Nebraska, Michigan, Maryland, and Iowa Give the Big Ten a Third Chance. Vegas Big Ten Predictions for Week 4 Here.
Saturday Blitz Vegas Big Ten Predictions Week 4
Iowa Hawkeyes at Pittsburgh Panthers
Line: Pittsburgh by 7
After struggling for two straight weeks, the Iowa Hawkeyes finally ran out of luck and lost to in-state rival Iowa State over the weekend, who by the way lost to North Dakota State at the beginning of the year. This Hawkeyes team that is supposed to compete for the Big Ten West Championship has shown no signs of consistent offense, and that has to change against a young and hungry Pittsburgh team that is playing great football right now. The Hawkeyes have no running game to speak of, and that’s not necessarily bad news for this weekend because the Panthers are loaded with a great rush defense. So that puts this game on quarterback Jake Rudock, who has been very efficient but not great. He’ll have to be a playmaker for the Hawkeyes this weekend, and Iowa will want to throw the ball up to 40 or 45 times a game. On defense, they’ll want to stack the line and force Chad Voytik to throw the ball, as he has been very mediocre so far while the Pitt running game has been great. Those two things could help them pull off the upset.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, simply needs to keep doing what it’s been doing. With a strong rushing attack behind emerging superstar James Conner and a strong rush defense, their goal should be to control the time of possession and drop back in coverage against an Iowa team that will rely heavily on the passing game. This Pitt defense has struggled at times in the secondary, which could be problematic this weekend, but if it focuses more on a pass defense this weekend, then that may not be as much of a problem. The Panthers should consider taking the ball first, mounting a long drive for a score to get a lead, and then force Iowa into a passing game. The quicker this game is, the more it favors Pitt. The time of possession will likely be the determining factor as to who wins the game because Iowa can’t run the ball, so if they have a respectable TOP, it means they stayed on the field with the passing game, which spells trouble. Pitt needs to avoid that.
Prediction
This Pittsburgh Panthers team looks even better now that Boston College beat USC, and the young talent won’t let up this week. Pittsburgh’s incredibly young team that will be together for the next three years moves to 4-0 with a strong rushing attack. Iowa’s passing game won’t be good enough to pull out the victory, and Pittsburgh will keep them from running anywhere. This will be a solid victory for the Panthers.
Pittsburgh: 24 Iowa: 14