There's a logjam behind No. 1 Ohio State and Indiana in the Big Ten standings. No. 6 Oregon, No. 25 Michigan, Southern California, Northwestern, UCLA, Iowa and Minnesota all own 3-1 conference records, making for a seven-way tie.
That makes it a pretty big game for both the Hawkeyes and the Golden Gophers as they battle for bragging rights in a heated rivalry, and that prized pig, Floyd of Rosedale.
It's been tough - especially on the road in Iowa City - for PJ Fleck and the Gophers to hoist that bronze trophy. Fleck is 1-7 against Iowa and the program has only won two games in Iowa since 1999.
"It's hostile, it's got great tradition, their fans, I mean, they really care about Hawkeye football," Fleck says about Kinnick Stadium. "It's a unique place to play, that's for sure. And somebody asked me this a long time ago and listen, I have no problem, I'm not one of those head coaches that like doesn't give anybody credit. Somebody asked me a long time ago, what's the hardest place to play? You gotta take where you're at out of it, right? So where's the hardest place to play? I've always told them Kinnick."
The Hawkeyes have won nine of the last 10 meetings in this series, though Minnesota won at Iowa in 2023.
"Then you throw the football team of Iowa in there, who never beats themselves, who's really disciplined, loves playing the game, it seems like they just plug and replace," Fleck explained about the Hawkeyes. "I mean, same body type, same person, same effort, same house, same system. And they win."
Minnesota is coming off a dominant defensive effort against Nebraska and will need a similar effort to come out of Iowa with a big win.
Minnesota (5-2) at Iowa (5-2), Oct. 25 at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
BetMGM College Football Odds Opening Line: Iowa by 8.5. Against the spread: Iowa 3-2-1, Minnesota 2-4.
How to watch: CBS
Key stats
Iowa Offense
Overall: 324.1 yards per game (118th in FBS)
Passing: 131.4 yards per game (132nd)
Rushing: 192.7 yards per game (34th)
Scoring: 29.9 points per game (59th)
Iowa Defense
Overall: 249.4 yards per game (8th in FBS)
Passing: 157.0 yards per game (12th)
Rushing: 92.4 yards per game (13th)
Scoring: 14.6 points per game (9th)
Minnesota Offense
Overall: 340.6 yards per game (107th in FBS)
Passing: 217.7 yards per game (82nd)
Rushing: 122.9 yards per game (108th)
Scoring: 26.9 points per game (79th)
Minnesota Defense
Overall: 294.7 yards per game (19th in FBS)
Passing: 197.0 yards per game (41st)
Rushing: 97.7 yards per game (18th)
Scoring: 19.0 points per game (27th)
Minnesota ranks 20th in the FBS with a +5 turnover margin.
Both teams avoid getting penalized. Iowa leads the FBS averaging 21.1 penalty yards per game, and Minnesota ranks 7th with a 33.1-yard average.
Minnesota is 85th in FBS in red zone defense, allowing opponents to score on 86.4% of trips. Iowa's red zone offense ranks 21st, scoring on 93.5% of red zone opportunities.
Team leaders
Iowa
Passing: Mark Gronowski, 811 yards, 3 TDs, 4 INTs, 65.1 completion percentage
Rushing: Kamari Moulton, 360 yards on 67 carries, 2 TDs
Receiving: Sam Phillips, 193 yards on 11 catches, 0 TDs
Minnesota
Passing: Drake Lindsey, 1,437 yards, 10 TDs, 3 INTs, 62.0 completion percentage
Rushing: Darius Taylor, 353 yards on 79 carries, 1 TD
Receiving: Lemeke Brockington, 285 yards on 25 catches, 3 TDs
Last game
Iowa won 25-24 over Penn State on Saturday, Oct. 18. Gronowski led Iowa with 68 yards on 10-of-16 passing (62.5%) for no touchdowns and one interception. He also carried the ball nine times for 130 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Moulton carried the ball 17 times for 99 yards, adding two receptions for 10 yards. Kaden Wetjen put up 21 yards on two catches. He also had three carries for seven yards and one touchdown.
Minnesota won 24-6 over Nebraska on Friday, Oct. 17. Lindsey led Minnesota with 153 yards on 16-of-20 passing (80.0%) for one touchdown and no interceptions. He also carried the ball two times for -1 yards and one rushing touchdown. Taylor carried the ball 24 times for 148 yards and scored one touchdown, adding four receptions for 16 yards. Jalen Smith recorded 59 yards on three catches.
Next game
Minnesota hosts Michigan State on Nov. 1.