Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Iowa Hawkeyes fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are officially riding a heater. After coming up short in their comeback bid against the Indiana Hoosiers a month ago, Iowa has ridden the wave to three straight wins, including a pair of absolute butt kickings for rivals Wisconsin and Minnesota.
About midway
through the first quarter against the Gophers, when Iowa scored their second touchdown of the game to move to a 17-0 advantage, my mind began to wander a bit. It’s not often the Hawkeyes score so much so quickly and knowing that lead was almost certainly insurmountable, it became hard not to think about what could be the rest of the way.
A daily part of having four sons is fielding questions about sports. “Who do the Hawkeyes play this weekend? What’s Minnesota’s record? If we beat them will we be ranked? What is Oregon ranked? Do you think we can beat Oregon?”
As adults, we’ve spent a lifetime learning to filter out reality from fantasy when thinking about the questions that need asked. But kids don’t yet have that filter. To my 11 year old, Iowa is one of the best teams in the country. Sure, he knows who the bluebloods are and he can see the difference in talent in some of them from Iowa, but he also sat in Kinnick and watched Iowa nearly beat the #2 team in the nation.
So when the AP poll came out on Sunday, the first question I got was “What?!?! Why isn’t Iowa ranked???”
I don’t think it’s unfounded. And while I can’t bring myself to answer him when he asks “What will Iowa be ranked if they beat Oregon?” or “If we win all four games who do you think we’ll play in the playoffs?”, I do find myself thinking ahead just a bit to the possibilities as we wait for that first round of College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, November 4th.
Until then, I’ll go ahead and pull out my inner child and ask YOU – where should Iowa be ranked this week as we prepare for a weekend of now Hawkeye football? Let us know in this week’s Reacts poll and feel free to let your inner child out in the comments below with thoughts beyond this week (comments in the line of “just win and it will take care of itself” will be warned – this is a blog, not a locker room and if you can’t dream a bit here what is the point?).
