As I type this, we are under 72 hours until the 2022 college football season kicks off. It feels like it has been an eternity since the Iowa Hawkeyes last played and the final stretch has come to a painfully slow crawl.
What kind of preseason would it be without one more rankings of the Hawkeyes before things get underway? This time, it isn’t a top 25 list, but rather a tiered ranking system of all 131 FBS teams via ESPN.
The Hawkeyes find themselves among ESPN’s tier of “under-the-radar gems,” alongside a mix of mainstays in college football and a few that have recently arrived on the scene.
This tier was a combined 63-18 last year. Cincinnati made the playoff. Pitt went to a New Year’s Six bowl. Iowa was ranked as high as No. 2. Arkansas, BYU and Ole Miss spent time in the top 10, too. And yet, none are getting much respect as real playoff contenders this year. True, each team lost some important players, but they all return their fair share of talent, too. So while teams like USC, Miami and Texas spent the offseason more popular than an inanimate carbon rod, it’s about time the teams in this tier earned some respect, too. – Hale, ESPN
This tier seems to fit Iowa perfectly. They won the Big Ten West last season and spent time very highly ranked, yet seem to be forgotten about and underrated by most of the country. That is where Iowa wants to be, though.
The other teams joining the Hawkeyes here are the Arkansas Razorbacks, BYU Cougars, Cincinnati Bearcats, Ole Miss Rebels, and Pittsburgh Panthers. Talk about a talented group.
Arkansas seems to have turned a corner under head coach Sam Pittman. Cincinnati broke down the door for Group of 5 teams to make the College Football Playoff. Lane Kiffin has Ole Miss on the come up. Pittsburgh won the ACC. This group of teams is loaded.
Any of these teams is capable of rattling off a serious run of wins and making some noise. I can’t tell you which team it will be, but one of these teams won’t be “under-the-radar” for very long this season.
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