Iowa Football: Can the Hawkeyes Stay in Big Ten West Driver’s Seat With Win Over Wisconsin?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Each week, we send out questions to the most plugged-in Iowa Hawkeyes fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to join Reacts.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are fresh off a bye week and the timing could not have been more perfect. After six weeks of tempting fate with subpar offense and stellar defense, the Hawkeyes dropped their first game of the season in week seven to the Purdue Boilermakers.

In the loss, the Iowa offense looked its worst all year while Spencer Petras threw four of his 11 career interceptions in a game with three coming in consecutive series for the Hawkeyes. Making matters worse, the defense finally looked mortal as they allowed David Bell to absolutely torch them in the absence of Riley Moss.

The loss pushed the Hawkeyes outside the top-10 in the AP and Coaches polls, but losses in front of them have Iowa right back inside entering a pivotal showdown this weekend. A trip to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers is set to once again decide who controls their destiny in the Big Ten West.

A win this week by the Hawkeye and the loss to Purdue fades into the rearview mirror. In such a world, Iowa would hold a two-game lead over the Badgers with Minnesota the only team still capable of keeping Iowa out of the Big Ten Championship with a head-to-head win. A loss this week would once again put Iowa behind Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota and Purdue (assuming the Boilers can pull off a win against Nebraska this weekend).

With that backdrop, we’re back asking Hawkeye fans how they see things playing out both this weekend and the rest of the way.

Click here to vote if viewing on a mobile device.

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