The Iowa Hawkeyes are currently ranked 15th in the initial BCS standings and are one of only three teams in the Big Ten that have not dropped a conference game. After back to back double-digit wins versus Big Ten opponents, the Hawkeyes are getting some love from college football media outlets.
The respected ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said on Sunday that the Hawkeyes are the 6th best team in college football and he projected them to win the conference. In ESPN.com's bowl projections, both Mark Schlabach and Andrea Adelson have the Hawkeyes making a BCS bowl game. Schlabach has Iowa playing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and Adelson has Iowa playing Oregon in the Rose Bowl. CBS Sports is projecting that the 5-1 Hawkeyes will play Boise State in the Rose Bowl and said that they are the "favorite to win the Big Ten."
The confidence that the media has placed in Iowa this season may be refreshing for Iowa fans. Last season, when the Hawkeyes started off the year 9-0, most of the media dismissed the Hawkeyes as a team that was lucky and living on the edge, despite the fact that they were just winning games.
Many Hawk fans think that Iowa thrives in the underdog position. Many think that they love when nobody believes in them. Considering last year's impressive season that culminated in an Orange Bowl win, that could possibly be true. The roles have reversed this season as the media is behind the Hawks. My bet is that they rise to the occasion and keep winning.
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