Iowa Hawkeyes tied with Notre Dame for largest jump nationally in CBS Sports 131 rankings
Generally speaking, it’s a good thing to keep company with Notre Dame on the gridiron.
That’s certainly the case after the Irish pulled off one of college football’s biggest surprises last week, stunning then-No. 5 Clemson with a 35-14 rout that saw the Irish build a pair of four-touchdown leads at different stages.
What do Iowa and Notre Dame have in common? The duo represent the largest risers in this week’s CBS Sports 131 rankings.
Notre Dame leapfrogged into CBS Sports’ top 25 at No. 22, while the Hawkeyes equaled the Irish’s 12-spot jump with one of their own to No. 51.
All Iowa needs is potentially hazardous wind conditions and the offense will take off, apparently. The Hawkeyes traveled to Purdue as underdogs but grabbed the upper hand early and cruised to an important win for their postseason hopes. Now 5-4, the Hawkeyes just need one win against the trio of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska to be bowl eligible. – Chip Patterson, CBS Sports.
Hey, maybe there’s something to the hazardous wind comment and the Hawkeyes’ offense getting on track. In all seriousness, Iowa starting quarterback Spencer Petras had another one of his best performances of the season and there was plenty to like about last Saturday.
After Iowa handed Purdue a well-rounded whooping, the Boilermakers were actually in CBS Sports’ biggest movers section, too. Obviously, it was in the minus-14 direction for Purdue. Syracuse and Maryland both dropped 12 spots, Arkansas plummeted 14 places and Oklahoma State fell 16 down to No. 35.
The top 10 according to CBS Sports’ 131 rankings look like this: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 TCU, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 6 Oregon, No. 7 USC, No. 8 LSU, No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 Alabama.
Other Big Ten teams that crack the top 25 include No. 14 Penn State and No. 21 Illinois.
The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 54 in the USA TODAY Sports 1-131 NCAA football re-rank this week, jumping 13 spots in that ranking. The only teams with larger climbs were Pittsburgh, Ohio, Ball State, and UConn.
Iowa could make another sizable jump after this week if the Hawkeyes take care of Wisconsin to reclaim the Heartland Trophy. The Badgers are ranked No. 47 in the CBS Sports 131 rankings and No. 51 in the USA TODAY Sports 1-131 NCAA football re-rank.
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