Oct 13, 2015 at 4:56p ET
Oct 13, 2015 at 4:56p ET
(AP) - Iowa is one of the nation's most surprising teams after answering nearly all of its preseason questions.
Now the No. 17 Hawkeyes have a new uncertainty to deal with: Can they keep winning while they keep losing guys?
Iowa (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten) is down five opening-day starters ahead of Saturday's West Division showdown at No. 20 Northwestern (5-1, 1-1).
The biggest blow came Tuesday, when coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed that star defensive end Drew Ott was lost for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.