Iowa Sees Increase in Big Ten Power Rankings

The Iowa Hawkeyes recevied a mild boost in the latest conference power rankings with their latest win.

Currently, Michael Cohen has Iowa ranked No. 11 in the Big 10. Obviously, this is no longer a conference that has ten teams. With the recent additions of Oregon, USC, Washington, and UCLA, Iowa now has 17 other teams to compete against.

Iowa was ranked No. 13 last week after their close loss to Iowa State. There's no shame in losing to a ranked team, though that's a game the Hawkeyes would love to have back. Thankfully for them, UMass is one of the worst teams in the country and they were able to make a statement.

Rock bottom may be the perfect way to describe UCLA. Cohen has the Bruins ranked No. 18 after their "humiliating loss" to New Mexico, a team they paid $1.2 million to play. Heading into Week 4, they are the only Big 10 team without a win. Just ahead of them is No. 17 Northwestern at 1-2.

Surprisingly, Cohen has a 2-1 Iowa team above 3-0 Rutgers and Maryland. With the Hawkeyes' Friday night showdown against the Scarlet Knights looming, it's a great sign for Iowa fans to see them ranked ahead of their first conference opponent.

Minnesota's 27-14 loss to California dropped them from No. 11 to No. 12. Their loss allowed Iowa to leapfrog them in the rankings as No. 12 Wisconsin's blowout loss to Alabama dropped them three spots. While there's no shame in losing 38-14 to the Crimson Tide, the Badgers are dealing with plenty of key injuries that justifies their ranking.

Cohen spoke about the Hawkeyes' ranking, "This past Saturday was a joyous afternoon for the Iowa program as head coach Kirk Ferentz, 70, passed legendary Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes for most victories in Big Ten history. Ferentz scored his 206th win on the strength of a balanced offensive effort in which quarterback Mark Gronowski threw touchdowns on the Hawkeyes’ first two possessions and the ground game produced 201 yards and two more scores. Iowa travels to Rutgers before a high-profile home date with No. 19 Indiana."

His rankings were split into "The Top 10" and "The Rest". Iowa defeating Rutgers may not crack them into the Top 10, though starting 1-0 in conference is far more important than any analyst's power rankings. While lists like this are always up for debate, there's no arguing Ohio State being No. 1. Michigan is the lone team in the Top 10 with a loss, though Cohen still has them at No. 6. Iowa's schedule remains daunting as they'll have to play four ranked teams from Weeks 5-11.

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