Happy October Wolverine fans – it’s time for the sixty-first game in the Michigan vs Iowa football series. It is also the 119th rendition of the Michigan Football Homecoming tradition. Today’s opponent will be the undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0) who would like nothing better than to pin a second loss on Jim Harbaugh’s 2019 season.
Today’s Michigan vs Iowa contest marks the 34th time these two conference rivals have played in Ann Arbor. Before I get into my predictions about today’s game, let’s take a closer look at what has happened when Michigan plays on the fifth day of October. Then, we will shift our attention to the history of Michigan vs Iowa and talk about who wins today’s game and why.
(Note - Tom Harmon (#98) picked off two Iowa Hawkeye passes in 1939 in Ann Arbor. He returned one of them for a record-setting 95-yard “pick-six.” Iowa scored first in this game, but Harmon scored the last 27 points. Final Score: Michigan (Harmon) 27 and Iowa 7.)
Today’s game is the nineteenth game that Michigan has played on the 5th day of October. So far, the Wolverines own a record of 15 wins, 3 losses and 0 ties on this day. That works out to a winning percentage of just under eighty-nine percent (.889). Wow-that is a very impressive record for any day, don’t you think?
Michigan has a stellar record of 11 wins, 2 loss and 0 ties for all home games played on this day. The Wolverines are 2-1-0 on this day for all road games on this day. Of course, the good news is that today’s game is at home in the friendly confines of the Big House! The numbers displayed below summarize Michigan’s overall performance on this day. Yes, October 5th is definitely a very good day to play football at Michigan.
| Type Game | # of Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
| Non-Conference | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | .923 |
| Conference | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 |
| All Games | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | .889 |
Here is a little more history about Michigan Football on the fifth day of October.
Today’s game will be the third one that Michigan and Iowa have ever played on October 5th.
Quarterback Jim Harbaugh tossed three touchdown passes and led Michigan to a 33-6 win over Wisconsin on October 5, 1985. Photo courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library at The University of Michigan.
Here is a quick look at the “Tale of the Tape” for these two conference rivals:
| Program Area | Iowa | Michigan |
| First Football Season | 1889 | 1879 |
| Total Wins | 654 | 955 |
| Total Losses | 557 | 343 |
| Total Ties | 39 | 36 |
| Winning % | .539 | .730 |
| National Championships | 5 | 11 |
| Heisman Winner(s) | 1 | 3 |
| All-Americans (Consensus) | 3 | 83 |
| Big Ten Championships | 11 | 42 |
Both Iowa and Michigan have long histories and tons of tradition. They have competed on the football field since 1900, but they do not play each other every season. Once again, today’s game is the sixty-first game in the Michigan vs Iowa football series. Check out the series numbers below:
| Type Game | # of Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
| UM Home | 33 | 24 | 6 | 3 | .772 |
| UM Away | 25 | 16 | 8 | 1 | .660 |
| Neutral | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 |
| Series Total | 60 | 41 | 15 | 4 | .717 |
Here’s a quick look at some of the history of the Iowa vs Michigan football series.
The University of Michigan has a long and successful history when playing in front of their alumni. They have an overall record of 92 wins, 28 losses and 2 ties. This stellar accomplishment includes a record of 1-1-2 in four games against some former football players in the early years. None of those games count towards Michigan’s official program record.
Michigan and Iowa have played a total of nine Homecoming Games so far. The Wolverines have the advantage with 5 wins and 4 losses. Michigan’s biggest Homecoming victory came in 1901 against Iowa. Yes, Fielding Yost’s boys blasted the Hawkeyes by a score of 107-0 – ouch! Jim Harbaugh has a perfect record of 4 wins and 0 losses in his Homecoming Games.
Rookie Michigan Coach Fielding Yost unleashed his Wolverines in Ann Arbor. They destroyed Iowa in the first Homecoming encounter between the two teams. Final score 107-0 - wow! Photo courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library at The University of Michigan.
The calendar history for October 5th is definitely on Michigan’s side. The plain fact is that the Iowa vs Michigan series has not been kind to the Hawkeyes. Michigan is not a heavy favorite today because of their inconsistent play to start the season. However, they are still favored by 4-6 points because it is a home/Homecoming game.
Yes, both teams appear to be primed for their best performances of the year. Michigan and Iowa have plenty of experienced players on both sides of the ball. It promises to be a classic “Big Boy” football game in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes and Wolverines will be moving fast and hitting hard from start to finish. This game will not be for the faint of heart!
Michigan will win today, but it will be a nail biter. The average score of a Coach Harbaugh Homecoming Game is 39-10. I don’t think Michigan will be that good today because the Hawkeyes are the real deal. However, Michigan will play their best game of the season and defeat Iowa by a score of 27-17.
