If he wins in Ames and it’s there for the record get ready for Cryin Kirk.
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2025 Schedule
- Thread starter pistachio1999
- Start date
Hi Rubrum. Nebraska is as much an abject disaster as your life.
Gives me the giggles.
Now give me a like with your latest troll handle loser.
Bump2025 mid-May schedule prediction:
Albany- W, it's a great day for the Great Danes to take our money and feed us a season opening victory without injuring any of our key players if they have any aspirations of seeing their football program exist beyond the 2025 season............
At Iowa State- L, this will be game 3 for the Cyclones and while they could be a bit on the ropes with a tough opener against Kansas State and a sneaky trap game against South Dakota sandwiched in between, the fact is this series has always been about Iowa deciding whether or not they can get out of their own way for 4 hours (i.e. long enough to not sh** their pants against a team they have no business losing to and yes that includes last year).
Iowa State hasn't straight dominated a healthy Iowa team from start to finish since the 2000 season, and last won in blowout fashion in 2005 after Drew Tate's infamous would-be tackle attempt/concussion knocked him out of the game.
Every other Iowa-ISU game since then has been about Iowa doing enough to not gift Iowa State a Super Bowl victory........or them doing exactly that.
So as of right now, until proven otherwise, I expect more of the pants-pooping we saw in the 2nd half against the Cyclones last year, as opposed to the 1st half domination, with this mish-mash of a roster we have right now. Hell, the game could even play out the exact same as last year, where we get another big lead, and then go turtle mode and let ISU have a feel-good rally to get their first win in Ames over us since the Steel Pants era (2011).
The only thing that would truly surprise me, and then immediately set my expectations for the remainder of the season, is if we go in there and just get our asses beat from the start, or at the very least similar to UCLA/Michigan State, where we dig a hole and never find our way out.
If that happens, 6 regular season wins is the max for this roster with this schedule.
Massachusetts- W, rebound game which looks like most other recent Kirk era rebound games where the fans want one thing (blood and guts and the destruction of whoever our next opponent is following a loss), and Kirk delivers another (ho-hum, mostly uninspiring, but just tantalizing enough victory that doesn't tell either way which direction this team could go)..........but we really know, especially if we lose to Iowa State.
At Rutgers- W, this stretch of the schedule is where Iowa could regain a little bit of their mojo. Iowa has fared favorably well playing our Atlantic coast "brethren" on the road save for a couple minor exceptions, so I expect this to go that route as opposed to something like last year's UCLA game.
Rutgers continues to be a preseason champion, especially in the Greg Schiano era, but until Iowa physically lays down so that Rutgers can beat them, I'm going to assume that's not gonna happen.
Indiana- W, I'm sure some will argue cause for pause on this game considering how Indiana did last year and the fact that our defense should be the worst it's been in over 10 years, but history is also on our side in these kind of matchups. This isn't one of the big boys like Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State where we'll need to play ultra conservative and rely on defense to suck out a 14-12 major upset victory. This is more akin to 2019 undefeated Minnesota coming in and we play the rare role of spoiler.
At Wisconsin- W, there's always that worry in the back of my mind that the same old sh** that's costs us in previous Wisconsin games will rear its ugly head eventually, but until we actually see what this Badger team looks like, we can only assume that if our ass offense in 2023 and our mediocre overall product in 2024 could own these guys, that Iowa > Wisconsin will remain the status quo.
Penn State- L, based on my predictions thus far, this will be billed as a fairly big game at this point in the season. Probably somewhat similar hype to 2021, but we'll be decided underdogs in this one because of all our failures since that fateful game against Penn State soon to be 4 years ago now...........
I expect Iowa to give their best effort, for sure, but ultimately I think James Franklin has solved whatever problem he had with us and similar to 2017, it'll be our defense that fails us in the end because we are Iowa and we can't have nice things.
Minnesota- W, this will be the key game for the Hawks. Win and you're bowl-eligible and still in the thick of things as far as potentially sneaking into the CFP. Piss around with Fleck Ball and find a way to lose (injuries mounting, Iowa has a letdown game after giving it their all against PSU) and blood will be in the shark-infested water.
Fortunately, I still have a little faith in a fully-healthy Hawk squad to not poop their pants against the Golden Goofy bast**ds.
Oregon- L, this will be the big one that the media circles as a potentially road trap game for the Ducks. Yes they have the high profile game in Happy Valley and face their rivals Washington at the end of the year in Seattle, but Iowa is the unknown for them at this point still. These two have not met since 1994. Of course, I have a feeling this game will end up similar to that contest in 1994, especially if Iowa is coming off multiple losses, or is dealing with key injuries (because remember if we got to have nice things, and keep them, we would've won a championship some time since 2004). Oregon is one of those tier-above type of teams, especially on offense, and we won't have the typical kind of defense to turn this game into a Kirk Ball upset special.
At USC- L, this is the dangerous portion of the schedule, and why it is absolutely vital that Iowa starts the season AT LEAST 6-2, because we have a sneaky tough back end of the season to wrap up 2025. We follow up presumably getting our asses kicked at home with having to go out west to avoid the same fate against a bought-and-paid-for USC roster that could be fighting for it's own playoff life by this point in the year. You add in the fact that Kirk always spooks himself into his teams playing like dogsh** any time they cross the Rocky Mountains, and we're gonna find Iowa in another precarious position to end the season, much like last year........
