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After dropping out of the AP Top 25 this past week, your Iowa Hawkeyes have returned to the poll at #20. This is the 10th week this season that Iowa has been ranked in the AP Poll.
POLL ALERT: Tennessee still No. 1 and top 4 in AP Top 25 unchanged; losses by Michigan, Michigan State cause shake-up. See the full poll: https://t.co/CGaPcyULnN pic.twitter.com/iVGZJzWyab
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) February 4, 2019
Iowa only played one game this past week, and while you don’t need to be reminded, it was a big one - they destroyed the Michigan Wolverines in front of what was one of the most raucous crowds Carver-Hawkeye Arena has seen in some time. While Iowa was sitting just on the periphery of the Top 25, a convincing victory against the #5 team in the country was just what they needed to firmly establish themselves back in the ranking.
Here’s what The Athletic’s Seth Davis has to say about Iowa’s win in his weekly thoughts and rankings ($$$):
Elsewhere, Iowa is finally back on my ballot after that win at home over Michigan. I’ve been waiting for the Hawkeyes to notch a signature win, but I’m more impressed that we are this late in the season and they only have five losses – none of ’em bad.
This week’s poll is chock-full of Big Ten teams. Michigan and Michigan State dropped to #7 and #9, respectively, Purdue and Wisconsin climbed to #15 and #19, and Maryland is just barely clinging on at #24. Also of note, Iowa State moved up from #20 to #17.
The Hawkeyes return to action twice this week, hitting the road to face the Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday before returning home to host the Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday. Indiana comes into the week having ended a seven-game losing streak with a big win against Michigan State in Breslin Center, while Northwestern has lost two in a row to Top 25 teams.