At 7-0 for the first time since 2009 and for just the second time in the lengthy Kirk Ferentz Era, the Hawkeyes continued their rise up the rankings.
Iowa jumped up to No. 12 in the latest AP poll, which was released Sunday. Ohio State stayed atop the rankings as the country's No. 1 team. Michigan State remained at No. 7 following Saturday's incredible win over Michigan, which dropped to No. 15 — in a tie with Texas A&M — on Sunday.
Iowa stayed perfect thanks to a 40-10 blowout of former No. 20 Northwestern on Saturday in Evanston. No. 3 running back Akrum Wadley subbed in for the injured Jordan Canzeri and rushed 26 times for 204 yards and four touchdowns, matching a school record. And the outlook is good for the Hawkeyes, who don't have too many steep challenges left on their conference schedule after dealing with Wisconsin and Northwestern on the road. Maryland, Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue and Nebraska make up the remaining Big Ten slate for Iowa.
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Ohio State always won in a blowout Saturday, defeating Penn State, 38-10. J.T. Barrett and Ezekiel Elliott combined for 255 rush yards against the normally stingy Nittany Lions defense. The Buckeyes have now won 20 games in a row.
Michigan State would've likely been bumped from the top 10 if not for a wild finish to Saturday's game, where down two with 10 seconds left, the Spartans picked up a fumbled snap on a punt and returned it 38 yards for a game-winning touchdown with no time left on the clock. The improbable 27-23 victory allowed Michigan State to keep its No. 7 ranking.
Michigan, meanwhile, was on the losing end of that crazy ending. Still smarting from the loss, the Wolverines dropped three spots in the AP poll.
Northwestern tumbled out of the top 25 with its second straight blowout loss.
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Wisconsin and Northwestern also received votes in this week's poll.