Michigan State- W, I'm wondering at this point, if it's a Kirk thing that we always have to play close games with Michigan State, because Mark Dantonio is long since gone, and we still keep pissing around with the absolute definition of mediocrity in these past two iterations of Michigan State football.
I don't see that being any different this year given what they're roster will look like, but Hawk fans can rejoice in the fact that we should at least squeak by with a win on Senior Day.
At Nebraska- This is it, isn't it. The moment we've all been dreading. Nebraska finally has a roster they can make some noise with and it could culminate with a crowning achievement/statement win over their "not" rivals in Iowa. The Husker faithful will have balloons in hand, everyone online will be waiting with baited breath to finally proclaim that NEBRASKA IS BA-.............
Ahhhh, who are we kidding. Iowa gets a late turnover, again, and this time doesn't need a last-second field goal for yet another victory over the Corn Shuckers. Hawks win 27-21.
Final 2025 record for mid-May prediction: 8-4 (Hawks go to the ReliaQuest Bowl to face Mississippi)
There, I just saved you all 4 months of worrying and another 4 months of b****ing and moaning about the Kirk Ferentz roller coaster ride at the Kinnick Stadium amusement park............You're welcome.
Seems a bit optimistic.2025 mid-May schedule prediction:
Albany- W, it's a great day for the Great Danes to take our money and feed us a season opening victory without injuring any of our key players if they have any aspirations of seeing their football program exist beyond the 2025 season............
At Iowa State- L, this will be game 3 for the Cyclones and while they could be a bit on the ropes with a tough opener against Kansas State and a sneaky trap game against South Dakota sandwiched in between, the fact is this series has always been about Iowa deciding whether or not they can get out of their own way for 4 hours (i.e. long enough to not sh** their pants against a team they have no business losing to and yes that includes last year).
Iowa State hasn't straight dominated a healthy Iowa team from start to finish since the 2000 season, and last won in blowout fashion in 2005 after Drew Tate's infamous would-be tackle attempt/concussion knocked him out of the game.
Every other Iowa-ISU game since then has been about Iowa doing enough to not gift Iowa State a Super Bowl victory........or them doing exactly that.
So as of right now, until proven otherwise, I expect more of the pants-pooping we saw in the 2nd half against the Cyclones last year, as opposed to the 1st half domination, with this mish-mash of a roster we have right now. Hell, the game could even play out the exact same as last year, where we get another big lead, and then go turtle mode and let ISU have a feel-good rally to get their first win in Ames over us since the Steel Pants era (2011).
The only thing that would truly surprise me, and then immediately set my expectations for the remainder of the season, is if we go in there and just get our asses beat from the start, or at the very least similar to UCLA/Michigan State, where we dig a hole and never find our way out.
If that happens, 6 regular season wins is the max for this roster with this schedule.
Massachusetts- W, rebound game which looks like most other recent Kirk era rebound games where the fans want one thing (blood and guts and the destruction of whoever our next opponent is following a loss), and Kirk delivers another (ho-hum, mostly uninspiring, but just tantalizing enough victory that doesn't tell either way which direction this team could go)..........but we really know, especially if we lose to Iowa State.
At Rutgers- W, this stretch of the schedule is where Iowa could regain a little bit of their mojo. Iowa has fared favorably well playing our Atlantic coast "brethren" on the road save for a couple minor exceptions, so I expect this to go that route as opposed to something like last year's UCLA game.
Rutgers continues to be a preseason champion, especially in the Greg Schiano era, but until Iowa physically lays down so that Rutgers can beat them, I'm going to assume that's not gonna happen.
Indiana- W, I'm sure some will argue cause for pause on this game considering how Indiana did last year and the fact that our defense should be the worst it's been in over 10 years, but history is also on our side in these kind of matchups. This isn't one of the big boys like Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State where we'll need to play ultra conservative and rely on defense to suck out a 14-12 major upset victory. This is more akin to 2019 undefeated Minnesota coming in and we play the rare role of spoiler.
At Wisconsin- W, there's always that worry in the back of my mind that the same old sh** that's costs us in previous Wisconsin games will rear its ugly head eventually, but until we actually see what this Badger team looks like, we can only assume that if our ass offense in 2023 and our mediocre overall product in 2024 could own these guys, that Iowa > Wisconsin will remain the status quo.
Penn State- L, based on my predictions thus far, this will be billed as a fairly big game at this point in the season. Probably somewhat similar hype to 2021, but we'll be decided underdogs in this one because of all our failures since that fateful game against Penn State soon to be 4 years ago now...........
I expect Iowa to give their best effort, for sure, but ultimately I think James Franklin has solved whatever problem he had with us and similar to 2017, it'll be our defense that fails us in the end because we are Iowa and we can't have nice things.
Minnesota- W, this will be the key game for the Hawks. Win and you're bowl-eligible and still in the thick of things as far as potentially sneaking into the CFP. Piss around with Fleck Ball and find a way to lose (injuries mounting, Iowa has a letdown game after giving it their all against PSU) and blood will be in the shark-infested water.
Fortunately, I still have a little faith in a fully-healthy Hawk squad to not poop their pants against the Golden Goofy bast**ds.
