It’s the Big Ten. It’s big-time college football. It’s the Iowa Hawkeyes. There are absolutely no silver linings or wins to be found in losses.
That said, there is some sort of solace to take in how the Iowa Hawkeyes played against the Oregon Ducks. Things didn’t break the right way, and that’s part of sports. You tip your cap to Oregon, which made the perfect plays against perfect defense to win. That’s what great teams do. Sometimes you just get beat.
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It’s also possible to view a loss through a realistic lens and recognize that the Iowa Hawkeyes played one heck of a football game. They took Oregon, a true College Football Playoff contender, to the brink. The showing wasn’t a bad one for the Hawkeyes, and the USA TODAY Sports Re-Rank proves that.
In this week’s rankings, the Hawkeyes have earned a one-spot climb from last week after how they played the Ducks. Iowa has moved up to No. 21 in the rankings. The Oregon Ducks’ spot at No. 6 remains unchanged after the win.
Iowa has to respond quickly, though, as its next opponent will not wait around for the Hawkeyes to pick up the pieces. The USC Trojans, who Iowa gets this Saturday, come in at No. 18 in the USA TODAY Sports Re-Rank.
Iowa takes on USC from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this Saturday, November 15, at 2:30 p.m. CT with the game airing on the Big Ten Network.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa Football: USA TODAY Re-Rank recognizes Hawkeyes’ talent
