In No World Should Iowa Be Ranked Below Michigan

The Iowa Hawkeyes were thrilled to see the No. 9 attached to their name in the latest AP Top 25, but something else was off.

For whatever reason, Michigan only fell two spots, from No. 6 to No. 8. Yes, this is the same Michigan team that just lost to Iowa, 62-44.

Iowa received 522 votes as they were one of two teams to jump four spots in the rankings. Just ahead of them are the Wolverines, who received 531 votes.

It just doesn't feel right that Michigan is ahead of Iowa, knowing these teams just competed head-to-head. At the end of the day, Iowa knows they're the better team and that's all that matters.

No Reason For Michigan to be Ranked Ahead of Iowa

Iowa C Ava Heide — Iowa center Ava Heiden (5) shoots against Michigan forward Ashley Sofilkanich (15) Feb. 22, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At this point in the season, it's not a massive deal, but there could be a world where Michigan is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Tournament and Iowa is ranked No. 3.

Iowa has just two games remaining, as they currently are 13-3 in conference play. A win over either Illinois or Wisconsin would guarantee them a Top 4 seed, which means they've earned the incredibly important double-bye.

Second-year head coach Jan Jensen shouldn't have any issues guiding her team to victories in either of those games, but the last thing Iowa wants to do is get too cocky or overconfident heading into the tournament.

Iowa has now won four straight, while Michigan is 2-2 in their last four. Keep in mind, the Wolverines only lost to No. 2 UCLA, a team that beat Iowa by 23, and they also beat a Michigan State team that was ranked No. 13. Those two reasons could be why Michigan is ahead of Iowa, but the head-to-head meeting should always be the most important.

Iowa Will Likely Have a Chance to Prove Themselves Again

Iowa G Kylie Feuerbac — Iowa guard Kylie Feuerbach (4) shoots a last second 3-pointer to end the 3rd Quarter as Michigan guard Mila Holloway (3) and Michigan guard Syla Swords (12) defend Feb. 22, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As long as Iowa and Michigan stay in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the conference, there's a very real possibility these teams meet again in the B1G Semifinals. Either way, the winner knows they'll likely have to go through UCLA to win it all, but this rematch could mean everything.

Iowa may not have been able to beat the top dog in the conference, but beating what many believed to be the second-best team this late in the season is a huge resume booster. The Hawkeyes schedule the rest of the way is far easier than the Wolverines' as Iowa takes on a pair of unranked opponents, while Michigan draws No. 13 Ohio State and No. 14 Maryland.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!