Oregon- L, this will be the big one that the media circles as a potentially road trap game for the Ducks. Yes they have the high profile game in Happy Valley and face their rivals Washington at the end of the year in Seattle, but Iowa is the unknown for them at this point still. These two have not met since 1994. Of course, I have a feeling this game will end up similar to that contest in 1994, especially if Iowa is coming off multiple losses, or is dealing with key injuries (because remember if we got to have nice things, and keep them, we would've won a championship some time since 2004). Oregon is one of those tier-above type of teams, especially on offense, and we won't have the typical kind of defense to turn this game into a Kirk Ball upset special.
At USC- L, this is the dangerous portion of the schedule, and why it is absolutely vital that Iowa starts the season AT LEAST 6-2, because we have a sneaky tough back end of the season to wrap up 2025. We follow up presumably getting our asses kicked at home with having to go out west to avoid the same fate against a bought-and-paid-for USC roster that could be fighting for it's own playoff life by this point in the year. You add in the fact that Kirk always spooks himself into his teams playing like dogsh** any time they cross the Rocky Mountains, and we're gonna find Iowa in another precarious position to end the season, much like last year........
Michigan State- W, I'm wondering at this point, if it's a Kirk thing that we always have to play close games with Michigan State, because Mark Dantonio is long since gone, and we still keep pissing around with the absolute definition of mediocrity in these past two iterations of Michigan State football.
I don't see that being any different this year given what they're roster will look like, but Hawk fans can rejoice in the fact that we should at least squeak by with a win on Senior Day.
At Nebraska- This is it, isn't it. The moment we've all been dreading. Nebraska finally has a roster they can make some noise with and it could culminate with a crowning achievement/statement win over their "not" rivals in Iowa. The Husker faithful will have balloons in hand, everyone online will be waiting with baited breath to finally proclaim that NEBRASKA IS BA-.............
Ahhhh, who are we kidding. Iowa gets a late turnover, again, and this time doesn't need a last-second field goal for yet another victory over the Corn Shuckers. Hawks win 27-21.
Final 2025 record for mid-May prediction: 8-4 (Hawks go to the ReliaQuest Bowl to face Mississippi)
There, I just saved you all 4 months of worrying and another 4 months of b****ing and moaning about the Kirk Ferentz roller coaster ride at the Kinnick Stadium amusement park............You're welcome.
Believe me......I actually tried NOT to be.
But don't think too hard about Nebraska, either. Iowa > Nebraska
Some week 0 / 1 game times set.............
Select ESPN/ABC 2025 College Football Games
*All times Eastern.
Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025
Kansas State vs. Iowa State (Ireland) – 12pm, ESPN
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025
Boise State at South Florida – 5:30pm, ESPN
Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City) – 9pm, ESPN
Friday, Aug. 29, 2025
Georgia Tech at Colorado – 8pm, ESPN
Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025
Syracuse vs. Tennessee (Atlanta) – 12pm, ABC
Alabama at Florida State – 3:30pm, ABC
LSU at Clemson – 7:30pm, ABC
Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025
South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (Atlanta) – 3pm, ABC
Notre Dame at Miami FL – 7:30pm, ABC
Monday, Sept. 1, 2025
TCU at North Carolina – 8pm, ESPN
Select ESPN/ABC 2025 College Football Games
*All times Eastern.
Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025
Kansas State vs. Iowa State (Ireland) – 12pm, ESPN
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025
Boise State at South Florida – 5:30pm, ESPN
Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City) – 9pm, ESPN
Friday, Aug. 29, 2025
Georgia Tech at Colorado – 8pm, ESPN
Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025
Syracuse vs. Tennessee (Atlanta) – 12pm, ABC
Alabama at Florida State – 3:30pm, ABC
LSU at Clemson – 7:30pm, ABC
Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025
South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (Atlanta) – 3pm, ABC
Notre Dame at Miami FL – 7:30pm, ABC
Monday, Sept. 1, 2025
TCU at North Carolina – 8pm, ESPN
Lots of good games those first few weeks.
I assume we will see about 4 or 5 of our game times set by next week. First 3 games for sure will get times and channels set. The Iowa / Iowa State game will have a game time announced soon I would think since it is there.
I always get a kick out of these extra motivation angles. So if it wasn’t Kirk’s chance to pass Woody, they weren’t going to play as hard?
C'mon man you know momentum and motivation. You don't believe in motivation and extra motivation? Why does the world even have professional motivators? Why does Tiger Woods have a swing coach? .............. win one for the Gipper???????????????
Yeah, but I'd think the in-state rivalry already puts this game at a high level. Pretty sure Tiger's swing coach is more about his technique than getting him fired up.
That "extra motivation" thing can work against teams as much as for them. How many times have we seen ISMoo come out all jacked-up only to run out of gas.
That said it would be great to beat the clowns on their home field once more and make it a celebration of Kirk and his program.
It's been a while but if I recall in Dan Gable's book he talks about effort and that he never gave 100% max effort. He talked about his daughter running in a race and she ran so hard she passed out and how he realized then that was max effort and that he had never done that.
I have Gable's book too, interesting read. Your analogy is a little shaky.
