We are just four Saturdays away from Iowa football as the excitement for next season continues to grow.
The last time we saw Iowa take the field, the squad was holding off Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl after jumping out to an unexpected early lead. With the 2025-2026 season fully in the rearview mirror, the program is just weeks away from a new one, and with it come new expectations. Iowa was expected to perform better than it did last season, thanks to a veteran-led roster and tons of talent on both sides of the ball. A lot of that talent either moved on to the NFL or graduated, but that didn't stop college coaches from vaulting Iowa into the top 25 at the start of the season.
Iowa checks in at No. 22 in the first coaches' poll of the 2026 season
After a disappointing loss to No. 16 Iowa State in week two last season, Iowa was a fixture in the rankings, and even landed in the CFP rankings to close out the regular season. The program was a few close losses away from making its first CFP, and that could carry over into this season. The Hawkeyes return only 10 starters from last season and have a tough start to the Big Ten schedule, but coaches are convinced that multiple question marks won't be an issue for them.
BREAKING: College Football Preseason Coaches Poll👀https://t.co/gnEe967fmH pic.twitter.com/W2xBYGZWYe
— On3 (@On3) August 4, 2026
Iowa is one of eight Big Ten programs to make the coaches' top 25 before the 2026-2027 season, including Ohio State (No. 1), Oregon (No. 2), Indiana (No. 6), USC (No. 14), Michigan (No. 16), Penn State (No. 17), and Washington (No. 19). The Hawkeyes are the lowest-ranked Big Ten school at No. 22, showing the coaches are more bullish on the Hawkeyes than a lot of us are. Heading into next season, Iowa has multiple question marks on the offensive and defensive lines and at quarterback, but that doesn't seem to matter to the coaches.
Kirk Ferentz admitted during Big Ten Football Media Days that the coaching staff doesn't know who the starting quarterback is, and they could rotate as many as nine guys on the defensive line, which doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. Naming a new starting quarterback, replacing all four starters on the defensive line, and three of five starters on the offensive line is a massive challenge for the program, and one we won't have the full answers to until the start of the season. Another big concern is a completely revamped special teams unit after longtime special teams coordinator LeVar Woods joined new Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Iowa has multiple things working against it, but Ferentz and his staff always get the most out of the players on the roster. No one is saying the roster isn't talented, but all the unknowns surrounding the squad make it difficult to determine how good they could be. It speaks volumes about how coaches feel about the program, because even with so many question marks, they weren't afraid to put Iowa in the rankings. Iowa should come out of its first three games with an unblemished record, but then face a tough start to the Big Ten schedule with games at Michigan, vs. Ohio State, at Washington, at Minnesota and vs. Wisconsin, not an easy stretch of games.
If Iowa wants to live up to that No. 22 coaches' ranking, they are going to have to knock off one of Michigan, Ohio State, or Washington to prove itself worthy of an early spot in the top 25, and if they falter even a little bit, it could easily be 3-3 after that stretch of games. The program has the talent to do it, but it will be interesting to see how the chips fall when the season officially begins.
Add us as a preferred source on Google