What to root for week 8

Iowa's dream for a national title this year for the most part disappeared after being upset at Arizona earlier this season. There is, however, a remote chance that some Inception-style dream within a dream thing is going on and we can still make it. Iowa needs a lot of help for that to happen, but it is possible. Important games for Iowa on this weeks schedule:

1. Iowa win vs Wisconsin
The Hawks have had Iowa Jr's number in recent years, but that doesn't stop Wisconsin from being a tough test. Ranked 13th in the current BCS standings and coming off a victory against then number 1 Ohio State, the Badgers ground game should be a hard matchup for Iowa. This is a marquee match-up of what could be the nations best offensive and defensive lines. Obviously Iowa needs a win to keep national title hopes alive, but this game is also important in Iowa's quest to win the Big Ten and make it back to the Rose Bowl.

2. Michigan State win @ Northwestern
Sparty is undefeated and ranked ahead of Iowa at #7 in the BCS standings, but hoping for a loss by them so Iowa jumps ahead is short-sighted thinking. The Hawks are helped much more by an MSU victory, creating a second straight high-profile showdown in Kinnick for Iowa next week. The boost that comes from beating a #6 (assuming Sparty jumps the loser of the LSU-Auburn game) team on national tv is much more important than jumping ahead of Sparty a week early. Since Iowa will play both teams in their conference slate, a Northwestern victory isn't the end of the world, but the exposure that would come from a second quality win in 2 weeks would be wonderful, not to mention how much fun it would be to have ESPN's College Gameday in Iowa City again.


3. Ohio State win vs Purdue
While the Buckeyes are currently ahead of Iowa in the BCS standings, Iowa will have a chance to knock them off at home later in the season, and in similar reasoning for wanting the Spartans to win given above, it's a much better win for Iowa to beat a highly ranked Buckeye team rather than one seemingly struggling already before playing us. In addition to this, Iowa does not play the Boilermakers in this years Big Ten slate, so a win by them hurts our overall strength of schedule in the computer rankings. An Ohio State loss hurts our national title aspirations, but the silver lining is it helps our Rose Bowl chances, as Iowa would still win the conference over the 2 loss in conference Buckeyes, even if they lost to them in November, so long as the Hawks take care of business in their other games.

4. Indiana win @ Illinois
This one is pretty simple. Iowa plays Indiana, but doesn't play Illinois. To make our road win look better, it's helpful for Indiana to win. In addition, another Illinois loss makes currently undefeated BCS #11 Missouri's win over them earlier this year less impressive, and anything that hurts them in the computers helps us. Plus, I don't know about the rest of you, but Illinois fans hate Iowa, so it makes me happy when Illinois loses.

5. Minnesota win vs Penn State
Minnesota has recently fired their coach, and by all rights isn't a very good football team. Penn State's coach probably should be gone, and their team isn't very good either. Iowa will have played both of these teams by the end of the season, so who wins isn't very important to us. However, if Iowa is going to have a chance to jump a 1-loss Alabama without them losing again, their out of conference victory against Penn State losing it's luster helps. It's hard for Iowa fans to cheer for the Gophers, but every little bit counts in the computer rankings.

6. Arizona win vs Washington
Losing is never good, but losing to a highly ranked Arizona team on the road is less bad than losing to a mediocre middle of the Pac 10 team. Arizona winning helps Iowa both in the polls and the computers, so cheering for them should be pretty obvious.

7. Iowa State win @ Texas
It would be helpful, but it's simply not going to happen. Iowa State is not good, and definitely not good enough to win on the road at Texas.

8. Ball State win @ Toledo
Simple enough, teams Iowa beat winning helps us.

9. Eastern Illinois win vs Murray State
EIU is terrible. They won't win, but if they do it helps the Hawks a tiny bit.

10. UCLA win @ Oregon
Oregon has to lose sooner or later for Iowa to have a chance at the title. It won't be this week, but we can hope.

Other important games:

LSU @ Auburn
Both of these SEC teams are undefeated and ranked ahead of Iowa in the BCS. One of them losing is good for us, and that's just what's going to happen. What we really need is the winner of this game to lose another game down the road.

Oklahoma @ Missouri
Both teams are undefeated and ranked ahead of Iowa in the BCS, so one of them losing should help us jump up. For my money, I'd root for a Missouri victory as they have a losable game the next week @ Nebraska. Iowa needs Oklahoma, Missouri, and Oklahoma State all to lose sooner or later, and Missouri is less likely to run the table if they win than Oklahoma, especially since they would also have to win a likely rematch with Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game.

Nebraska @ Oklahoma State
OK State is undefeated, so them losing would be nice. Especially since it means they can beat Oklahoma at home later in the year without being undefeated and staying ahead of Iowa. Nebraska losing takes them completely out of the title picture, as they are currently in the same position as Iowa, as a one loss team needing to win out and get some help to make it.

Alabama loss @ Tennessee
2 losses takes Alabama out of the picture, and lets them knock off LSU and Auburn later in the year without jumping the Hawks.

Stanford loss vs Washington State
Stanford isn't going to lose this game, but if they do, Iowa moves up.

Air Force win @ TCU
Colorado State win @ Utah
While Iowa would probably jump either of these MWC teams should they go undefeated, either of them losing helps us out. Air Force has a much better shot at the upset than CSU here.