How Iowa Matches Up Against PFF's Highest Graded Team

On paper, it's hard to believe the Iowa Hawkeyes are only 7.5-point underdogs against No. 11 Indiana. The Hoosiers head to Kinnick Stadium after blowing out No. 9 Illinois, a team that dropped to No. 23 in the AP Top 25. Indiana's 63-10 win increased them eight spots in the rankings, the largest movement of any team from Week 4 to Week 5.

4-0 Indiana earned a 99.5 PFF ranking, the highest of any team in the nation. Their grade is not surprising as they just blew past a Top 10 team after defeating lesser opponents with ease in the weeks prior. Many have dismissed the Hoosiers for playing the likes of Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State, but Illinois was the first of three Top 10 teams they'll be playing this season.

Iowa is far from a Top 10 team, but they make a compelling case to pull off the upset. Indiana may enter Kinnick Stadium thinking they're untouchable, and that's when things start to go south. Heisman frontrunner, Fernando Mendoza, hasn't made a mistake yet this season. Head coach Kirk Ferentz is fully prepared for what the Hoosiers bring to the table, and he even compared them to Ohio State.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz waves to the crowd after becoming the winningest coach in Big Ten history, passing Woody Hayes, with a win over the Massachusetts Minutemen Sept. 13, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

All it takes is one mistake for Indiana to be on the ropes. Iowa's only loss was by three-points to the No. 16 ranked team, Iowa State. Tensions are always high in that rivalry, but they won't have that element to deal with against Indiana. Sure, the Hawkeyes may be 0-10 against the last ten ranked opponents they've faced, but every streak must come to an end.

Highest Graded Team in College Football?

The Indiana Hoosiers🚬 pic.twitter.com/pGZ6BW10bz
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 24, 2025

The Hawkeyes are dealing with a few injuries that are going to hold them back. Their running back room is going to be questioned without Jaziun Patterson, and Xavier Williams. Thankfully for Iowa, lead back Kamari Moulton returned to a full-participant in last week's game against Rutgers.

Quarterback Mark Gronowski is beginning to feel himself. He's tied for the third in the conference in rushing touchdowns, making him one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks not just in the conference, but in the entire country. He still has a long way to go in the air, but time and time again his receivers have failed to buy him out. It's only a matter of time before everything clicks and this team puts it all together. If there was ever a time to do so, it's when the lights are shining the brightest against the No. 11 team in the nation.

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