Giving 100% doesn't mean running at full speed constantly. You play any game strategically. Receivers don't just take off on a dead sprint every play, their moves fit into a bigger offensive plan. Wrestling is a great example. If you just lunge at a guy with everything you have, he'll use your weight against you. Pacing, tactics, etc are all important. As a mentor of mine once said, "You can't sprint a marathon".
Regardless, it's always nice to come out of Ames (and getting out is the best part) with a W. Having it be a special moment for KFz would be all the better.
I see where Dochterman has his projections on athletic for first 3 weeks for national tv stations and game times. Does this every year right around time first few game times set.
With summer upon us will take any football related news I can get.
Was my guess also. What they did when we last played in Ames. ISU will be ranked unless they lose to K State in Ireland. Maybe that wouldn't drop them all the way out. They win and they will be in the mid-teens or so when we play them.
I guess 11am for the first game against the dogs, 3pm vs Iowa State and then 2:30pm versus U Mass for the first 3 games.
The winner of ISMoo/K State will be top 15. That's a high-visibility win that will give one of them a bump.
maybe result of the bf years but it felt like we were at least mid level last year in explosiveness with kaleb. very surprised at the #121 rank.
Iowa was weak in long plays, but you can slice the categories up and make a better story.
Iowa was 8th in runs of 30+ yards:
Iowa was 8th in runs of 30+ yards:
Big Ten Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025
B1G coaches dish candidly about their rivals in Athlon Sports' 2025 College Football Preview magazine.- Athlon Sports
- May 23, 2025 8:05 AM EDT
In this story:
It's not easy getting college football coaches to honestly comment on another coach, player or team. Most coaches don't want to give opposing teams bulletin board material, which is why there is a lot of coach speak or overused cliches used during the year.
In order to get an accurate assessment of teams heading into 2025, Athlon asked coaches in the Big Ten to talk anonymously about their opponents.
Big Ten Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025
Illinois
“I think if they would’ve made the playoff instead of SMU, they could’ve made some noise.”“They’re a hard, physical team that’s more talented than people realize, and the program has never looked more competent. They have a clear identity from a guy who’s been smart enough to hold true to his core ideas but learn from his mistakes.”
“They’re returning a ton, too, so that gives them a real advantage going into the fall. [Luke] Altmyer doesn’t get enough love; that kid has become a great quarterback.”
“I think it would be massive for this league if this program could make the playoff. This is proof of concept for a long-term vision of recruiting and developing at a place that isn’t Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan, and it’s paying off.”
Indiana
“Maybe the biggest culture change at a program in the history of the sport. IU is a case study for putting your money where your mouth is. They invested heavily in NIL and support. Cig [Curt Cignetti] is a fantastic coach, obviously, but he wouldn’t come without that commitment. That’s how they succeeded immediately.”“I think they’ve improved the O-line enough to stay in games against top-level, physical defenses.”
“They’re leaning on the portal again in the secondary because they’re still a ways off on true, top-end depth for this league.”
“Everyone is asking who the next Indiana is, but there’s no real reason why it isn’t Indiana again. Will they win as many games? Probably not, but they’re going to be in the hunt for a playoff spot again.”
Iowa
“You can look at them two different ways. The first is, this is the kind of roster where [Kirk] Ferentz surprises opponents, and they come out more cohesive and physical than you expect because that’s Iowa football, especially on defense. We’ve seen rosters like these where you look up and Iowa’s winning 10 games, and that didn’t seem possible. The second is that they’re still really struggling on offense, to the point where [Tim] Lester and that staff have everything riding on a FCS transfer quarterback [Mark Gronowski] who didn’t play in the spring at all. We’ve seen this work before at a lot of different schools, but it could also fall apart.“They have questions all over the offense, too, especially at receiver.”
“If Gronowski is good, though, they’ll be fine.”
Maryland
“It’s nearly impossible to tell what they’re going to look like, but it sure seems like it’s getting harder and harder for these guys. The portal hit them really hard, and they’re recruiting high schools really well, but I don’t think they can keep pace and expect to stay competitive. You can’t succeed in this league without some roster consistency.”“On the flip side, they’re landing elite-level players right now for the most recent signing class and next season. You can’t argue with Lock’s [Mike Locksley’s] results [in recruiting]. So how does it all come together?”
“I think they’re going to struggle on both sides again this season, and the offensive line has to improve immediately. But they’re working a plan for the future. The missing piece is landing, developing and then retaining these players.”
Michigan
“It’s tempting to look at these rosters after the national title and define them by what they lose to the draft every year, but we don’t do that with [Kirby] Smart or [Nick] Saban or those programs. Michigan is an elite-level recruiting program. So yeah, they lost a Mason Graham, but they’re ready to plug in that next guy. It’s not plug and play, but it’s close.”
“They would’ve been a serious postseason contender last year if they had a quarterback on the roster. Now they do, so it’s all about how fast [Chip] Lindsey can get him up to speed and going.”
“The focus is on [Bryce] Underwood, but it should be on finding new backs to go with him.”
“They’re not going to change that [Jim] Harbaugh identity all that much, and the ground game is how they define themselves.”
Michigan State
“[Jonathan] Smith is applying a very steady plan here. They’re not going to make a huge splash; they’re just going to improve steadily. He’s got a blueprint that worked for him at Oregon State.”“They need a lot of work on defense, specifically the line and the secondary, at corner, and the running game was pretty mediocre for them last year. But they’ve done a really solid job with transfers, and they’re still building their high school recruiting out.”
