Danny Payne, Pregame editor: So Northwestern dropped a game; this isn’t going to be the undefeated matchup some of us were hoping for, me included. Were you guys buying Northwestern in the first place? And if you were, are you still?

Ryan Rodriguez, football reporter: I wasn’t buying [the Wildcats] as the No. 13 team in the country. I’m buying them as a legitimate threat, and I believe this is a legitimate trap game that Iowa goes into this weekend. Especially playing at the Wildcats after they’re going to be mad and very embarrassed frankly. But no, I didn’t buy them as a top-15 team, but I did buy them as a legitimate threat in the West.

Ian Murphy, Sports editor: It’s kind of disappointing that it won’t be an undefeated kind of Big Ten title game as people thought it would. But Northwestern has still historically been a thorn in Iowa’s heel.

Payne: The game being on the road, I guess you could call that a little of a concern. It is Ryan Field — essentially a glorified high-school stadium. But at the same time, they are the Wildcats, they have given Iowa trouble. If they had beaten Michigan, they would’ve been in the top 10. But they didn’t, so I guess we’ll see. But Justin Jackson is one of the more underrated backs in the Big Ten — what do you guys think he can do?

Rodriguez: I’m really interested to see how Iowa’s defense handles him. The Hawks haven’t seen really too many dynamic running backs. They’re going to have their work cut out for them stopping the run.

Murphy: It’s going to hinge on the secondary, I think, and the Hawkeyes’ ability to contain the run, really, as they have so far this year. Obviously, [Greg] Mabin and [Desmond] King have been a huge part of that. But it goes all the way through the secondary.

Payne: I would have to agree. [Jordan] Lomax and Miles Taylor have to come up and play the run well. If Jaleel Johnson has the kind of game he did against Illinois, that’s a huge, huge, huge help for Iowa. I think that’s the best game I’ve seen Jaleel play since he’s been here. He was in the backfield the entire time. That’s a good matchup to watch, Johnson versus the interior of Northwestern’s line.
But let’s get to the Twitter question this week: How many Hawkeye starters will be in the NFL in two years?
The obvious one is Desmond King.

Rodriguez: Desmond is one. You’d have to think Ott is going to get drafted and make a name for himself if he can stay healthy. So I’d say two.

Murphy: Austin Blythe.

Payne: Blythe will get a shot if for nothing else because he’s an Iowa offensive lineman. I think Jordan Walsh will get a shot, too.

Rodriguez: Marshall Koehn has a leg. Someone will take a chance on him.

Payne: Tevaun [Smith]?

Rodriguez: Is the body of work big enough yet to say someone will for sure?

Payne: I think Tevaun will start his career in the Canadian Football League. You think Beathard will get a shot?

Rodriguez: If he makes a name for himself this year and then comes back next year and does just as well or better, I could definitely see him being a second- or third-round pick.