The Iowa Hawkeyes wrapped up their 2025-26 campaign with a solid 9-4 record, including a 6-3 mark in Big Ten play and a statement win over No. 14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
But despite that strong finish-and a head-to-head victory over the Commodores-Iowa finds itself ranked below Vanderbilt in the final AP Top 25. And they’re not the only ones scratching their heads.
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, took to social media to voice his frustration with the final rankings. And interestingly, he wasn’t defending his own team-he was standing up for Iowa.
“I know that me/we are in control of our work ahead for 2026 season,” Bielema wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I’m sure all voters knew that Iowa beat Vandy even though ranking is opposite….
TCU beat USC and again rankings are opposite. Maybe all these AP voters should do a story on each others voting logic 😂👀😂 #ILL”
It’s rare to see a Big Ten coach come to the defense of a rival program, but Bielema, an Iowa alum who played for the Hawkeyes, clearly felt compelled to speak up. His post wasn’t just about Iowa-it was about the broader inconsistencies in the final poll. He pointed out that TCU beat USC and also finished ranked lower, suggesting a pattern of questionable logic from the voters.
Now, Bielema’s tone was laced with sarcasm, but the message was clear: if head-to-head results don’t carry weight in the final rankings, what exactly are we doing here?
From Iowa’s perspective, the ranking debate isn’t likely to linger too long. They finished No. 17, which feels like a fair reflection of a season that included some gritty wins, a few tough losses, and a bowl victory that showed they could hang with ranked competition.
More importantly, the Hawkeyes are already looking ahead. With a strong showing in the transfer portal and a 2026 recruiting class that’s turning heads, Iowa is earning early buzz as a potential Big Ten contender next fall. The pieces are starting to come together-and while January rankings don’t win games, they do set the tone for the offseason.
So sure, the final AP poll might have a few eyebrow-raising placements. But if you're Iowa, you're not losing sleep over it. The real focus is on what’s next-and with momentum building, the Hawkeyes are in a good spot to make some noise in 2026.