“If you’re looking for a most improved program this season, these guys might be it.”
“[Aidan] Chiles was doing too much last year; they made a staff change and brought in one of his guys, and I think that can help.”
“A bowl is definitely possible for them this year, and the roster is going to be better overall.”
Minnesota
“P.J. [Fleck] has built a consistent winner even though it’s not at an elite level. So the good news is the bad news, depending on your expectations, because it is more of the same.”“I think [Drake] Lindsey is the starting quarterback based on what we saw coming out of the spring game, and they need to establish the wide receiver group.”
“The offensive line lost a lot of experience, and they’re portaling a group together, so that could be a potential problem.”
“Jaxon [Howard] is a special talent on defense. He could be a real game-wrecker.”
“It’s no secret Fleck wants to be at a high-end, title-contending program. This doesn’t look like a ’19 season on paper, but if they win nine games or so, he’ll be on the hunt to move.”
Nebraska
“Expectations are building here, but I think this group can meet them.”
“Putting Dana [Holgorsen] in as OC is a great move for Matt [Rhule], and he’ll create a lot of advantages for Dylan [Raiola] in that offense.”
“The DC change won’t really affect what they do schematically; they’re still going to run a 3-3-5 base.”
“They need a big-play receiver to step up; otherwise, I think they’re more talented on paper than the Nebraska roster has been in years. The expectations are that they break out and finally compete among the top level in the league. That might not happen, but I think it’s realistic to expect a better bowl destination and more wins, and Dylan to get more national spotlight.”
“Matt knows how to do this, and they’re heading in the right direction.”
Northwestern
“Things don’t look great here. The portal is eating up what talent they do have, and the offensive problems are as bad as ever. The talent level is going to be hard to maintain here long-term because they can’t sign and develop without getting picked off by other schools now.”“[Preston] Stone is likely the starting QB after spring and losing [Mike] Wright to the portal.”
“The defensive identity is still there from Fitz [Pat Fitzgerald], just not as strong. It used to be that playing these guys was such a headache; they were so physical and creative on defense.”
“I think the comparison here is Vanderbilt. That program got serious about NIL. It’s hard at Northwestern, but it becomes impossible if they don’t embrace the reality of what it takes in the Big Ten.”
Ohio State
“Year in and year out, this is the most talented program in the league and one of the most talented in the nation. The question every season is just if they can arrange that talent the right way.”
“Whoever wins the quarterback battle has one of the best receiver rooms in the country.”
“The defense is stocked; defensive tackle might be their question mark, but they’re going to dominate in league play.”
“The resilience of [Ryan] Day and his staff is really, really remarkable. I don’t think they get enough credit from the public for how they managed the playoff run after losing to Michigan. The calls for his job were absolutely ludicrous. Do they need to beat Michigan? Yeah, sure. But this program is at the very top of the sport because of the head coach.”
Oregon
“They’re pretty hyped on the quarterback [Dante Moore], who they’ve had in the system for a season already, which is a huge advantage. This isn’t modifying your book for a guy you get out of the portal; it’s a talented, developed player who already knows your system. I think that will show early on this season.”“They lost some legit linebackers and a receiver, but this is a reload program, not a rebuilder. Oregon is one of the elite talent-evaluating programs in the country.”
“The only thing missing for [Dan] Lanning is the hardware. Up until the Rose Bowl, the big games he lost were situational decisions where you still respected his confidence for making risky calls. They’re in the mix to win it all.”
Penn State
“This is the best roster in [James] Franklin’s time there, and they’re probably a favorite to win the league entering the season.”
“[Jim] Knowles is a smart addition; he’s going to make some of those guys standout players.”
“Watch out for the defensive end [Dani Dennis-Sutton] in his schemes. I think they’re going to be really creative in how they use him.”
“They’re national title contenders because of the backfield. It would be hard to find a better overall group than [Drew] Allar and the two backs.”
“The Troy receiver [Devonte Ross] gives them some additional speed and opens them up.”
“This is the season James Franklin’s entire coaching career could be judged by. If they can’t change their big-game problems with this group, it’s not happening.”
Purdue
“This is a really tough rebuild, and it’s not going to be an add-NIL, instant-win situation like Indiana was.”“Barry [Odom] is going to be a steadier hand than Ryan [Walters]; he brings a lot of experience in and knows how to sustain a program.”
“If you’re looking for something to build on this season, it’s line play on both sides. [Josh] Henson is a good offensive mind and a good OL coach, too.”
“They’re still pulling guys in from the portal and auditioning at spots right now. They don’t have a quarterback settled, and they don’t really have a receiving corps.”
“It’s going to be rough for a while, but they’re banking on the more experienced head coach being able to compete long-term in the league.”
“How do they respond to what Indiana’s doing with NIL? That’s the bigger question than anything on the field.”
Rutgers
“The quarterback returning is big; that offensive system showed some promise last year.”“I think they’re a stable program now, but it’s hard to predict they’ll make that next step up because a lot of the key position group needs are being filled by portal guys. There isn’t a culture issue we know of; I think it’s just a case of the have-nots, and guys are getting bigger offers to go other places.”
