By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – At this point, after years of disagreeing and bickering about almost everything, it takes something special for Mr. Optimist and Mr. Pessimist to hold a debate.

The start of another Iowa football season certainly meets that standard, so in honor of the 2026 season, which starts Saturday against Northern Illinois, they staged yet another debate at an undisclosed location in Eastern Iowa, and then were kind enough to share the transcript with Hawk Fanatic.

The glass half full versus the glass half empty, good versus evil since the mid 1990s.

Here is the entire transcript:

Mr. Optimist: Barring an upset against one of its three nonconference opponents to start the season, including a rebuilt and highly suspect Iowa State squad, the Iowa football team will be 3-0 heading into conference play, filled with confidence, and with playoff aspirations.

Mr. Pessimist: Speaking of upsets that probably won’t happen, the Iowa football team will likely be 3-3 midway through the season after losses to Michigan on the road, at home to Ohio State and at Washington to start Big Ten play.

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Mr. Optimist: The competition at quarterback still is too close to call because Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski both are showing that they have what it takes to make plays and move the offense with consistency.

Mr. Pessimist: The competition at quarterback still is too close to call because neither Hank Brown nor Jeremy Hecklinski has performed well enough, or with enough consistency, to create any separation.

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Mr. Optimist: Iowa returns two of the top offensive linemen in the Big Ten in fourth-year right guard Kade Pieper and fourth-year left tackle Trevor Lauck, both of whom made third-team All-Big Ten last season as first-year starters.

Mr. Pessimist: Iowa has to replace three starters on the offensive line, all of whom made first-team All-Big Ten last season, including Logan Jones, who was the recipient of the 2025 Rimington Trophy, which goes to the nation’s top collegiate center.

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Mr. Optimist: Tony Diaz is a big play waiting to happen at wide receiver, a potential game changer.

Mr. Pessimist: He might be, but a quarterback still has to get him the ball in a position to make plays, and right now Iowa doesn’t have a quarterback that is anywhere close to being established at the power-conference level.

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Mr. Optimist: Iowa could have an advantage from playing Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium where it crushed the Buckeyes 55-24 in 2017.

Mr. Pessimist: Ohio State has a 17-6-2 record against Iowa in Iowa City.

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Mr. Optimist: A season opener at Kinnick Stadium, regardless of the opponent or weather conditions, always has a special feeling of anticipation.

Mr. Pessimist: A season opener at Kinnick Stadium often times feels like the surface of Venus where the average temperature, due to its thick and toxic atmosphere, can reach 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Mr. Optimist: Kirk Ferentz has a 24-3 record in season openers as the Iowa head coach.

Mr. Pessimist: The 24 wins were against Kent State, Akron, Miami (Ohio), Kent State, Ball State, Montana, Northern Illinois, Maine, Northern Iowa, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee Tech, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Miami (Ohio), Wyoming, Northern Illinois, Miami (Ohio), Indiana (before Curt Cignetti), South Dakota State, Utah State, Illinois State and UAlbany.

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Mr. Optimist: The Big Ten has won the last three national championships in football with three different teams, which obviously means Iowa is a member of the best conference in college football.

Mr. Pessimist: The problem with competing in the best conference is that you’re competing in the best conference, and against 17 other teams from coast to coast.

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Mr. Optimist: Iowa is loaded at running back and tight end, without question the two deepest positions on the team.

Mr. Pessimist: Iowa has concerns and uncertainty at quarterback, offensive line, receiver, defensive line, linebacker, secondary, kicker, punter and the return game due to key personnel losses.

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Mr. Optimist: The Hawkeye football game-day experience, highlighted by the long-standing tailgating tradition, makes the seven home games each season seem more like special events than games.

Mr. Pessimist: At this rate, Hawkeye fans will soon be standing in parking ramps and inhaling gas fumes if they still want to enjoy the tail-gating experience.

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Mr. Optimist: Iowa added a record 16 players from the transfer portal this past offseason, showing in this new age of NIL and roster fluidity that Kirk Ferentz is willing to do what it takes to restock his roster.

Mr. Pessimist: Iowa had to replace 27 seniors from the 2025 team, including 20 that started at least one game last season.

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Mr. Optimist: Iowa has had 14 consensus All-Americans in the College Football Playoff era, the fourth most in the nation during that time.

Mr. Pessimist: Iowa has had zero appearances in the College Football Playoff.

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Mr. Optimist: This season marks the 70-year anniversary of Iowa’s 1956 squad, which won the Rose Bowl that season in Iowa’s first bowl appearance in program history.

Mr. Pessimist: The Andy Griffith Show still hadn’t been created for television when Iowa last won a Rose Bowl following the 1958 season.

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Mr. Optimist: Saturday’s season opener starts at 3:16 p.m., giving fans the chance to not only sleep in that morning, but also the chance to enjoy the evening, the perfect combination.

Mr. Pessimist: Saturday’s game also will start at what is typically the hottest time of the day, and with the index expected to reach triple digits.

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Mr. Optimist: Another season of Hawkeye football also means another season of the Wave, the greatest tradition in college sports.

Mr. Pessimist: Okay, you win this particular topic because even I appreciate and admire the positive effects from showing kindness.