The Iowa Hawkeyes finished last season 10-4 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play to become champions of the Big Ten West Division. The less said about that conference championship matchup against Michigan, the better!
The Hawkeyes really were a tale of two teams in 2021. Of course, there was the team that had College Football Playoff national championship game aspirations six games into the season. But then there was the team that scored 14 points combined in midseason losses against Purdue and Wisconsin and that 42-3 Big Ten championship game loss to Michigan. That was last year, though. What about in 2022?
With the college football offseason headed into the summer, Chris Peterson of Fansided recently published his post-spring Big Ten football power rankings heading into 2022. Peterson had the Iowa Hawkeyes as the sixth-best team in the conference.
The Hawkeyes are probably the most underappreciated Big Ten football program, but the defending Big Ten West champs are fresh off another 10-win season under Kirk Ferentz, who does nothing but win consistently and beat his rivals (Iowa State and Nebraska). – Peterson, Fansided.
Peterson acknowledges a lot of the things that Iowa’s program does well and that they should continue to do. Iowa is an O-line factory that produces new products year after year. As a result, the run game is usually strong, and the defense doesn’t have to stay out on the field forever. When the defense is out there, they are a stout unit led by a trio of potential NFL-bound linebackers.
Peterson however has his reservations around the Hawkeyes this year, mainly due to questions about the quarterback play.
Yet, the Hawkeyes are limited. Spencer Petras isn’t an elite QB and while he’s won plenty of games, an upgrade is needed, although a clear upgrade isn’t available. – Peterson, Fansided.
Iowa has been one of the hardest teams for experts to project. 247Sports recently forecasted the Hawkeyes as the Big Ten team with the largest…
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