The Iowa Hawkeyes turned Kinnick Stadium into a party on Saturday night with a thrilling 15-13 comeback win over Illinois (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) to capture the Big Ten West.
Iowa (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) surged in front on a 30-yard touchdown run from sophomore Kaleb Johnson with 4:43 remaining. From there, sixth-year defensive end Joe Evans closed the win out with a pair of pass deflections on the Illini’s ensuing offensive series to force a turnover on downs.
The Hawkeyes iced it from there, booking their reservations for the Big Ten Championship game against the winner of the Ohio State-Michigan game next week. The Big Ten title game will take place the following week in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 2.
Of course, Iowa has a bit of history it can secure this week before its trek to Indy. The Hawkeyes can lock up a 10-win season with a win at Nebraska on Black Friday. It would be the program’s 11th 10-plus wins season in school history and the eighth time the Hawkeyes have accomplished that feat during the Kirk Ferentz era.
If Iowa topples the Huskers next week, it would also represent just the seventh time in program history that the Hawkeyes won 10 or more games during the regular season.
As Iowa keeps on winning, so too does their national standing. The Hawkeyes find themselves at a season-high ranking in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll at No. 19. It was a four-spot jump for Iowa after their win over Illinois.
Here’s a look at the full US LBM Coaches Poll as the season rolls into Week 13.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Georgia | 11-0 | 1,571 (61) | – |
| 2 | Ohio State | 11-0 | 1,460 (1) | +1 |
| 3 | Michigan | 11-0 | 1,458 (1) | -1 |
| 4 | Florida State | 11-0 | 1,375 | – |
| 5 | Washington | 11-0 | 1,367 | – |
| 6 | Oregon | 10-1 | 1,234 | – |
| 7 | Texas | 10-1 | 1,193 | – |
| 8 | Alabama | 10-1 | 1,174 | – |
| 9 | Louisville | 10-1 | 1,035 | – |
| 10 | Missouri | 9-2 | 981 | +1 |
| 11 | Penn State | 9-2 | 908 | +1 |
| 12 | Ole Miss | 9-2 | 863 | +2 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 9-2 | 840 | – |
| 14 | LSU | 8-3 | 726 | +1 |
| 15 | Oregon State | 8-3 | 684 | -5 |
| 16 | Arizona | 8-3 | 568 | +6 |
| 17 | Notre Dame | 8-3 | 536 | +1 |
| 18 | Tulane | 10-1 | 493 | -1 |
| 19 | Iowa | 9-2 | 447 | +4 |
| 20 | Kansas State | 8-3 | 424 | +4 |
| 21 | Oklahoma State | 8-3 | 299 | +4 |
| 22 | Liberty | 11-0 | 158 | +5 |
| 23 | Tennessee | 7-4 | 109 | -4 |
| 24 | North Carolina State | 8-3 | 97 | +6 |
| 25 | SMU | 9-2 | 84 | +3 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 16 Utah; No. 20 North Carolina; No. 21 James Madison
Others Receiving Votes
North Carolina 79; UNLV 76; Utah 75; Toledo 49; James Madison 48; Clemson 25; Troy 17; Texas A&M 6; UCLA 5; Kansas 4; Fresno State 3; West Virginia 2; UTSA 1; Air Force 1
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Hawkeyes Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.