Iowa’s 55-0 demolition of UNI was enough to push the Hawkeyes to 3-0 and keep them climbing before Big Ten play really gets rolling. They’ve also moved up to No. 17 in the AP Top-25, and the first real test is waiting right away: a road trip to Michigan in week four.
At the top of the league, Indiana holds No. 1 after flattening its first three opponents. The Hoosiers have done exactly what they were supposed to do, and until someone knocks them off, they’re staying put. They open Big Ten play at home against Northwestern.
Ohio State sits second after bouncing back from its week-two road loss at Texas by crushing Kent State. The Buckeyes now turn their attention to Illinois in Columbus.
Penn State checks in at No. 3, riding three straight wins under Matt Campbell. Those victories came against lighter competition, but the Nittany Lions have handled business cleanly and now face a tougher one with Wisconsin coming to University Park.
Oregon lands at No. 4 after taking out its frustration on Portland following the surprise loss to Oklahoma State. The Ducks put 84 points on the board, though the ranking comes with a note about Dan Lanning running up the score.
UCLA is No. 5 after earning its first Big Ten win by hanging 52 on Purdue. The Bruins piled up 645 total yards and look much more settled than they did last season.
Iowa comes in at No. 6, and the case is obvious. The offense has been better than expected, and the defense is sitting at No. 1 in the country.
Still, UNI isn’t the kind of opponent that tells you everything, which is why the Michigan game matters so much. USC is right behind at No. 7 after surviving a much tougher-than-expected trip to Rutgers, where the Trojans escaped 42-35 to start Big Ten play 1-0.
Michigan is No. 8 after a weird three-game opening stretch: a shaky win in week one, a surprise victory over ranked Oklahoma, and then a dominant showing against UTEP. Washington follows at No. 9 after scoring 48 against Eastern Washington, a useful step for an offense that hasn’t quite matched the preseason buzz yet. Northwestern rounds out the top 10 after using a bye week to prep for Colorado and then handling the Buffaloes, with Aidan Chiles looking sharp at quarterback with 514 passing yards in two games.
Nebraska is No. 11 after moving to 3-0 with a 34-7 win over North Dakota. Wisconsin is No. 12 after starting slow against Eastern Michigan before piling up 479 total yards and 54 points.
Illinois sits at No. 13 after beating Southern Illinois 48-10, though the week-two loss to Duke still leaves a little regret hanging around. Minnesota is No. 14 after bouncing back from that ugly 38-13 loss to Mississippi State with a more balanced effort against Akron.
Michigan State is No. 15 after a road loss to Notre Dame in South Bend, where the Spartans were a 28.5-point underdog and at least managed to cover. Maryland is No. 16 after a home loss to Virginia Tech, despite getting 359 passing yards.
Purdue remains stuck near the bottom at No. 17 after a 52-38 loss at UCLA, a game undone by three turnovers and a defense that allowed 645 total yards. Rutgers stays last at No. 18 after pushing USC but falling 42-35 and giving up 460 total yards.
In Other News...
Dowling Catholic Just Got Dragged Back Into Iowa 5A Chaos
Southeast Polks 31-28 win over Dowling Catholic in Week 4 jolted the top of Iowa Class 5A and left the rest of the states high school football power structure looking a little less settled. The result pushed Southeast Polk into the No. 1 spot, sent Dowling Catholic sliding from first to third, and kept Sioux City East at No. 2, a reminder that the margin at the top of 5A can disappear in a single Friday night.
For Iowa fans watching the broader picture, the ripple effects went beyond one scoreboard. Other classes also had their own top teams holding position after key recent wins, and the next round of matchups is already lined up to test whether this is a one-week shakeup or the start of a longer reshuffling. Dowling Catholic now has to regroup quickly, because in a race this tight, every ranking change feels like the beginning of another scramble. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's Contender Talk Faces A Real Test At Michigan
Iowas early season contender chatter is about to get a lot louder or a lot quieter in Ann Arbor, where the Hawkeyes walk into a Big Ten measuring stick game against Michigan. The matchup has the feel of a classic strength-on-strength test: Iowa wants to lean on a rushing offense that has powered its rise, while Michigan brings a pass defense that has been among the nations best and can make every snap feel like a chore.
The individual battles should tell plenty of the story, from Cam Buffington trying to help slow Michigans Bryce Underwood on the ground to Tony Diaz giving Iowa a needed edge if the Hawkeyes are going to loosen things up through the air. With conference positioning and the College Football Playoff picture both in play, this is the kind of game that can validate a teams place in the conversation or expose just how far it still has to go. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Heads To Michigan With One Big Question Suddenly Settled
Iowa wrapped up its non-conference slate with a performance that looked a lot like the formula it will need once Big Ten play begins. The Hawkeyes leaned on the ground game against Northern Iowa, with three different running backs topping 100 yards, while Hank Brown was sharp enough through the air to keep the offense balanced by completing all 12 of his passes. After a strong start to the season, Iowa heads into conference play ranked 17th and carrying momentum into a road trip that will quickly tell us a lot about where this team really stands.
Brown now appears set to take the first snap against Michigan, which gives Iowa at least one major question mark a little more clarity before a difficult three-game stretch against ranked opponents. The bigger test is whether the Hawkeyes can keep that run game rolling once the competition stiffens, because the next few weeks will demand more than just efficiency and a clean box score. For a team with postseason ambitions, this is the part of the schedule where early confidence starts to meet reality. [Read more 🡒]