It's hard to know how teams are going to fare at this point before the college basketball season, but it's easier to look at a schedule and know a tough stretch when you see it.
For the Iowa Hawkeyes, there is a four-game stretch in the month of February as they begin to come down the home stretch of the regular season and Big Ten play that could make or break this team.
It's four games against quality opponents who are dangerous for very different reasons and are going to present Iowa with tests over 11 days.
Iowa at Northwestern, February 13
Northwestern is never an easy out, no matter how good you are or when you play them. Add in this game being on a Saturday, and Iowa is going to get the full Wildcat treatment here.
The Wildcats pick off a team or two annually, and looking at this one, the first thoughts that come to mind involve Iowa being caught in a trap game here against an always feisty Northwestern team. This game has to command Iowa's full attention.
Iowa vs Michigan State, February 16
The good news? This is at home in Iowa City. The bad news? It doesn't change the fact that Michigan State is still Michigan State and still has Tom Izzo as its head coach. The Spartans are physical and talented each year.
This game provides Iowa and Ben McCollum a real chance to prove their worth if they can find a way to knock off Sparty at home, in front of what is surely to be a sellout crowd.
Iowa at Michigan, February 20
Dusty May is gone after jumping ship from the Wolverines to the NBA, but that doesn't change the fact that Iowa is going to be walking into the Crisler Center on a cold February Saturday in the thick of the Big Ten race.
This is going to force Iowa to handle talent, the crowd, and even itself in how it prepares for this as the third game of a stretch run that would test nearly every team in college basketball.
Iowa at Wisconsin, February 24
Just when you think you might be through it, the Big Ten throws one more test at you. After a weekend trip to Michigan, the Hawkeyes get the lovely duty of a mid-week road trip to Madison, Wisconsin, to take on the Badgers.
Being the last game of this stretch, Iowa is sure to be drained, but needs to find a way to somehow squeak out a 2-2 record in these games. Anything better is icing on the cake, but a 2-2 split over this stretch is more than acceptable.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa as Make or Break: Iowa Basketball's Big Ten Success Could Boil Down a Four-Game Stretch.