Iowa is No. 47 in the 2011 preseason football rankings

Say what?

Who has preseason football rankings in the third week of December? None other than nationalchamps.net.

Not only does the site have rankings for 2011, but they go all the way to a Top 50. And Iowa barely squeezed in, and No. 47. Other Big Ten teams:

6. Ohio State

12. Michigan State

14. Nebraska

24. Michigan

30. Penn State

42. Northwestern

You know what this means, Hawkeye fans? This site picks you to finish fifth in the Big Ten's soon-to-be-renamed Legends Division, behind Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan and Northwestern. But ahead of Minnesota. Missouri, Iowa's Insight Bowl foe, is No. 8.

Let's not take this too seriously. The site has 2011 depth charts, and has Adam Robinson as Iowa's No. 1 running back. OK, that's possible. But then it has Jewel Hampton dueling with Marcus Coker for No. 2 running back. Not so possible.

Look at it this way: Iowa was No. 9 in the AP preseason Top 25 this season and that didn't work out so well. Maybe starting out as someone's No. 47 is a harbinger of better days ahead.