“They’re really high on some of the young receivers, and in Kirk Ciarrocca’s system, they could break out this year.”
“Overall, they’re probably on par with the last few seasons. This is a very smart, capable coaching staff. It’s going to take a different approach in personnel for them to build the depth and talent level necessary to win more games in this league.”
UCLA
“If Nico [Iamaleava] wasn’t a local kid, I don’t think these two end up together. It’s going be fascinating to watch, and it’s hard to understand if you’re in Nico’s camp. This is a less talented roster than Knoxville, and they’re rebuilding the offensive line with portal guys and a new OL coach and coordinator.”
“They portaled a lot of guys in on defense to make up for some major losses, so don’t expect a major improvement there.”
“This is a team with a ton of questions, an almost all-new staff and a superstar transfer at QB. They’re going to steal a lot of attention from USC for a bit, but it’s going to be a huge challenge for a young, unproven head coach to keep this from becoming a circus that falls apart.”
USC
“The talk is all about Lincoln [Riley] making another elite quarterback, but I think the metric here should be how much that defense can improve both on the field and in recruiting. I think they take a jump up this year because they’re bringing in more talented players to a proven system. Both the transfers and the freshman [Jahkeem Stewart] will make the defensive line better. That’s what gets lost about the USC teams that won big; they were killers in the front seven. That’s been missing.”“If you assume [Jayden] Maiava continues to build a comfort level, they’ll be better for it on offense. But watch the defense. If they take that next step, we’re talking about a team that can go in and play with the best programs in the nation again.”
Washington
“If the quarterback continues to develop, I think they’re a most-improved candidate this year.”
“Their biggest problem was the offensive line; that situation is how a coaching change and heavy portal can break bad on you. That group was truly bad last year.”
“The quarterback seems to be a rising star even without a ton of reps, and they have legit weapons at wide receiver.”
“Keep an eye on them in high school recruiting. They’re starting to notch some big wins and go head-to-head with Oregon. I think they’re a little bit ahead of the build that [Jedd] Fisch had at Arizona because the floor was a little higher at UW, even with the portal losses after Kalen [DeBoer].”
“They’re not a contender yet, but they’re going to be better across the board this year.”
Wisconsin
“Nothing about the offense made sense here. [Phil] Longo moving on benefits everyone involved, and if they bounce back and become more of a modern version of that classic Wisconsin power run offense, you’ll wonder why they ever made the move in the first place.”“[Jeff ] Grimes is a great hire, and they flipped the entire offense except for the backs. They need to go back to Wisconsin football this season, and they’ve got a young backfield that can do it.”
“They’re talented in some spots, but they’re still very young.”
“[Luke] Fickell is the guy, but the offensive issues have overshadowed the overall plan so much that it’s easy to see why some folks might lose faith. I think they just overreached on trying to modernize the program schematically.”
Predicting the first 3 weeks of the 2025 college football TV schedule
By Scott Dochterman
70
May 27, 2025
Conferences reveal their complete kickoff time and network placement schedules for the first three weeks of the college football season Thursday. At The Athletic, it has become an annual, if semi-futile, exercise to project at what time and on which network those games appear. Like an NFL mock draft, if we pick one incorrect time or network, it implodes much of the entire lineup. But nobody will (or should) remember this mini-mock draft once the full slate is unveiled.
Before reading the rundown, here’s a refresher on each league’s television contract. This is the second season the ESPN family of networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and SEC Network) has exclusive rights to the SEC’s home games and in-conference matchups. The ACC has a similar rundown (subbing out SEC Network for ACC Network) with a weekly game on The CW. The Big 12 continues its partnerships with ESPN and Fox and has added TNT, which will show 13 games featuring conference members this fall.
This is the Big Ten’s second full year split among Fox, NBC and CBS, which conducted a draft earlier this spring. Fox largely broadcasts Big Ten football at noon ET, while CBS commands the 3:30 p.m. ET time slot and NBC airs games in primetime. FS1 and BTN also broadcast Big Ten games, and Peacock streams around nine contests each year. Notre Dame has an exclusive contract with NBC for its home games, and the network previously announced those start times. For the Irish’s three primetime kickoffs, NBC will shuffle its Big Ten time slot.
Among the other conferences, the Mountain West has deals with Fox, TNT and CBS, while the American appears on ESPN’s family of networks. In their second and final year as the Pac-2, Oregon State and Washington State have agreements with The CW, ESPN and CBS. The Sun Belt airs exclusively on ESPN, while the MAC and Conference USA compete on ESPN and CBS Sports Network.
We chose to focus on Weeks 1-3 rather than incorporating Week 0 (Aug. 23), which contains just one power-conference matchup: Iowa State versus Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland (noon ET, ESPN). For this exercise, we included games that appear on Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and FS1, or games already set on The CW or other networks. TNT has kickoff windows all over the place, so the three Big 12 games here are more network-based projections. All times Eastern.
