Kirk Ferentz’s approval-rating higher than Joni Ernst’s

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst won her last contest, while Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz will take a 3-game losing streak into the Hawkeyes' 2015 season-opener.

Nonetheless, Ferentz's approval-rating is a little higher than Ernst's, according to this Public Policy Polling survey. Public Policy Polling is a U.S. polling firm based in North Carolina.

According to results of a poll the organization conducted in Iowa, 40 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of Ernst, while 41 percent do not. 'Not sure” got 19 percent.

Of those who identified themselves as Hawkeye fans (43 percent compared to 23 percent for Iowa State, 9 percent for Northern Iowa and 3 percent for Drake), 46 percent approved of Ferentz's job-performance compared to 30 percent who did not. 'Not sure” got 24 percent.

A year ago, Ferentz's numbers were 60 percent yay to 13 percent nay.

Meanwhile, 53 percent of Iowans approve of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's job-performance to 32 percent who don't. Gov. Terry Branstad had a 44/44 split.

Fifty percent of Iowans support gay marriage while 41 percent do not.

Iowa men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery is at 65/10, Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads is 48/12 with Cyclone fans, and 74 percent of Iowa Staters give a thumb's up to men's basketball coach Fred Hoiberg, while just 2 percent disapprove of his work.

That means Hoiberg is more popular among Cyclone fans than corn. Of all Iowans polled, 74 percent had a favorable opinion of corn, 9 percent did not.