With TV time yet to be set, Ducks in line for a scheduling break at Iowa

The worst, toughest scheduling option appears off the table for the Oregon Ducks in the November 8 road game at 6-2, unranked Iowa.

Kinnick Stadium is an environment legendary as a place where good teams go to die and the Hawkeyes are a formidable opponent. They rank third in the conference in scoring defense at 13.1 points per game (Ducks sit 4th at 13.5,) second in yards per play defense at 4,01 (Ducks just behind them at 4.05.

Kirk Ferentz's squad seems to be peaking as the calendar hits November. They've won three straight and seem to have found something on offense, clubbing Minnesota 41-3, edging Penn State 25-24 in their last two starts, both at home. On Saturday October 11 they crushed Wisconsin in Camp Randall, 37-0,

According to "Paul the Corpatty" of ScoopDuck, the likely windows for Oregon at Iowa appear to be:

Fox: 9am PT or 6pm PT
B1G network: 1:30pm PT
CBS: 12:30pm PT

Paul says, "My guess is it will be the Fox Big Noon game."

While Iowa and Kinnick Stadium would be a challenge anytime, the most difficult scenario for Oregon would have been a night game in the Midwest, followed by a three-hour, 1600-mile flight from Iowa City to Eugene, followed by a game in Autzen Stadium versus Minnesota on Friday night.

A Big Noon game affords them the option of normal night's sleep in their own beds Saturday while avoiding Kinnick at its most raucous. Though still a challenge, this proposed bypasses the logistical nightmare of a night game in a hostile environment followed by a night game on a short week.

Dan Lanning will have the Ducks prepared in any case. They've played their best and most complete games on the road this season, handling wildly varying environments at Northwestern, Penn State and Rutgers. Avoiding Kinnick at night and late travel remains a huge blessing, particularly with a six-day window to set it up.