Iowa’s bye week turned into a rankings boost and a front-row seat to one of the wildest Saturdays college football has produced in years.
The Hawkeyes climbed two spots to No. 15 in the AP poll after the latest round of chaos, and they also landed at No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. With the back half of the season set to begin, Iowa heads to Minnesota this week for the Floyd of Rosedale game.
The Big Ten, meanwhile, spent the weekend absorbing the hits. The conference now has six teams in the top 25, with three in the top 10.
Oregon was the only league team getting votes outside the poll, sitting effectively at No. 27.
Week 7 was a historic shakeup nationally. Five of the top seven teams lost, the first time that has happened in the AP poll’s 90-year history.
Indiana was among the teams to fall, dropping a 19-15 decision to Ohio State. Oregon handled Nebraska, 17-14, handing the Cornhuskers their second loss of the season.
UCLA is now the Big Ten’s lone undefeated team at 6-0, and the Bruins have moved into the Top 10.
For Iowa, the numbers inside the conference are starting to matter more and more. The Hawkeyes are tied with Northwestern in the Big Ten standings, and the Wildcats are the only remaining team on Iowa’s schedule with a 5-1 overall record and a 2-1 conference mark.
There were also some changes on Iowa’s depth chart during the break. The quarterback “OR” is back between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski, and offensive coordinator Tim Lester said both players are expected to take “meaningful snaps” over the rest of the season after Hecklinski made his college debut at Washington and Brown was injured against Ohio State. Brown dressed at Washington but did not play.
Running back LJ Phillips is no longer listed after getting hurt against the Huskies, and defensive back Tyler Brown is also off the depth chart as he continues to work back from injury.
Iowa also got a scheduling note Monday morning: its Oct. 31 game against Wisconsin is officially a sellout, and the Big Ten announced the game will kick at 11 a.m. on Fox.
Minnesota, for its part, is still waiting to crack the rankings this season despite owning ranked wins over Washington and Michigan. The Gophers went into their bye week after a loss at Purdue on Oct. 10.
Drake Lindsey is back for his second season as Minnesota’s starter and has thrown for 1,335 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Like last year, he has had trouble as a runner, with negative 13 rushing yards on 12 carries.
PJ Fleck did not offer injury updates Monday, including any detail on running back Darius Taylor’s undisclosed injury. Taylor was questionable against Purdue and did play against the Boilermakers.
There’s still more league noise ahead. Indiana travels to Michigan at 11 a.m.
Saturday, looking to recover from its first loss in 22 games. And Wisconsin, Iowa’s next opponent after Minnesota, hosts No.
16 USC on Saturday night at 7:30.
In Other News...
Iowa Heads Into Minnesota With More Riding On This Rivalry Than Usual
Iowas trip to Minneapolis for the 120th meeting with Minnesota comes with a little extra weight attached, even for a rivalry that has lasted more than a century. The Hawkeyes arrive off a win over Washington, while Minnesota is trying to steady itself after a loss to Purdue, and both sides know this one can shift the tone of the season in a hurry.
The setting only adds to the usual Big Ten grit, with rain and wind expected to be part of the backdrop. Iowa has controlled the series lately, winning nine of the last 10 matchups, even though Minnesota still holds the historical edge at 63-54-2, which is part of what makes this rivalry feel a little different every time it comes around. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces One Huge Floyd Of Rosedale Test On Defense
Minnesota brings a more varied offense into the Floyd of Rosedale matchup than Iowa typically wants to see, and that makes this one a real stress test for the Hawkeyes on that side of the ball. Drake Lindsey gives the Gophers a different kind of challenge at quarterback, while wideouts Javon Tracy and Noah Jennings add another layer of concern for a defense that will be trying to control the game the way it usually prefers.
The run game matters just as much, with Darius Taylor and TJ Thomas giving Minnesota options to keep the pressure off Lindsey and force Iowa to handle multiple threats snap after snap. For the Hawkeyes, the task is less about any one player and more about whether they can stay disciplined against a rivalry opponent that has enough talent to make mistakes costly, especially if Minnesota starts finding answers to the looks Iowa uses most often. [Read more 🡒]
Former Hawkeyes Made Their Presence Felt All Over The NFL
Week 6 turned into another reminder of how many former Hawkeyes are making their mark on Sundays. George Kittle was productive for San Francisco with five catches and a touchdown, Tory Taylor helped tilt field position for Chicago with punts that set up a fumble recovery, and Amani Hooker was all over the field for Tennessee with 13 tackles and an interception.
The rest of the week was just as busy for Iowa alumni scattered across the league, with contributions showing up in different roles and different game situations. For Hawkeyes fans, it was the kind of NFL snapshot that reinforces how wide the programs footprint remains, even when the box scores tell only part of the story. [Read more 🡒]