Man, what a wild ride it’s been just two weeks into the college football season, not just for the Iowa Hawkeyes but for the entire Big Ten. This conference was supposed to be *the* preeminent power in the nation, boasting a pair of top-5 teams and a trio in the top-10 to start the year. But fast forward a couple weeks and that dominant picture is looking seriously shaky, with several programs suffering embarrassing defeats or near-defeats.
Hawkeyes Riding the Roller Coaster, Fans Staying Cool
Iowa’s sitting pretty, undefeated and all but a lock to hit Big Ten play at 3-0 after this week’s matchup against FCS Northern Iowa. The Hawkeyes opened as massive 41.5-point favorites, which has only dipped slightly to 38.5 points according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That’s a huge number, but it kinda glosses over how close they came to a 1-1 start. Remember last week against Iowa State? They needed a final minute field goal to squeak out a 16-13 win! This was after being the largest favorite against the Cyclones in a decade. Yeah, Iowa State had been projected as a total bottom-feeder this year, but they’ve shown new life under coach Jimmy Rogers. That close call followed a “thoroughly impressive” Week 1 performance where Iowa’s new offensive weapons were on full display, dropping explosive plays and silencing critics about their lines. Two totally conflicting results, right? You’d think fans would be freaking out, but a preseason poll had them as a 9-win team, and 60% of the fanbase is *still* unchanged on that outlook! Even wilder, out of the 40% who *did* shift their view, the majority are actually *more* optimistic. Go figure!
Big Ten Chaos Has Iowa Looking Up
Maybe that optimism comes from looking around the Big Ten and seeing pure chaos. What was once a conference with a pair of top-5 teams and three in the top-10 now has just one team in the top-5 and two in the top-10. Embarrassing defeats and near-defeats are all over the place. Ohio State, a “virtual juggernaut,” even fell to #4 Texas just last week. Iowa’s first Big Ten opponent, Michigan, was #16 preseason, looked “nearly inept” in their opener against Western Michigan before an upset win over Oklahoma. Even Washington, who barely escaped Utah State 16-14, is showing how tough wins can be. Amidst all this, Iowa, unblemished so far, is likely to be ranked just outside the top-15 nationally, climbing from their #22 preseason spot. That’s a serious jump while the rest of the conference seems to be tripping over itself.
So, the Hawkeyes are set to roll into Big Ten play at 3-0 and potentially cracking the top-15. They’ve got the Northern Iowa game this Friday, September 18, 2026, to solidify that perfect non-conference record. Then it’s on to Big Ten play with Michigan waiting. Can they keep riding this unexpected wave of conference woes to a truly special season? We’re about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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