Let this statement sink in. 

The end of June means you only have to suffer through one more month without football. The Hawkeyes don't begin their 2026 season until September, but by then, Iowa fans will already have their appetizers of the NFL preseason and Week 0 served to their TV screens.  

From a content perspective, the month of July also means it's time for HawkeyeRoundtable.com to really start gearing up to dive into the upcoming football season. But before we can start providing our way-too-early analysis of each of Iowa's opponents, we have to talk about the schedule first. 

The Hawkeyes have been criticized by rival fanbases for playing an "easy schedule" in the Big Ten West era, and though the 2026 schedule features some of those old faces, it's far from easy. 

But which games could be the easiest or the hardest? We've tried to provide the answers here. 

This will be the first meeting between Iowa and Northern Iowa since 2018. The Panthers were still a formidable FCS program back then, but cratered near the end of longtime coach Mark Farley's tenure. New head coach Todd Stepsis went 3-9 in his first season at the helm, and it doesn't appear UNI is coming close to getting out of its rebuilding phase. 

Iowa's next game after Iowa State is always an interesting one depending on the result of the Cy-Hawk game, but no matter what happens on Sept. 12, the Hawkeyes will be heavy favorites in this one. 

Keep Northern Iowa on the schedule, though. These games are good for the state. 

You could flip a coin between these to games to pick the easiest matchup on this schedule. Northern Illinois has given Iowa trouble in the past, but like the Panthers, the Huskies are also going through a rebuilding phase. 

Former head coach Thomas Hammock left the school to become the running backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks, leaving the job to interim man Rob Harley. 

The Hawkeyes' new quarterback may struggle to begin this one, but Iowa shouldn't have much trouble with NIU once it settles in. 

You probably assumed another in-state rival would appear in this spot, but the nod instead will go to a conference foe - Purdue. 

The Boilermakers have struggled mightily since Jeff Brohm left for Louisville, and while Barry Odom could be the right man to bring some respectability in West Lafayette, he's probably one year away from doing so. 

This is one of those November home games that Iowa needs to take care of business in, and considering the Boilers haven't won a Big Ten game since 2023, victory seems likely. 

I never like placing the Cy-Hawk game so low on a list like this, but Iowa State doesn't have much going for it right now. Matt Campbell gutted the roster when he left for Penn State, and it's hard to envision this brand-new roster getting a win in Kinnick Stadium. 

There's two reasons why this game is in the No. 9 spot. First, Iowa just can't seem to beat the Cyclones in Iowa City (last win was in 2018). The Hawkeyes also will be playing an Iowa State team with nothing to lose, which could make for a strange result in this rivalry game. 

A night game at Kinnick should help, though. 

Give credit to Northwestern. It's trying to build it's football program into a formidable one in the Big Ten, and adding Chip Kelly and Jerry Neuheisel to the coaching staff is certainly a plus. 

I may regret placing this game this low, but the reason why it's here is because of the home field advantage Iowa is likely going to have. There's a ton of Hawkeye fans based in the Chicagoland area, and they're going to happily invade the new Ryan Field. 

Nebraska isn't going to get Iowa's respect unless it consistently finds a way to beat the Hawkeyes. 

Will it happen this year? It's possible, but my predictions are saved for another date. Matt Rhule is trying everything he can to build the Huskers back into a football power, but it just hasn't clicked so far. 

Nebraska brought in UNLV transfer Anthony Colandrea to take over at quarterback, but he may need to find the best food spots in Lincoln before he declares a 10-win season. 

A Halloween rivalry game at Kinnick Stadium just feels right. 

Luke Fickell has face-planted in Madison so far, and 2026 could be his last chance to turn things around. Wisconsin brought in some transfers, namely Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph, to help make that happen, but the Badgers still have far more questions than answers. 

Wisconsin's struggles have allowed Iowa to regain control in this series. The Hawkeyes have won four straight Heartland Trophies and have allowed just one touchdown over the previous three meetings. 

Minnesota is an invalid fair catch call away from losing 11 straight games to Iowa. P.J. Fleck has built a consistent winner in Minneapolis, but the annual losses to the Hawkeyes have frustrated Gopher fans. 

Iowa's last two victories in this series have been blowouts, including a 31-14 win at Huntington Bank Stadium two years ago. Playing on the road is always tricky, but the reason why this game is this high on this list is because of where it lies on the schedule. 

The Hawkeyes could be reeling after their brutal stretch to open Big Ten play, and should Iowa enter this game winless in league play, Minnesota could smell blood in the water. 

Every game on this schedule presents a unique challenge, but outside of the three-game stretch to begin league play, this is easily Iowa's toughest task. 

Why? Because of Illinois head coach Bret Bielema. The Fighting Illini were one of the worst programs in the Big Ten before Bielema's arrival, but the former Hawkeye player and Wisconsin head coach has completely turned things around in Champaign. 

Standout quarterback Luke Altmyer and other key players are gone, but Illinois is built to win consistently in the Big Ten these days - especially at home.  

Will 2026 boast the toughest three-game stretch in Ferentz's tenure? We'll soon find out, but opening the Big Ten calendar at the Big House is certainly going to be a challenge for the Hawkeyes. 

This will be Iowa's first trip to Michigan since 2019 (the Big Ten road opener), but the Wolverines are a different program since then. Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL two seasons ago, and Michigan has been average at best since then. 

Former longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is in charge now, and though the Wolverines have talented quarterback Bryce Underwood under center, I'm interested to see how well-oiled Whittingham's new system will be by the time this game rolls around. 

Traveling from Iowa City to Seattle is a long trip in itself, but making the trek there on a Friday night is a brutal outcome, especially considering the hardest contest on this list precedes the Washington game. 

I really like Jedd Fisch as a coach, and I think it's only a matter of time before he rebuilds the Huskies back into a national power. Washington won nine games in 2025, so a breakthrough 2026 could be likely. 

We can't ignore Iowa's struggles on the West Coast, either. The Hawkeyes have laid two eggs since the Big Ten expanded out there, and that's not including the failed trips to the desert against Arizona State and Arizona. 

Does this game really need much of an explanation? Ohio State is loaded with an embarrassing array of talent this year and may just be the heavy favorite to capture its second national championship in three years. 

Iowa fans are hoping and praying 2026 will be a second iteration of the 2017 blowout victory over the Buckeyes at Kinnick that is nicknamed "Woodshed," but beating Ohio State will be a very stiff challenge this year. 

If the Hawkeyes somehow manage to enter this game 5-0, we could be looking at an all-time atmosphere inside Kinnick Stadium. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]