Returning 9 offensive starters and 8 defensive starters, coming off a season where they won the B1G West.

I am never counting out Iowa again. Some how they come back year after year under Kirk Ferentz, and I'll be damned if this program isn't in a better state than it was ten years ago. Kinnick is scary and top recruits are coming in. Might be too late for Nebraska to re-conquer the Plains from the Hawkeyes.

Iowa will beat who they're supposed to beat, but lose to Iowa State, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio State. Even so, a mid-tier bowl win against a hapless MAC team will land them at 9-4.

The Hawkeyes were able to fly all the way to a top 5 spot last year off the backs of an absolute juggernaut of a defense. However, the offense, ironically, couldn't do anything in the air last year. The lack of offensive versatility was a death blow and, unfortunately, that doesn't seem to have been entirely rectified. But the defense should still be really good and I'm willing to give them a bit of the benefit of the doubt.

67.45

Homer choice since I really didn't know who to rank from like 11 on and was running out of ideas around like 20

Iowa returns most of a very good defense. That's great news. However, they return Brian Ferentz and almost all of a bottom 10 offense in the FBS. That's not great news. The offense will need to be slightly below average or better to have a chance at another blowout loss in the Big 10 title game without some chaos. I don't remotely trust Brian Ferentz to do that. Their bad offense makes it way too easy for seemingly worse teams like Iowa State and the middle of the pack Big 10 west teams to pull off an upset.

If this was a punting competition, they’d be #1. Any offense this year would make them a contender.

With Wake Forest dropped out of my poll, this could go to any combination of future 8-4 team. Iowa seems the safest pick to end the season ranked vs Ole Miss, Penn St and Tennessee.