Iowa debuts at No. 22 in College Football Playoff rankings
The College Football Playoff Committee released its first rankings of the 2021 season Tuesday night, placing the Hawkeyes at No. 22.
Iowa running back Tyler Goodson finds space to run during a football game between No. 9 Iowa and Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. The Badgers defeated the Hawkeyes 27-7. (Jerod Ringwald/The Daily Iowan)
November 2, 2021
The College Football Playoff Committee, chaired by Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta, released its first rankings of the 2021 season Tuesday. Iowa debuted at No. 22 on the list of the nation’s top 25 teams.
The Hawkeyes are ranked 19th in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and 16th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Iowa has been rated as high as No. 2 in the AP Poll this season. Since Oct. 9, however, the Hawkeyes have dropped because they lost to both Purdue and Wisconsin. Iowa’s overall and Big Ten Conference records are 6-2 and 3-2, respectively.
Wisconsin currently boasts 5-3 overall and 3-2 conference records. The Badgers are No. 21 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Wisconsin defeated Iowa, 27-7, Oct. 30 in Madison.
Purdue did not make the first College Football Playoff top 25. The Boilermakers, like the Hawkeyes and Badgers, are 3-2 in league play. Purdue is 5-3 overall. The Boilermakers defeated the Hawkeyes, 24-7, at Kinnick Stadium Oct. 16.
As of Week 9, Iowa is in fourth place in the Big Ten West Division standings. Mathematically, the Hawkeyes can still win their division, trailing Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Purdue.
No. 3 Michigan State, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 7 Michigan, No. 20 Minnesota, No. 21 Wisconsin, and No. 22 Iowa are the teams that make up the list of Big Ten squads ranked in this season’s first College Football Playoff top 25.