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Athlon Sports shares final 2023 prediction for Iowa Hawkeyes

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Athlon Sports shares final 2023 prediction for Iowa Hawkeyes


The Iowa Hawkeyes‘ 2023 season is just days away.

Iowa fans got good news on Saturday when quarterback Cade McNamara was pictured wearing his helmet at Hawkeyes practice. After suffering a non-contact injury at Iowa’s annual Kids’ Day at Kinnick, his status for the season opener this Saturday, Sept. 2, at 11 a.m. on FS1 had fallen into question.

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With McNamara trending to be available, that restores optimism that Hawkeye fans can see an improved offensive product immediately. Paired with what is expected to be another sensational defensive unit for Phil Parker, Iowa can dream about capturing the Big Ten West and perhaps the league itself.

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As we collectively enter game week, final predictions are being logged across the country. Athlon Sports shared its final Big Ten record and standings predictions, including a final peek at the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan is predicting Iowa to finish 9-3 and second in the West behind Wisconsin. It’s not an uncommon prediction and tends to jibe with what plenty of others nationally are forecasting.

Ultimately, Lassan is banking on Wisconsin taking care of business over Iowa at home from Camp Randall Stadium. Overall, he leans on the positive side with the Hawkeyes.

Despite some key personnel departures, Iowa’s defense should remain among the best in college football. But if coach Kirk Ferentz’s team is going to challenge for the West Division title, improvement on offense is a must. Michigan transfer Cade McNamara is an upgrade at quarterback, and a couple of portal additions will also help at receiver. – Lassan, Athlon Sports.

It’s not a groundbreaking assessment of Iowa’s situation, but it simply is the reality until the Hawkeyes and McNamara prove they have made legitimate offensive strides.

While there’s a lot of talk about Iowa’s upgrades with quarterback and receivers, the biggest puzzle piece for the Hawkeyes hinges upon how much improvement its offensive line has made.

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Lassan’s full West predictions shake out like this:

  1. Wisconsin (9-3)
  2. Iowa (9-3)
  3. Illinois (7-5)
  4. Minnesota (7-5)
  5. Nebraska (6-6)
  6. Purdue (5-7)
  7. Northwestern (2-10)

Lassan is predicting Michigan to win the Big Ten East over primary challengers Ohio State and Penn State.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

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For the best local Iowa news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to The Des Moines Register.

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Iowa blizzard caused snow drifts so high on this highway it totally buried two cars

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Iowa blizzard caused snow drifts so high on this highway it totally buried two cars


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Last week’s blizzard brought heavy snow to central and western Iowa, as some places saw as much as 9 inches of snow.

One area that felt the blizzard was on Iowa Highway 141 near Denison, as the Iowa DOT shared images of staff clearing out a snow drift in that area and discovered two vehicles buried in the snow along the road.

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In another picture, you can see a ‘no passing’ sign almost fully emerged in the snow.

The drivers of the two vehicles were traveling on Iowa Highway 141, east of US 59 and south of Denison last Tuesday night, when the car in front slid into a ditch. This caused the car behind to swerve and collide with the vehicle in front, according to Andrea Henry, director of outreach for the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Henry said the Manning Fire Department was called Tuesday night, but due to blizzard conditions, they were unable to reach the vehicles. As a result, the Iowa DOT was notified and sent staff to the scene Wednesday, after the blizzard had subsided, to attempt to dig out the cars.

Henry said none of the drivers suffered injuries, and both were picked up by a Crawford County sheriff’s deputy on Tuesday night. She said Iowa Highway 141, stretching from Mapleton to Manning, is prone to snow drifts due to the landscape in that area.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

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Obituary for Christopher Clayton Jackson at Dahn & Woodhouse Funeral Home

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Obituary for Christopher Clayton Jackson at Dahn & Woodhouse Funeral Home


Christopher Clayton Jackson, son of Jamie and Kristin Jackson, was born on June 27th, 2000, in Fort Madison, Iowa. He left the world way too soon, on March 7th, 2025, at the age of 24. Funeral services will be held at 1030 A.M. on Thursday, March 13, 2025 at the



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Iowa Hawkeyes Star Sadly Plunges in New NFL Mock Draft

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Iowa Hawkeyes Star Sadly Plunges in New NFL Mock Draft


Iowa Hawkeyes star Jay Higgins did not exactly have a banner NFL Scouting Combine, as he ranked last among all linebackers in athleticism score.

That probably shouldn’t come as too much of a shock, as Higgins has never been known for his physical gifts, and many have felt that his lack of agility could cause him to struggle on the professional level.

But still, that does not make Higgins’ brutal showing at the Combine any less significant, and it is causing the 22-year-old’s NFL Draft stock to take quite a nosedive.

Prior to the Combine, there were actually some who had Higgins’ pegged as a potential Day 2 pick thanks to a brilliant last couple of seasons at Iowa, However, since his less than stellar athleticism was on full display in Indianapolis, Higgins is falling fast in mock drafts.

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As a matter of fact, Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network’s most recent mock has Higgins falling all the way to the seventh round, where he goes 232nd to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Is there really a chance that Higgins could drop that far or potentially even go undrafted next month?

It would actually be a complete shock if the Indianapolis native didn’t hear his name called in the draft, and I would even go as far to say that it would be surprising if he fell to the seventh round.

Higgins has an outstanding motor, a great nose for the ball and a very impressive football IQ, all of which certainly compensates for his questionable physical talent.

But perhaps teams will be scared away by Higgins’ pedestrian speed and short arms. We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.

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