Iowa Football: Hawkeyes among most underrated teams for 2017

The Iowa football program is often overlooked, and this year they could be counted among the most underrated teams in the country.

Each season there are teams that come out of the ‘woodwork’ and shock the college football world, with huge wins, and stunning upsets. On the other end of the spectrum, there will always be teams that disappoint. We take a look at teams we think are overrated and underrated.

Some of the best Iowa football teams in the past came into the season with minimal expectations from a conference and national prospective. The great teams of 2002 and 2015 which are among the best in Kirk Ferentz and program history had middle tier bowl predictions attached to them at best. But, when the dust settled on those seasons, they ended up in the Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl respectively.

The Hawkeyes do see a lot of lower bowl predictions again this season from numerous outlets. Perhaps not the Hawkeyes this season, but there are always teams that have the winning intangibles, but go ‘under the radar’ during the Summer, and that will be no different in 2017.

Last season teams like Penn State and Virginia Tech rose from average preseason expectations to the heights of their respective conferences. While other teams including many in the SEC didn’t meet the high standards that many had set before them.

With it being prime season for predictions, and analysis, it is easy for narratives to be written on how the season will end up for these teams, but once the week 1 whistles for kickoff go off, it is time to find out if expectation meets reality.