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USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
USA TODAY Sports shares Big Ten, Iowa football preseason poll
USA TODAY Sports released its preseason Big Ten poll, and it's not what Hawkeye fans were hoping to see. Teams were ranked first through 18th with a total points system used to rank teams: a first-place prediction equaled one point and last was 18. The team with the fewest points was ranked first. Unfortunately for Iowa, it doesn't seem like the voters are as high on the Hawkeyes as some fans are. Let's take a closer look at Iowa's place on the list compared to the rest of the conference. Where does Iowa rank in USA TODAY's Big Ten preseason poll? Iowa was picked to finish 10th in USA TODAY's preseason Big Ten poll with 86 total points. They were just behind a tie for eighth place and comfortably ahead of 11th. Nebraska and Washington tied for eighth place with 85 points, putting the Hawkeyes one point away from being higher on this poll. Minnesota finished 11th in the poll, with 112 points. Penn State is at the top of the poll and received the most votes to win the conference. Here's a look at the entire preseason poll and the points for each team. Iowa will look to outperform its preseason projection from USA TODAY in 2025. To do so, they'll need a great year from quarterback Mark Gronowski, the offensive skill position players to step up and some new contributors to rise on defense. With a veteran coach in Kirk Ferentz and a pair of exciting coordinators, I wouldn't put it past the Hawkeyes to finish better than 10th in the Big Ten this season. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Iowa Football: 2025 Hawkeyes Season Preview and Prediction
Iowa Football: 2025 Hawkeyes Season Preview and Prediction originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Iowa seems to be a lock to win at least eight or nine games every season under coach Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes have won at least eight games in nine of the past 10 seasons, the lone exception being the 2020-shortened COVID season when they finished 6-2. If the rebuilt defense plays up to Iowa's high standard, and if transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski lives up to the hype at quarterback, eight or nine wins could be a reasonable expectation. [Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 College Football Preview print magazine. Order your copy today online, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.] More Big Ten team previews:Illinois | Indiana | Maryland | Michigan | Michigan StateMinnesota | Nebraska | Northwestern | Ohio State | Oregon | Penn StatePurdue | Rutgers | UCLA | USC | Washington | Wisconsin Previewing Iowa's Offense for 2025 With the Cade McNamara experiment at quarterback now over, Iowa has moved on to former FCS star Mark Gronowski, who led South Dakota State to two FCS national titles and was a four-year starter for the Jackrabbits. He had shoulder surgery this past winter that caused him to miss spring practice, but he is expected to be ready for the start of preseason practice. Gronowski is a threat as both a runner and passer, compiling 12,075 total yards for South Dakota State. Kaleb Johnson leaves a huge void to fill at running back after leading the Big Ten in rushing in 2024. But Iowa has a promising 1-2 punch in Florida natives Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson to help fill it. Neither has the size of Johnson, but they both might have a little more wiggle in their running style. They will also run behind an offensive line that returns three starters, including All-Big Ten center Logan Jones. Iowa needs more productivity from its receivers and will rely on Jacob Gill to build on the season he had a year ago. Gill transferred from Northwestern and led Iowa with 411 receiving yards last season. Related: Previewing Iowa's Defense for 2025 Considered by many the best in the business, defensive coordinator Phil Parker will get to prove it as Iowa replaces several key starters. The defensive line should be rock solid, with three of the top four defensive ends from last season all returning, along with senior tackle Aaron Graves. Senior Xavier Nwankpa, a former 5-star recruit, also returns at strong safety, where he has started multiple games. How quickly the linebackers develop will be crucial to Iowa's success. Senior Karson Sharar leads the returning linebackers with just 21 career tackles, most of them coming on special teams. Previewing Iowa's Specialists for 2025 A strong case could be made that Iowa has the best kicker-punter-return specialist trio in the country in kicker Drew Stevens, punter Rhys Dakin and returner Kaden Wetjen. Stevens made 20-of-23 field-goal attempts last season, while Dakin averaged 44.1 yards as a freshman punter. Wetjen averaged 28.0 yards on 26 kickoff returns and 12.6 yards on 26 punt returns. National Ranking: 27 More Big Ten team previews:Illinois | Indiana | Maryland | Michigan | Michigan StateMinnesota | Nebraska | Northwestern | Ohio State | Oregon | Penn StatePurdue | Rutgers | UCLA | USC | Washington | WisconsinThis story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa football hovering near top tier in Big Ten Preseason Media Poll
The Big Ten Preseason Media Poll is live, and the Iowa Hawkeyes are in a rather friendly spot for their projected finishing order in 2025. Iowa sits just outside the top tier of teams in the Big Ten within striking distance of blossoming into a nice surprise this season. Entering 2025, the media have projected the Iowa Hawkeyes to finish No. 7 in the Big Ten. The spot comes just after the usual suspects as the teams before them consist of Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana, in order. With at least three of those teams likely destined for the College Football Playoff, if previous history tells us anything, the Hawkeyes are in that next group of teams vying to steal a bid. "Kirk Ferentz has been the model of consistency in the Big Ten throughout his time with Iowa. But right now, they're projected to finish just above the middle of the pack. Can it be better? Sure. Mark Gronowski comes in at QB this season after his transfer, so perhaps Iowa's weakness, the passing game, can finally be improved," Nick Kosko of On3 said. Iowa sits one spot in front of their rival, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The rest of the preseason poll, in order, is rounded out by USC, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Rutgers, UCLA, Maryland, Northwestern, and Purdue. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Iowa Hawkeyes New QB Drawing Massive Attention Before 2025 Season
