Iowa football is absolutely surging into Big Ten Conference play, sitting pretty at 3-0 and climbing the ranks. The Hawkeyes just punched their ticket to 17th overall in the latest Associated Press Top 25, moving up a spot from last week. What’s wild is they’re already sitting one spot ahead of Michigan, their big opponent this Saturday. Talk about an early statement!
The Hawkeyes Are Making Moves In The Polls
This isn’t just an AP thing, either. In the AFCA Coaches Poll, Iowa made one of the biggest jumps, rocketing from 20th all the way to 17th. That’s a huge move, matching Ole Miss who also climbed after knocking off LSU and now sits at sixth overall. It just shows the respect the Hawkeyes are earning across the board. Michigan, who’s also 3-0 with a slim Week 1 victory over Western Michigan, is trailing Iowa in both polls. But let’s be real, the Big Ten is stacked this year. Other ranked teams in the AFCA include Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, and even Washington. Interestingly, Washington isn’t even in the AP poll, which is kinda nuts.
Defense Is Absolutely Shutting It Down
Through three games, Iowa has been an absolute brick wall on defense and a beast on the ground. They kicked off the season with a jaw-dropping 40-0 victory over Northern Illinois. Seriously, a shutout! Kamari Moulton went off in that one, running for 183 yards. Week 2 brought a nail-biting 16-13 thrilling win against in-state rival Iowa State. Tony Diaz snagged 95 receiving yards, proving they’ve got some playmakers in the air too. And if you thought that was impressive, last week they absolutely ran over Northern Iowa with a 55-0 shutout. Even without Moulton, three different players shredded the field for over 100 rushing yards, with Xavier Williams leading the charge with 151. This team is *tough*.
The Schedule Is About To Get Real
Now, things are about to get seriously intense for Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes. Everything gets amplified from here on out. First up is a massive road trip to the Big House to battle Michigan this Saturday. Then they return home to host Ohio State in what is sure to be a marquee matchup. After that, it’s back-to-back road games at Washington and Minnesota, with a bye week in between to catch their breath. This upcoming stretch will tell us everything we need to know about this Iowa team. Can they keep up this dominant early season form against some of the best in the country? We’re all gonna find out, starting this Saturday.
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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