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Wk 4 · 2026

Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan Wolverines — Sat, Sep 26

Sat, Sep 26 · Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI · CBS FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
Big Ten · 5-1
20
at
3:30pET
MICH -5.5 · total 39.5 DraftKings opened -4.5 · 1 toward MICH
Ratings differential IOWA by 5.1
Big Ten · 3-2
19

What is at stake

A Big Ten game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race. Iowa is ranked #20 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Iowa: +16.3#11
Efficiency margin
Michigan: +8.8#36
Iowa: 37.5
Offense (pts/100)
Michigan: 32.0
Iowa: 12.1
Defense (pts/100)
Michigan: 14.2
Iowa: 61.7
Pace (plays/g)
Michigan: 58.6
Iowa: 6.54
Yards / play
Michigan: 5.39
Iowa: 4.58
Yards / play allowed
Michigan: 4.02
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Iowa: 31.0
Points / game
Michigan: 23.0
Iowa: 14.5
Points allowed
Michigan: 15.8
Iowa: 403
Yards / game
Michigan: 316
Iowa: 293
Yards allowed
Michigan: 241
Iowa: 209
Pass yds allowed
Michigan: 147
Iowa: 85
Rush yds allowed
Michigan: 95
Iowa: 0.50
Turnovers / game
Michigan: 1.80
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Iowa form

W 41-24at WASHL 14-31vs OSUW 20-19at MICHW 55-0vs UNIW 16-13vs ISU
2026 season

Michigan form

L 14-20at MINNL 19-20vs IOWAW 52-17vs UTEPW 17-10vs OUW 13-12vs WMU
2026 season

Iowa this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Over / under2-4 · 33% (6 games)

Michigan this season

Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Against the spread2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Over / under1-4 · 20% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 2

OpponentIowaMichigan
Ohio State
Big Ten
vs L 14-31 previewat Wk 13 · scheduled preview
Minnesota
Big Ten
at Wk 8 · scheduled previewat L 14-20 preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, the series is level at 6–6 · Iowa won the last one
12 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 8.2 points toward Michigan
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20262026-09-26Iowa 20 — 19 Michiganat MICHIowa
20232023-12-02Michigan 26 — 0 IowaneutralMichigan
20222022-10-01Michigan 27 — 14 Iowaat IOWAMichigan
20212021-12-04Michigan 42 — 3 IowaneutralMichigan
20192019-10-05Iowa 3 — 10 Michiganat MICHMichigan
20162016-11-12Michigan 13 — 14 Iowaat IOWAIowa
20132013-11-23Michigan 21 — 24 Iowaat IOWAIowa
20122012-11-17Iowa 17 — 42 Michiganat MICHMichigan
20112011-11-05Michigan 16 — 24 Iowaat IOWAIowa
20102010-10-16Iowa 38 — 28 Michiganat MICHIowa
20092009-10-10Michigan 28 — 30 Iowaat IOWAIowa
20062006-10-21Iowa 6 — 20 Michiganat MICHMichigan

Iowa leaders 2026 regular season

PassingHank Brown QB #978/124, 832 YDS, 5 TD, 1 INT
Jeremy Hecklinski QB #1032/51, 410 YDS, 4 TD, 1 INT
RushingKamari Moulton RB #2876 CAR, 519 YDS, 4 TD
Xavier Williams RB #2620 CAR, 170 YDS, 3 TD
Braeden Jackson RB #2219 CAR, 170 YDS, 2 TD
ReceivingTony Diaz WR #1428 REC, 329 YDS, 1 TD
Reece Vander Zee WR #216 REC, 247 YDS, 3 TD
DJ Vonnahme TE #8118 REC, 219 YDS, 2 TD
Addison Ostrenga TE #878 REC, 75 YDS, 1 TD
Defense
TacklesCam Buffington LB #3352
Jayden Montgomery LB #3635
Zach Lutmer DB #634
SacksJoseph Anderson DE #843
Preston Ries LB #462.5
Bryce Hawthorne DL #962.5
InterceptionsDeshaun Lee DB #82
Rashad Godfrey Jr. DB #71
Jacob Wallace DB #111

Michigan leaders 2026 regular season

PassingBryce Underwood QB #1967/113, 881 YDS, 5 TD, 4 INT
Tommy Carr QB #142/2, 23 YDS, 1 TD
RushingJordan Marshall RB #2355 CAR, 244 YDS, 3 TD
Bryce Underwood QB #1957 CAR, 212 YDS, 2 TD
Savion Hiter RB #546 CAR, 145 YDS, 2 TD
ReceivingJJ Buchanan WR #624 REC, 446 YDS, 4 TD
Andrew Marsh WR #325 REC, 268 YDS, 1 TD
Savion Hiter RB #55 REC, 59 YDS
Hogan Hansen TE #805 REC, 35 YDS
Defense
TacklesTroy Bowles LB #1840
Jyaire Hill CB #025
Nathaniel Staehling LB #4425
SacksJohn Henry Daley DE #903
Dom Nichols DE #82.5
Nate Marshall DE #942
InterceptionsJonah Lea'ea DT #911
Smith Snowden CB #31
Jyaire Hill CB #01
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.