CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd snubs Iowa Hawkeyes in latest Power Rankings

Hmm.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are 9-2 and the Big Ten West champs. They are No. 19 in the US LBM poll, No. 20 in the AP Poll and No. 21 in the USA TODAY Sports re-rank. For good measure, they are No. 19 in the CBS Sports 133 Rankings.

So how are they not included in someone’s power rankings? Can someone make it make sense?

The exclusion comes from CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, who left them out of his most recent power rankings despite having a much more deserving resume and record than many other teams he put in the rankings.

Iowa clinched its division and is on the cusp of another double-digit win season, yet Dodd either ignored and forgot Iowa exists. Or he is just ranking these teams with blatant disrespect. Either way, the exclusion is a clear miss by him.

For context, let’s look at a few of the teams Dodd put in these rankings. Dodd has Oregon State at No. 13 despite an 8-3 record. The LSU Tigers and Arizona Wildcats are No. 14 and No. 15 despite three losses as well.

No offense to No. 17 Tulane or No. 18 Liberty, but they do not play in a Power Five conference. At No. 19, No. 20 and No. 21, we see Oklahoma State, Notre Dame and Kansas State. All are teams with more losses than the Hawkeyes.

To round it out at No. 22, No. 23, No. 24 and No. 25, Dodd has four non-Power Five teams. He put Toledo, SMU, UNLV and New Mexico State in rather than the 9-2 Iowa Hawkeyes, who are Big Ten West champs.

Someone make this decision make sense. I can’t make heads or tails of it. If Dodd would like to reward Power Five schedules as he did early in his rankings, the Hawkeyes deserve a spot for playing in the Big Ten.

If he wants to reward win totals, then Iowa deserves a spot for a better record than a handful of teams.

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