Joel Klatt Questions Iowa’s Lack of Respect in AP Poll Rankings

Austin, Texas – In a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt examined the disparity in rankings between the No. 20 Texas Longhorns and the unranked Iowa Hawkeyes, both of whom hold identical 6-2 records this season. Klatt’s analysis raises questions about how preseason expectations influence current rankings.

Klatt highlighted Iowa’s notable performances this season, including two narrow losses to tough opponents. The Hawkeyes fell 16-13 in a rivalry game against Iowa State due to a last-second field goal and lost 20-15 to current No. 2 Indiana, despite being tied late in the fourth quarter.

“Now, Iowa is not ranked right now, and I started thinking to myself like, ‘Why is Iowa not ranked?’ They just thumped Minnesota,” Klatt explained. “It’s a good football team. They were just tied in the fourth quarter with Indiana, who we think is the No. 2 team in the country.”

In contrast, Klatt criticized Texas for relying on a reputation established before the season began. He noted Texas has struggled in critical moments against weaker opponents, citing close wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State. Their losses, Klatt pointed out, came against Ohio State and Florida and weren’t close games.

“Their losses are Ohio State and Florida, and candidly, not particularly close,” Klatt said. “The Ohio State one looks like a one-possession game, but it’s really a two-possession game.”

Klatt emphasized that the difference in rankings may not stem from actual performances but rather from a bias created by preseason rankings. “Why is one team ranked and one team not ranked?” he asked rhetorically during the show. “I think it has to do with where you start and where you’re at now.”

Iowa’s impressive defensive performance this season has also been noteworthy, allowing just 234.9 yards per game. Klatt concluded that Iowa’s body of work, including quality losses and decisive wins, should warrant more respect from AP poll voters.

As Iowa enjoys a bye week, Texas will face a tough challenge against No. 9 Vanderbilt this weekend, while the Hawkeyes are set for a significant matchup against No. 6 Oregon on November 8.