Is Iowa Hawkeyes Football Getting Disrespected?

The Iowa Hawkeyes are actually starting to become underrated.

Matthew Schmidt | Feb 12, 2025

Nov 11, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz reacts during the fourth quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes are coming off of a rather disappointing 2024 campaign in which they went 8-5 and suffered another crushing bowl game loss.

As a result of Iowa's latest flub, fans are understandably frustrated, and the Hawkeyes, as a whole, have largely been forgotten about on the national stage.

It has gotten to a point where Iowa may actually be starting to become an underrated football program.

Say whatever you want about Kirk Ferentz. He's too conservative. He's not innovative enough. He isn't the best at utilizing the transfer portal. He isn't keeping up with the times. All that stuff.

But the reality of the situation is that since Ferentz took over as head coach in 1999, Iowa has regularly been in contention in the rugged Big Ten.

The Hawkeyes have managed to hold their own in a conference that includes behemoths like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State (and now Oregon), and yet, they are being entirely neglected when it comes to discussing the best teams in the nation heading into 2025.

And to an extent, I get it: Iowa hasn't had a legitimate quarterback in years, and its offense has suffered because of it. But this offseason, the Hawkeyes landed Mark Gronowski, who was terrific at South Dakota State and may finally be the answer the team has been looking for.

Plus, Iowa now has some very intriguing weapons offensively, as it landed wide receiver Sam Phillips via the transfer portal and also received a commitment from 6-foot-5 prospect Dylan Stecker.

Yes, the Hawkeyes are losing Kaleb Johnson, but Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson seem fully prepared to replace him in the running game.

Iowa has long prided itself on a dominant defense, but now, the offense may finally be able to pull its weight, which could mean a double-digit season may be in store for the Hawkeyes in 2025.

The Big Ten is a bit tougher now due to conference realignment. Oregon means serious business, and even a team like Washington is no joke.

Still, Iowa has long been one of the top football schools in the conference, but due to what was certainly a plodding season in 2024, the Hawkeyes have been swept under the rug. It's actually bordering on disrespect.

I'm not saying Iowa will be a national championship contender next year, but do not be surprised if Ferentz's squad surprises a lot of people and makes some noise in the Big Ten.

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Published Feb 12, 2025

MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.