Iowa Hawkeyes New QB Drawing Massive Attention Before 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Iowa Hawkeyes made a big move this offseason to address their need at the quarterback position. While they received a transfer commitment from former Auburn signal caller Hank Brown, the big get for the upcoming season was a transfer commitment from Mark Gronowski. Advertisement Gronowski, who has been the starting quarterback for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits over the last four years, decided to take his talents to Iowa to play for head coach Kirk Ferentz. While he had not received much national media attention before this season, he has drawn a lot of eyes since joining the Hawkeyes. Ahead of the upcoming campaign, Gronowski is starting to be talked about as a potential prospect to watch in the 2026 NFL draft. Iowa Hawkeyes new quarterback Mark Gronowski.© Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK Jordan Reid, a draft analyst for ESPN, has noted Gronowski's name as one of the top quarterbacks to watch for the 2026 draft class. "Gronowski had a historic career at South Dakota State, leading the Jackrabbits to two national championships and tying for the most-ever wins (49) for an FCS starting quarterback," Reid wrote. "He flirted with entering the 2025 NFL draft and even got an invite to the combine but decided to go to Iowa, whose offense showed improvement in 2024. The 6-3, 230-pounder is a densely built passer who can also make plays with his legs." Advertisement Throughout his four-year career at South Dakota State, Gronowski has thrown for 7,865 yards, 66 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Not only is Gronowski a threat through the air, he can also make plays with his legs. He has run for 1,091 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground. Iowa seems to have landed a quarterback that will take its passing game to the next level. It will be interesting to see if he lives up to the hype. Related: Ranking the Big Ten's College Football Coaches for 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
15-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the most likely 'College GameDay' opportunities for Oregon Football in 2025
Ranking the most likely 'College GameDay' opportunities for Oregon Football in 2025 Coming off of a historic season in which they won the Big Ten Championship and entered the College Football Playoffs as the No. 1 team in the nation, the Oregon Ducks bring some high expectations into the 2025 season. Dan Lanning's squad is going to have a lot of opportunities to prove themselves throughout the year, too, with some high-profile games that put them up against some of the best teams in the conference. Over the years, we've seen these high-profile games get the ESPN 'College GameDay' treatment, hosting the flagship show a dozen times over the last few decades. The Ducks are also typically a prominent team to be featured on 'GameDay' when on the road, being featured 19 times outside of Eugene. So, looking at the 2025 schedule, it's fair to think that the Ducks will be one of the 'GameDay' teams at least once, if not a couple of times throughout the year, whether that's in Eugene or on the road. But which weeks should we expect them to get the 'GameDay' treatment? Here are our rankings of the most likely opportunities. No. 5 — Week 11 at Iowa Hawkeyes Date: Saturday, November 8 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Oregon 24, Iowa 16 Analysis: Iowa could be a pretty interesting team this year, assuming that South Dakota State transfer QB Mark Gronowski proves to be the answer for their offense. We know that Kirk Ferentz is capable of coaching at a high level, but the Hawkeyes' lack of offensive firepower has always been the issue. With this game coming late in the season, there's a chance that both teams are in the running for a spot in the Big Ten Conference Championship Game, with a College Football Playoff spot on the line as well. It will also be the first meeting between the two teams since 1994. No. 4 — Week 14 at Washington Huskies Date: Saturday, November 29 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Oregon 38, Washington 20 Analysis: This rivalry game is always intriguing, and after a down year for Washington in 2024, they could be back in the mix this season with Demond Williams under center and Jedd Fisch in his second year with the program. This game is lower on the list because I'm not sure how likely it is that the Huskies will be in the CFP or Big Ten Title hunt by the final week of the regular season, but if there are big stakes on the line here, I wouldn't at all be shocked to see the 'GameDay' crew head up the Seattle. No. 3 — Week 7 vs. Indiana Hoosiers Date: Saturday, October 11 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Oregon 33, Indiana 24 Analysis: These are two of the most exciting teams in the conference, especially after Indiana's resurgence under Curt Cignetti last season. Assuming that the Hoosiers can keep things going this year with Fernando Mendoza under center, this game could get some major hype in the middle of the year. However, it feels like it could be a bit too early in the year to get the hype needed to get ESPN to town. No. 2 — Week 13 vs. USC Trojans Date: Saturday, November 22 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Oregon 35, USC 24 Analysis: Despite being regional rivals on the West Coast, USC and Oregon don't tend to play each other as much as you might expect. Since 2015, the two teams have only played five times, with the Ducks winning four of those games. Still, there is some contention between the two teams and the fanbases, which creates quite a fun rivalry whenever they do meet. If the Trojans can finally get things going under Lincoln Riley this year and contend in the conference, this late-season game could be pretty intriguing, and it wouldn't be a shock to see ESPN highlight two of the top brands on the West Coast. No. 1 — Week 5 at Penn State Nittany Lions Date: Saturday, September 27 Ducks Wire Score Prediction: Penn State 31, Oregon 27 Analysis: There's no doubt that Oregon vs. Penn State — a rematch of the Big Ten Championship last year — is the most likely game on this list to get the 'GameDay' treatment. At the moment, both are ranked in the top 10 nationally for the preseason, with some outlets putting both teams in the top five. This game comes early in the season, with both teams likely being undefeated going into it. There will be Big Ten title ramifications, as well as College Football Playoff ramifications as well. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Ducks vs. Nittany Lions doesn't get ESPN to Happy Valley. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
