Iowa Football: The Enigma That Is the Hawkeyes  Use your ← →
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That Is the Hawkeyes Christian Petersen/Getty Images  Pundits
don't know what to make of them.   Do they ever? They're an
enigma wrapped in a mystery tied off with confusion.  Back in
June, Pete Fiutak's crew previewed Iowa saying, "The team will
be more than fine."  In July, Bill Connelly also previewed the
Hawks, indicating—with almost scientific detail—how they'll take
steps back.  The USA Today preseason coaches poll has Iowa
sitting outside the Top 25, but only barely.  Blue Ribbon
College Football Yearbook (via says a lot about Iowa, but stops
short of making any kind of predictive analysis.  So, some say
they will be good, others say they won't and still others prefer
to take the safe route and throw up a decisive "maybe."   Can
you blame them?  Even Kirk Herbstreit acknowledged a couple
years ago that every time he starts to get excited about Iowa
(in the preseason), they blow it.