ABC/ESPN also announced a Thursday doubleheader (Boise State at USF, 5:30 p.m., ESPN; Nebraska versus Cincinnati in Kansas City, 9 p.m., ESPN) and standalone games on Friday (Georgia Tech at Colorado, 8 p.m., ESPN) and Sunday (South Carolina versus Virginia Tech in Atlanta, 3 p.m., ESPN; Notre Dame at Miami, 7:30 p.m., ABC) plus Bill Belichick’s North Carolina debut Monday against TCU (7:30 p.m., ESPN). With the remaining SEC and ACC games a hodgepodge of matchups against non-power programs, there’s little room for projection. Plus, U.S. Open tennis coverage could impact ESPN’s time selections Saturday.
The Big Ten has one power-packed matchup (which Fox already has claimed) with Ohio State opening against Texas in a College Football Playoff semifinal rematch. It seems likely the Big Ten will announce this kickoff time in conjunction with a future night game or two to pacify an agitated Buckeyes fan base that has grown weary of noon kickoffs. But Fox, which airs primetime baseball on the first two college football Saturdays, has too much equity invested in the noon window, which is where we project this matchup. As for the remaining games, the Big Ten’s media partners are left to just one power-conference clash, and that features former Pac-12 foes Utah and UCLA. We’ll project NBC will air the Bruins’ debut of quarterback Nico Iamaleava at the Rose Bowl in primetime, and CBS will pick up Penn State’s season opener against Nevada.
Of the Big 12’s unannounced kickoff times and networks, Auburn at Baylor on the opening Friday is the best game available by far. This is a perfect spot for Fox to go head-to-head with Georgia Tech at Colorado. The Big Ten also has discussed moving a game to Labor Day Sunday, but we’ll avoid placing it in this projection.
Week 1
The season’s first full weekend includes several games with times and networks already released. The SEC traditionally opens the season with powerhouse nonconference matchups, and this year is no different. On the season’s first Saturday, the SEC scheduled three games against the ACC, and all three have been unveiled in primary viewing windows: Tennessee versus Syracuse in Atlanta (noon, ABC), Alabama at Florida State (3:30 p.m., ABC) and LSU at Clemson (7:30 p.m., ABC). ESPN also announced California at Oregon State (9:30 p.m.) in a meeting of former Pac-12 North Division foes.Week 1 predicted programming
| Matchup | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Aug. 28 | ||
| Boise State at USF | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Ohio at Rutgers | 7 p.m. | FS1 |
| Miami (Ohio) at Wisconsin | 8 p.m. | Fox |
| Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City) | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Friday, Aug. 29 | ||
| Georgia Tech at Colorado | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Auburn at Baylor | 8 p.m. | Fox |
| Western Michigan at Michigan State | 8 p.m. | FS1 |
| Saturday, Aug. 30 | ||
| Tennessee vs. Syracuse (Atlanta) | Noon | ABC |
| Texas at Ohio State | Noon | Fox |
| Georgia State at Ole Miss | Noon | ESPN |
| Northwestern at Tulane | Noon | ESPN2 |
| Old Dominion at Indiana | Noon | FS1 |
| Alabama at Florida State | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Nevada at Penn State | 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Marshall at Georgia | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| New Mexico at Michigan | 4 p.m. | FS1 |
| LSU at Clemson | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Utah at UCLA | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| UTSA at Texas A&M | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Mississippi State at Southern Miss | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Colorado State at Washington | 7:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| Idaho at Washington State | 10 p.m. | CW |
| California at Oregon State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Hawaii at Arizona | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Georgia Southern at Fresno State | 10:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| Sunday, Aug. 31 | ||
| South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (Atlanta) | 3 p.m. | ESPN |
| Notre Dame at Miami | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Monday, Sept. 1 | ||
| TCU at North Carolina | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Week 2
The Big Ten needs to make some scheduling changes to avoid this situation every other year. The league controls just five nonconference games against power-conference opponents all season, and only two are set for this week. In Week 2, the Big Ten’s three best nonconference games are under the opposing conference’s control. With three major networks paying to show Big Ten games, that’s an issue. Perhaps one future solution is to start conference action earlier to ensure more early matchups of sufficient quality for Big Ten rightsholders.Although Fox controls many of the top selections in the Big Ten’s annual draft, this seems like a week it wouldn’t mind selecting third. We’ll give CBS the top choice with top-10 Oregon hosting Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m.) and NBC picking Boston College at Michigan State for primetime. On Fox, highly ranked Penn State at home against Florida International for Big Noon. We predict Fox will make up for its soft opening in Week 2 with the heated Cy-Hawk rivalry between Iowa and Iowa State in the late afternoon.
The SEC has the rights to the week’s top game, Michigan at Oklahoma (7:30 p.m., ABC). We also project ABC to air the return of the Kansas-Missouri blood feud (3:30 p.m.) and Ole Miss at Kentucky, providing the perfect curtain raiser to conference play (noon, ABC). On ESPN, Illinois-Duke is a sneaky-good start to the day alongside the “nonconference” game between longtime ACC foes Virginia and NC State.
With ESPN airing the women’s U.S. Open final at 4 p.m., Texas quarterback Arch Manning’s 2025 home debut against San Jose State shifts to ESPN2. The ESPN/ESPN2 primetime slate opposite Michigan-Oklahoma involves multiple College Football Playoff teams, with SMU hosting Baylor and defending Big 12 champion Arizona State traveling to Mississippi State.
