Iowa football named biggest snub from preseason US LBM Coaches Poll
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Starting the season being doubted or overlooked is nothing new for the Iowa Hawkeyes. They are often an afterthought in rankings or discussions about big games. But each year, Iowa goes about its business and finds ways to win games.
Entering 2025 with a revamped quarterback room and some defensive firepower reloading, the Hawkeyes are still slept on a bit by the national media. Iowa is unranked in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.
Sure, the Hawkeyes were receiving votes to be ranked, but that isn't much of a consolation for a team led by head coach Kirk Ferentz. It has led to the Hawkeyes being viewed as one of the biggest snubs from the preseason top 25 by College Sports Wire.
At this point, we all know the score at Iowa under Kirk Ferentz, the longest-tenured head coach in the nation. The Hawkeyes routinely field elite defenses and special teams units, but they're constantly hamstrung by ineffective offenses. As a result, Iowa is almost always good but is rarely great.
That could change this season. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I'm officially intrigued by an Iowa offense. The Hawkeyes brought in one of the FCS' most accomplished passers in Mark Gronowski, a national champion at South Dakota State. With Gronowski's ability to be a major contributor in the run game and a strong offensive line once again, the Hawkeyes could legitimately bully many teams in the Big Ten even without last season's star running back in Kaleb Johnson.
Is this a Big Ten contender? Probably not. But it's Iowa, so we know the median outcome here is 8-9 wins, and if the offense takes a step, that ceiling could be even higher. I'd be willing to stake quite a bit on this team being ranked at season's end. - Tyler Nettuno, College Sports Wire
Iowa finds ways to win. It may not be pretty, but this team beats who they are supposed to and sometimes pulls off a shocker. With how the 2025 schedule is set up, that recipe feels like it has the potential to lead Iowa into the polls by season's end.
All polls aren't as low on Iowa, though. Joel Klatt, Fox's college football analyst, is rather high on the Hawkeyes. Klatt put Iowa as No. 22 in his preseason poll and went as far as to predict the Hawkeyes pulling off an upset over a College Football Playoff contender.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football named biggest snub from preseason US LBM Coaches Poll
