The 2024 college football season is officially less than a month away. With actual games just a few weeks away, the preseason polls are starting to be released as well. First up: the US LBM Coaches Poll, conducted by the American Football Coaches Association. Iowa checks in at #25 in the preseason coaches poll.
Georgia, winners of two of the last three college football national championships, leads the way as the preseason #1 pick, with 46 of 55 total first-place votes. Ohio State (7), Texas (1), and Michigan (1) received the remaining first-place votes. The Buckeyes slot in at #2 in the preseason Top 25, the first of four Big Ten teams in the Top 10, along with Oregon (#3), Michigan (#8), and Penn State (#9).
The Big Ten has six teams in the preseason Top 25, with the four Top 10 outfits joined by USC at #23 and Iowa at #25. The SEC leads the way with nine teams in the Top 25, including four of the top six. The Big 12 has five teams in the Top 25, though none higher than Utah at #13. The ACC has four teams in the Top 25, led by Florida State at #10. Independent Notre Dame rounds out the 25 teams in the poll at #7.
While Iowa is one of six Big Ten teams in the Top 25, it's notable that they will only play one of those other five ranked Big Ten squads in the regular season -- #2 Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday, October 5. In fact, no other team in the Top 25 is currently scheduled to play fewer games against ranked opponents than the Hawkeyes, as noted by The Gazette's Mike Hlas.
That fact is only going to further the perception that Iowa has a very easy schedule in 2024. The reality will be determined on fall Saturdays starting less than a month from now and there are always teams that are surprisingly better or worse than their preseason slotting. But on paper Iowa certainly appears to have a very manageable schedule to rack up wins -- and perhaps even contend for a slot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
