Iowa enters the 2026 season as the No. 22 team nationally. With a preseason top-25 ranking come expectations from those inside and outside the program.
Some media pundits look at Iowa this season and see a high-floor, low-ceiling team. They may think the Hawkeyes are overrated compared to their preseason ranking. Others see Kirk Ferentz's team as a stable, consistent group that can win at least eight games this season with double-digit victory upside. They believe Iowa may be underrated given its No. 22 ranking.
CBS Sports features analysts on both sides of that dichotomy. CBS writers broke down the most overrated and underrated teams in the Big Ten entering the 2026 season. The Hawkeyes found themselves listed as both overrated and underrated by
different writers.
Tom Fornelli, Chip Patterson, and Brandon Marcello all think Iowa is overrated. Here's their reasoning.
"Iowa is a high-floor program, so it's hard to call it overrated, but I suspect we're overlooking how important Mark Gronowski was to this offense last season. The Hawkeyes finished 11th in the country in points per red zone possession, due in part to Gronowski's legs (he rushed for 16 TDs). The 4.92 points per red zone possession the Hawkeyes scored were the most by a wide margin in at least the last 15 years. For a team that wins on the margins, any regression in that area could cause problems; plus, have you seen the schedule? Opening Big Ten play with Michigan, Ohio State and then Washington won't be easy, and there are some "coin-flip" games on the road against Minnesota and Illinois. 7-5 is very much in play."
On the flip side, John Talty believes the Hawkeyes are actually underrated entering this season. He explained his reasoning.
"The Hawkeyes seem to be perennially underrated. They don't play a sexy style of football and never get the preseason hype as some of their peers. But you know they'll have great defense and special teams that can keep them in hard-fought games. They are going to win at least eight games every season. If the offense can take another leap behind what should again be a very good offensive line, Iowa could have an outside shot at being a playoff party crasher."
Both sides make valid arguments, but an answer to the debate won't be known until the games are played. Iowa will look to prove the majority wrong by outperforming expectations in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: CBS makes case why Iowa football is overrated, underrated in 2026
