DSM Reg writer Leistekow has Iowa losing to Minny and jNorthwester!!! Your thoughts

uihawk82 · 2026-08-30T12:39:10-0500

This article is on hawkcentral.com If we have above avg QB play and our DLine can decently stop or slow the opponent run game I dont see the hawks losing either of these two games.

Let's say both teams are both about fully healthy, Iowa has the OLine, RBacks and run game to gash and set up the pass (even a first down pass) and if we have the QB play then our TEnds are a whole handful which keeps safeties in the middle of the field and open the edges for what could be some very good wide receiver play.

Leistokow says Minny is a veteran team but not sure they can top the hawks.

Also, jNW has sparty transfer Chiles at QB but he is not an elite QB. He can be good but I dont remember him as an extra elusive and fast runner. The hawk personnel probably is better at most positions

I am still having the Hawks at 8-9 wins

85Bears · 2026-08-30T12:40:55-0500

Chad knows very little about football, so I find this article reassuring.

uihawk82 · 2026-08-30T12:51:47-0500

85Bears said:
Chad knows very little about football, so I find this article reassuring.

And he is probably trying ruffle hawk feathers, piss fans off to get more clicks.

When was the last time the hawks lost to both Minny and jNW in the same year? I will try to find out

OOPs I forgot about the dismal end to the 2010 season as I thought it would have been several decades to 50 years ago

GoUIowa · 2026-08-30T12:56:32-0500

He has them winning at Washington, also. How dare he make a prediction that might not match everyone else, because we all know every season plays out exactly like you think.

GoUIowa · 2026-08-30T12:59:40-0500

uihawk82 said:
This article is on hawkcentral.com If we have above avg QB play and our DLine can decently stop or slow the opponent run game I dont see the hawks losing either of these two games.

Let's say both teams are both about fully healthy, Iowa has the OLine, RBacks and run game to gash and set up the pass (even a first down pass) and if we have the QB play then our TEnds are a whole handful which keeps safeties in the middle of the field and open the edges for what could be some very good wide receiver play.

Leistokow says Minny is a veteran team but not sure they can top the hawks.

Also, jNW has sparty transfer Chiles at QB but he is not an elite QB. He can be good but I dont remember him as an extra elusive and fast runner. The hawk personnel probably is better at most positions

I am still having the Hawks at 8-9 wins

At the end, you say you have the Hawks at 8-9 wins. So does he. He just doesn’t get there the same way as you, so what’s the big deal?

Gonzo_Bloor · 2026-08-30T13:10:23-0500

Most years Iowa loses at least 1 game that most fans didn't see coming and wouldn't have predicted us losing.

2025 - ISU
2024 - ISU, UCLA
2023 - Minnesota
2022 - ISU, Illinois
2021 - Purdue
2020 - Purdue
2018 - Purdue
2017 - Purdue, Northwestern
2016 - NDSU, Northwestern

Nevertheless, when it's preseason and everyone's making their predictions for the year most fans look for which of the big 4-5 programs we play that year (tOSU, Oregon, Michigan, USC, PSU, etc.), peg those as our losses and predict Ws over everyone else. Then they get all huffy when someone has the nerve to predict an L to a NW, Minney, Wisco, etc. Even though it happens almost every season. It's really kind of funny.

Max Rebo · 2026-08-30T13:10:30-0500

uihawk82 said:
And he is probably trying ruffle hawk feathers, piss fans off to get more clicks.

That’s never been Chad’s M.O., fwiw.

If you listen to his podcast, the point is that after the Mich-tOSU-Wash gauntlet, he still thinks we have the potential to drop a game or two. I think he’s absolutely right.

Minny is just the game he picked.

85Bears · 2026-08-30T13:10:39-0500

GoUIowa said:
He has them winning at Washington, also. How dare he make a prediction that might not match everyone else, because we all know every season plays out exactly like you think.

Calm down Chad

GoUIowa · 2026-08-30T13:24:02-0500

85Bears said:
Calm down Chad

Again, you don’t like opposing opinions, do you?

Have a good day.

rchawk · 2026-08-30T13:39:00-0500

Max Rebo said:
That’s never been Chad’s M.O., fwiw.

If you listen to his podcast, the point is that after the Mich-tOSU-Wash gauntlet, he still thinks we have the potential to drop a game or two. I think he’s absolutely right.

