Athlon Sports labels Iowa football among top five most overrated in preseason AP Top 25 poll

Athlon Sports isn’t buying into what the Iowa Hawkeyes are selling.

After Iowa was ranked No. 25 in the preseason Associated Press top 25 poll, Athlon Sports included the Hawkeyes among its five most overrated teams in the preseason AP top 25.

Athlon Sports’ Dan Lyons included Iowa alongside No. 7 Notre Dame , No. 10 Florida State , No. 17 Oklahoma State and No. 21 Arizona as his five most overrated AP top 25 teams in the preseason.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Iowa enters the season with one of the country’s most impressive defenses, and an offense that may struggle to score.

Hawkeye fans can breathe a bit easier as the embattled Brian Ferentz, son of head coach Kirk Ferentz, is out as offensive coordinator. Former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester should be an upgrade, but there is no guarantee Iowa will field a competent unit, especially with upperclassman quarterback Cade McNamara’s reported struggles in training camp after missing most of 2023 with an injury. – Lyons, Athlon Sports .

It might be the same old song and dance for Iowa, but that jukebox can hold a tune after all.

Iowa enters the 2024 season after its third 10-win season in the past five years. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten West last season and finished 10-4.

Iowa has won 28 games over the past three seasons. The Hawkeyes have won  25 conference games between the 2020-23 seasons, matching the program’s highest-ever four-year conference win total.

It might not suit some eyes, but, for the most part, Iowa gets results with it.

The Hawkeyes do once again face legitimate offensive questions , namely whether or not graduate quarterback Cade McNamara is Iowa’s long-term solution at quarterback.

Still, behind a defense that returns eight starters and ranks No. 2 in ESPN’s returning production rankings , Iowa can be safely counted upon to use its defense and special teams formula to another top 25 finish.

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