College Football Rankings 2019: Projected Top 25, Week 5 – Wisconsin rising

Iowa is one of three AP Top 25 teams that were idle in Week 4, and the Hawkeyes will remain somewhere in the high teens after an eventful weekend around the rest of the country. The Hawkeyes quietly played their way to 3-0 last weekend with a big rivalry win over Iowa State in Ames, ensuring their spot in the polls for the next few weeks.

While the offense has been conservative, ranking 74th nationally in passing offense and 65th in rushing offense, the defense has more than made up for the lack of production on the scoreboard. Iowa is holding opponents to 263 yards and 10.3 points per game. With six takeaways and only one giveaway, the Hawkeyes rank seventh in the FBS in turnover margin.

After their bye, Iowa returns to the field next Saturday with home date against Middle Tennessee. With one Big Ten win under their belt after an early victory over Rutgers, the conference slate begins in earnest with an October 5 trip to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan. They should be in good position to climb up the ranks after the break.