To say that Iowa's season is on the line Saturday night against Wisconsin might be a bit of a stretch. Sure, if Iowa losses a hard-fought game and falls to 3-1 it certainly isn't the end of the road. But history shows that if Iowa wins against the Badgers on Saturday, a special season of football might just be underway for the Hawkeyes.

This week's game has already been hyped as the Big Ten West Championship Game. Sure there is a lot of season left, but the winner of this one has a big leg up for the trip to Indianapolis. It's a rivalry game with a trophy. But this game really means more to the Iowa program. In each of the seasons that Kirk Ferentz has won 10 or more games, Iowa has beaten Wisconsin. Those seasons include 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2015. The only time it didn't work out that way was in 2005. The Hawkeyes beat Wisconsin that year and finished 7-5.

In a season that Iowa has failed to beat Wisconsin, Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have never won more than eight games. It's pretty clear that Saturday night's game has huge ramifications in The Big Ten. What kind of season will it be for the Hawkeyes? We'll have a pretty good idea by Saturday night.

 

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