.

To see the teams that have already been ranked, click here and scroll, my babies. Scroll.

No. 11 Western Michigan, Sept. 21, Game 4.

The name "Western Michigan" conjures up horrors for Iowa football fans. In 2000, the Broncos left Kinnick Stadium with a 27-21 win. Seven  years later, Iowa had a three-game winning streak and a 6-5 record when it closed the season by hosting WMU. But there would be no Insight Bowl invitation that year with a 6-6 mark, not after the Hawkeyes fell to the Broncos, 28-19.

The Broncos recorded the first four scores in that game in building a 19-0 lead. They outgained the Hawkeyes, 489 yards to 397, and had no turnovers to Iowa's three.

Western Michigan showed up with a 3-7 record. It outcoached and outplayed the Hawkeyes. Things got better for Iowa the following season.

But if you say those facts add up to a nonconference meeting that stirs the soul in 2012, you're just being a contrarian. This isn't Northern Illinois, the defending Mid-American Conference champion. It's Western Michigan, which went 4-8 last year, got coach Bill Cubit fired, and got P.J. Fleck hired at age 32.

I'm a little concerned about this Fleck fellow. Why? This is why.

Now, just because this isn't an attractive opponent doesn't mean there couldn't be a rowdy, happy crowd at Kinnick Stadium for this game. The trick is for Iowa to come into the game 3-0, which would mean it had beaten Northern Illinois at home and Iowa State in Ames.

Take a 3-0 mark into the WMU game, and the home crowd would be happy to see Iowa play the Coast Guard or the Merchant Marine. Lose at Iowa State the week before this game, and if you want cheap tickets for WMU-Iowa, just come down to Kinnick. People will be happy to give them to you.

What this game should be for the fans is the catch-your-breath affair. The week after Iowa State, and the week before the Big Ten season starts. If it turns out to be stressful, what in the world will the eight weeks of conference play be?

Since that 2007 game in Kinnick, WMU is 0-7 against the Big Ten and it lost to Nebraska in '08. The Broncos open this season at Michigan State and play at Northwestern the week before they come to Iowa City. So it could be already be a worn-down team by the time it reaches Iowa for Game 4.

The Hawkeyes are owning Western Michigan this year. Here is 2013 tennis action between the Hawkeyes and Broncos: