Iowa football moves up to No. 21 in AP Poll after shutout win over Illinois State

IOWA CITY — Iowa football is on the rise in the polls.

The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 21 in the latest AP Poll, which was released Tuesday afternoon. It is a four-spot improvement after being No. 25 in the preseason AP Poll.

The only teams to have a higher jump in this week’s poll were USC (from 23 to 13) and Miami (Fla.) (from 19 to 12).

The improved positioning in the AP Poll follows the Hawkeyes’ best offensive performance from a yardage standpoint in five seasons in a 40-0 shutout win over Illinois State.

Other Big Ten teams ranked include No. 2 Ohio State, No. 7 Oregon, No. 8 Penn State, No. 10 Michigan and No. 13 USC. Another three received votes — Nebraska, Washington, Wisconsin.

The coaches poll, also released Tuesday, also had Iowa at No. 21 — four spots above where it had Iowa slotted in the preseason.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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