With the home-opener for Iowa football just over a week away, the Daily Iowan football staffers make their predictions for the season.

Courtney Baumann, pregame editor

I’m going for it. I’m really doing it. I say Iowa football is going to win nine games this season.

Sure, there still hasn’t been a quarterback announcement, and there is only one returning starter in the secondary, and only one wide receiver has caught a pass for the Hawkeyes — I don’t know. I just feel good about this team.

Iowa will roll through Wyoming, Iowa State, and North Texas in the nonconference season before hitting a roadblock with Penn State. The Nittany Lions will hand Iowa its first loss.

Somehow, the Hawkeyes will find a way to eke out wins over Northwestern, Minnesota, and Nebraska but will lose to powerhouses Ohio State and Wisconsin late in the season. No Big Ten Championship game, but Iowa will finish second in the West.

My faith only goes so far, though. The Hawkeyes will get picked for a late-December bowl game but lose, ending their year on a low note, as in the past five seasons.

Prediction: 9-4 (6-3)

Adam Hensley, sports editor/football reporter

Iowa’s schedule is tougher than in recent years (playing at home against Penn State and Ohio State and on the road against Wisconsin).

Iowa’s nonconference schedule is deceivingly difficult, but the Hawkeyes should win all three games, despite a depleted secondary going head-to-head with Wyoming’s Josh Allen, arguably one of the country’s top quarterbacks, as well as an anything-goes contest in Ames in the annual Cy-Hawk Series.

The Hawkeyes’ problems lie in their slate of conference games. Penn State’s offense will be too much for Iowa to keep up with; quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley are college football’s top passer-runner duo.

Playing Ohio State, even at Kinnick Stadium, and on the road against Wisconsin shape up to be back-to-back losses.

Iowa will be in tough road battles against Northwestern and Nebraska; those games will be close, but the Hawkeyes fall.

A 7-5 record will advance Iowa to a bowl game. The Hawkeyes have lost their previous five bowl games, but that streak ends this year.

Prediction: 8-5 (4-5)

Pete Ruden, assistant sports editor/football reporter

There are a lot of questions right now, but if everything falls into place, Iowa could have a solid season.

Last season, the Iowa program and its fans learned quite a few things; mainly, winnable games are losable and any team can overcome stacked odds.

Those odds will be stacked against Iowa when Penn State and Ohio State come to town.

Those games alone almost make the schedule tougher than it has been in recent years. Add in the season-opener against Josh Allen’s Wyoming Cowboys and a road game against Wisconsin, and it’s easy to see that this season won’t be a cakewalk for the Hawkeyes.

Contests against Northwestern and Nebraska on the road could essentially be categorized as toss-ups.

Iowa’s strengths on the offensive line and in the backfield will certainly help it win games, but its weaknesses will get exposed in the process.

In the end, the Hawkeyes will have a tough time in conference play, but it won’t be enough to hold them back from making a quality bowl game.

Prediction: 8-5 (5-4)

Carter Melrose, football reporter

Keeping it simple, there are a few easy wins built into this schedule in the nonconference season. As fans, you should expect wins over Wyoming, Iowa State, and North Texas. That being said, Iowa takes a loss from Wyoming in the first week.

From there, the top-heavy Big Ten will have a few toss-up games including Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, and Minnesota. History has shown that winning in the Big Ten includes two things: a mauling offensive line and an attacking defensive trench. Iowa seems to have both covered but will still lose to Minnesota and Northwestern.

Last, the meat of the schedule: Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Iowa will win on the road over Wisconsin and Nebraska.

The bowl game will depend on how the quarterback(s) gel with the offense. Though I see a win coming in a less-than-stellar bowl. I’m an optimist, what can I say?

Prediction: 7-6 (4-5)