Iowa Hawkeyes Predicted Strong Finish in Big Ten Preseason Poll, Penn State No. 1

After an upper-middle finish in the Big Ten last year, media members expect a similar fate for Iowa in 2025.

The Hawkeyes are picked to finish seventh in the 15th annual Cleveland.com Big Ten Preseason Media Poll.

Only four teams received first-place votes: Penn State (11), Ohio State (10), Oregon (2) and Michigan (1).

Below are the entire preseason poll results:

1. Penn State
2. Ohio State
3. Oregon
4. Illinois
5. Michigan
6. Indiana
7. Iowa
8. Nebraska
9. USC
10. Washington
11. Minnesota
12. Wisconsin
13. Michigan State
13 (tie). Rutgers
15. UCLA
16. Maryland
17. Northwestern
18. Purdue

A year ago, Iowa finished sixth in the Big Ten with a 6-3 conference record. The Hawkeyes finished 8-5 overall, losing to Missouri in the Music City Bowl.

Iowa will be without star running back Kaleb Johnson, who now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Running backs Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson will look to mimic the production that Johnson brought the Hawkeyes in 2024.

At quarterback, senior transfer Mark Gronowski will look to give the Hawkeyes explosiveness that they haven’t seen in a long time. Grownowski spent five years at South Dakota State, starting 55 games and compiling a 49-6 record at the NCAA Division I FCS level.

Penn State, which reached the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024, is the first team selected No. 1 in the preseason poll that isn’t Ohio State or Michigan since 2014. The Nittany Lions return quarterback Drew Allar, who has received significant Heisman Trophy buzz ahead of the season.

Voters in the poll also predicted how many teams from the Big Ten would reach the College Football Playoff. The majority of voters (12) predicted that four teams from the conference would get bids, while 10 voters predicted only three bids and two voters predicted that the Big Ten will be a five-bid league.

Four teams from the Big Ten — Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Indiana — earned bids to the CFP in 2024.

The Buckeyes won the national championship, earning the Big Ten’s second title in a row after Michigan won the 2023 national title. Penn State reached the CFP semifinals before falling to Notre Dame. Oregon, the No. 1 seed, lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl (quarterfinals), while Indiana lost to Notre Dame in the first round.

Ohio State swept the poll’s preseason player of the year awards. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith won Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while safety Caleb Downs won Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. No Hawkeyes earned votes for either preseason award.

Iowa opens the 2025 season against the Albany Great Danes on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Kinnick Stadium.