Week 2 predicted programming
| Matchup | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Ole Miss at Kentucky | Noon | ABC |
| Florida International at Penn State | Noon | Fox |
| Illinois at Duke | Noon | ESPN |
| Virginia at NC State | Noon | ESPN2 |
| Akron at Nebraska | Noon | FS1 |
| Kansas at Missouri | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Oklahoma State at Oregon | 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| San Jose State at Texas | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Fresno State at Oregon State | 3:30 p.m. | CW |
| Iowa at Iowa State | 4 p.m. | Fox |
| Army at Kansas State | 4 p.m. | TNT |
| Michigan at Oklahoma | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Boston College at Michigan State | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Baylor at SMU | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Arizona State at Mississippi State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| UCLA at UNLV | 7:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| San Diego State at Washington State | 10:15 p.m. | CW |
| Stanford at BYU | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Georgia Southern at USC | 10:30 p.m. | Fox |
| Sacramento State at Nevada | 10:30 p.m. | FS1 |
Week 3
The SEC again takes center stage in Week 3 with defending league champion Georgia traveling to Tennessee in a battle of 2024 CFP participants. Florida at LSU is the SEC’s second-best matchup, but whenever Death Valley is involved, there’s a tug-of-war between time slot and network. For us, the night atmosphere on ESPN wins over ABC in the midday. ABC then opts for a Big Ten-SEC midday clash in Tuscaloosa featuring Wisconsin-Alabama. Arkansas-Ole Miss opens the day on ABC.The Big Ten’s weak early slate continues, but at least it has two conference games. When the matchups appear uneven in the Big Ten, it’s a good rule to bet on the most marketable or highest-ranked team for national exposure. In this case, we have Fox with the first selection, and it picks up Oregon at Northwestern at noon while CBS takes USC at Purdue at 3:30. NBC has already announced Texas A&M at Notre Dame in prime time, so that shifts its Big Ten game to the afternoon. None of the Big Ten’s other games include a power-conference opponent, so when in doubt, go with Ohio State.
Should Fox land the Big 12’s top choice this week, look for the Backyard Brawl to air either mid-afternoon or in the evening. ESPN snags a spunky ACC pseudo-rivalry with Clemson at Georgia Tech, which has the potential to impact the CFP race. ESPN picks up Minnesota at California, and although it could become an after-dark kickoff, a power-conference matchup between two 2024 bowl teams has more value in the middle of the afternoon than late at night.
Week 3 predicted programming
| Matchup | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas at Ole Miss | Noon | ABC |
| Oregon at Northwestern | Noon | Fox |
| Vanderbilt at South Carolina | Noon | ESPN |
| Duke at Tulane | Noon | ESPN2 |
| Central Michigan at Michigan | Noon | FS1 |
| Wisconsin at Alabama | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| USC at Purdue | 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Ohio at Ohio State | 3:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Clemson at Georgia Tech | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Minnesota at California | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Pittsburgh at West Virginia | 4 p.m. | Fox |
| Western Michigan at Illinois | 4 p.m. | FS1 |
| Georgia at Tennessee | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Texas A&M at Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Florida at LSU | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| USF at Miami | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Oregon State at Texas Tech | 7:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| Boston College at Stanford | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Texas State at Arizona State | 10:30 p.m. | Fox |
| Utah at Wyoming | 10:30 p.m. | FS1 |
Mini Plans: Donor onsale beginning Monday, June 2nd. General Public onsale beginning Thursday, June 5th. Mini plan packages include 3 games.
Black Package $329 Sideline and $305 Endzone includes Penn St, Michigan St and Minnesota.
Gold Package $285 Sideline and $261 Endzone includes Umass, Oregon and Indiana.
Limit 8 mini plans total. Any orders exceeding the set limit may be reduced or canceled and the associated account(s) monitored and/or locked. Iowa Athletics reserves the right to cancel any ticket purchases (less fees) made for the purpose of resale without notification.
Black Package $329 Sideline and $305 Endzone includes Penn St, Michigan St and Minnesota.
Gold Package $285 Sideline and $261 Endzone includes Umass, Oregon and Indiana.
Limit 8 mini plans total. Any orders exceeding the set limit may be reduced or canceled and the associated account(s) monitored and/or locked. Iowa Athletics reserves the right to cancel any ticket purchases (less fees) made for the purpose of resale without notification.
Since they started doing the "Black' and "Gold" 3-game packs, the opening game has never been included. Don't know why. Indiana 2021 was the only opening home game that would have had high demand.
I liked it better when you chose your own pack. This season would have likely been -
Chose 1 - UAlbany, UMass
Chose 1 - Indiana, Michigan St
Chose 1 - Minnesota, Oregon, Penn St
Fortunately for me, the games I need extra tix for this season are all in the same pack, but that has been a rarity.
I'm dreading when the realization sets in at the national level, later this coming season, how mediocre our defense is gonna be.
The casuals (media, fans, and apparently opposing conference coaches) are too lazy to dig any deeper so they're still regurgitating the tropes of "Iowa offense trash, Phil Parker is legend = Iowa defense elite ho-hum water is wet"...............
Too bad us Iowa fans are burdened with actual knowledge of our rosters.
Wasn't the Miami-OH opener in 2019 game included in the 3-pack plan that year.
I recall that an exception.
✌️
You're probably right - and that would have been the last season they did the 3-game packs with the old system.