Minny is just the game he picked.

I thought of that too. Like Tom, Blair, the other reporters here, Chad is very likely told things off the record that he can't reveal. So he. Tom, etc. know things we don't.

Or it could just be Chad making a call on a gut feeling.

2D · 2026-08-30T14:06:54-0500

Always remember the Kirk Stinker rule, and his prediction becomes a lot more realistic. When the team heads up to Minnesota, they could very well be on a three game losing streak.

MeetTheFerentzes · 2026-08-30T14:39:19-0500

It probably wouldn't be the first time a team lost to 2 teams in which they beat by a combined score of 81-17 the last time they played, but I doubt it's happened very much.

I expect those to be two solid Hawkeye victories.

uihawk82 · 2026-08-30T15:03:10-0500

uihawk82 said:
And he is probably trying ruffle hawk feathers, piss fans off to get more clicks.

When was the last time the hawks lost to both Minny and jNW in the same year? I will try to find out

Max Rebo said:
That’s never been Chad’s M.O., fwiw.

If you listen to his podcast, the point is that after the Mich-tOSU-Wash gauntlet, he still thinks we have the potential to drop a game or two. I think he’s absolutely right.

Minny is just the game he picked.

And he picked a loss at northwestern unless I read it wrong.

r_desihawk · 2026-08-30T15:06:35-0500

letdown game is a definite possibility if we won at washington. at minny after a bye week will be very tough. and chiles has destroyed parker’s defense before so at nw will be very tough.

uihawk82 · 2026-08-30T15:08:44-0500

GoUIowa said:
At the end, you say you have the Hawks at 8-9 wins. So does he. He just doesn’t get there the same way as you, so what’s the big deal?

I think the hawks could win 11 on paper right now. But a short week at Wash is going to be tough but Wash was crushed by every really good team they played last year. The hawks usual discipline and hard play could win it.

OSU will be super hard to win but not impossible. Mich with a new coach is a good chance for a win.

I dont see the hawks losing to either Minny or jNW except that they are road games and there are letdowns.

I would like to pick 9 wins but as others say and I know and have seen the hawks seem to be really good but lose one they shouldnt. That is why I am at 8-9 wins.

uihawk82 · 2026-08-30T15:11:42-0500

Gonzo_Bloor said:
Most years Iowa loses at least 1 game that most fans didn't see coming and wouldn't have predicted us losing.

2025 - ISU
2024 - ISU, UCLA
2023 - Minnesota
2022 - ISU, Illinois
2021 - Purdue
2020 - Purdue
2018 - Purdue
2017 - Purdue, Northwestern
2016 - NDSU, Northwestern

Nevertheless, when it's preseason and everyone's making their predictions for the year most fans look for which of the big 4-5 programs we play that year (tOSU, Oregon, Michigan, USC, PSU, etc.), peg those as our losses and predict Ws over everyone else. Then they get all huffy when someone has the nerve to predict an L to a NW, Minney, Wisco, etc. Even though it happens almost every season. It's really kind of funny.

Well I was talking about picking the hawks to lose to both Minny and jNW, not just one of them. Your list, 2025 loss to ISU they were favored and a road game so not a big surprise on a tossup type game,

85Bears · 2026-08-30T17:13:09-0500

uihawk82 said:
I think the hawks could win 11 on paper right now. But a short week at Wash is going to be tough but Wash was crushed by every really good team they played last year. The hawks usual discipline and hard play could win it.

OSU will be super hard to win but not impossible. Mich with a new coach is a good chance for a win.

I dont see the hawks losing to either Minny or jNW except that they are road games and there are letdowns.

I would like to pick 9 wins but as others say and I know and have seen the hawks seem to be really good but lose one they shouldnt. That is why I am at 8-9 wins.

Michigan replaced a horrible coach with a very good coach. So no, that doesn’t look like a good opportunity.

52317Hawk · 2026-08-30T18:21:27-0500

Minny could be a tough game on the road against a very seasoned team. NU I won't speak to, they could be tough as well. I do know that outside of the non-con games, the BIG is tough and no game should be looked at as a gimme and no game should be looked at as a certain loss.

Low end 7-5 with a high end of 10-2/11-1.

DSM Reg writer Leistekow has Iowa losing to Minny and jNorthwester!!! Your thoughts

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