Should Iowa football be the Big Ten West favorite?

On3 asks a simple question: Should the Iowa Hawkeyes be the Big Ten West favorite?

This comes from Jesse Simonton after evaluating DraftKings’ win total odds where the Wisconsin Badgers check in with a win total of nine. That’s tops among Big Ten West squads.

Iowa is next-best with an over-under win total of 7.5. Then, it’s Minnesota and Illinois with identical 6.5’s, Nebraska checks in with a total of six, Purdue has a win total of 5.5 and Northwestern brings up the rear with a win total of 3.5.

Does DraftKings have the proper Big Ten West favorite, though? At the very least, Simonton feels like the over-under win total from DraftKings isn’t giving the Hawkeyes enough credit.

That’s too low.

With their recent transfer portal additions, the Hawkeyes have an argument to be the No. 1 team in the Big Ten West come the fall.

Who knew Kirk Ferentz had such portal juice?

We know Iowa is going to play salty defense. The Hawkeyes were a Top 10 unit in yards per play allowed, scoring and pass defense, and even without linebacker Jack Campbell and pass rusher Lukas Van Ness, they return one of the best front-sevens in the country.

Their schedule is fairly favorable, too, as they miss Ohio State, Michigan and Maryland from the East — three of the four schools with the highest win totals in the other division. They do play Wisconsin in Camp Randall, so perhaps that’s the differentiator for the division.

But what if Iowa suddenly doesn’t play the worst offense in the Big Ten in nearly 25 years in the fall?

Offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s ‘Drive for 25’ — as in Iowa needs to average 25 points per game in 2023 for Kirk Ferentz’s embattled son to keep his job, per his absurdly amended contract earlier this offseason — deserves all the lampooning. But suddenly, the pieces are in place for the Hawkeyes to have a serviceable — or better — attack in 2023. – Simonton, On3.

There’s a lot to like about Iowa’s transfer portal facelift….