College Football Top 25: Predicting every undefeated team’s first loss

Oct 10, 2015; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes place kicker Marshall Koehn (1) celebrates with his team after kicking a field goal late in the fourth quarter against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa beat Illinois 29-20. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes

First game they will lose: at Northwestern Wildcats, Oct. 17

Iowa is a team to be dealt with in the Big Ten, but they are still a couple of great players away from being able to run the table. The Hawkeyes will only go as far as their defense will take them, and that run will come to an end against a Northwestern team on the mend from a Wolverine bite.

Outside of Michigan, if there’s anyone in the Big Ten playing better defense than Iowa, it’s Northwestern – giving up only 12.2 points per game and only 269.5 yards per game, both in the top ten nationally.

Iowa will find themselves in another defensive struggle as they did in their 10-6 win over Wisconsin, but the Wildcats have a few more offensive weapons to throw at the Hawkeyes, and a very deep running game.

Don’t count Iowa out of the Big Ten Championship game however, as a one-loss team will likely end up winning the West division.

Next: Oklahoma State