Perhaps no program epitomizes unglamorous college football like the Iowa Hawkeyes. While they are synonymous with phenomenal defense and a decent running game, they also have the stigma of being unable to succeed with the forward pass. (Also, no one ever says “forward pass” unless you’re talking about a team that just can’t do it effectively. Otherwise it’s just “passing” or “passing game.”) And there Iowa fans themselves who embrace this reputation, whether it’s deserved or not. 

At gameday at Kinnick Stadium, it’s not hard to find a Hawkeyes fan ;literally wearing a shirt that says “Live. Laugh. Punt.” You know what they say: “if you can’t laugh at yourself…”

Unflashy football requires having your best players at the least glitzy positions, and this is indeed the case, with the Hawkeyes offensive line. You can also argue that interior offensive is even less glamourous than the tackle positions, and you would easily have a case. This is also true in Iowa City, where Logan Jones, who plays center, is their top NFL Draft prospect. 

NFL Draft Buzz ranks him fourth among centers, 26th among OL and 138th overall. He projects as a late fifth, early sixth round selection. Lining up right next to him, at right guard, is Kade Pieper, who has a draft stock valuation that is not far behind Jones. Right now, he’s looking like a top 200 overall prospect, who could go in the sixth round. 

After that, you have some Hawkeyes with round seven/high priority UDFA grades like safety Xavier Nwankpa and defensive lineman Aaron Graves. 

It’s not a team with a lot of highly rated individual talent, yet here they are at the bye week 6-2 and very much still in the hunt for what would likely be the Big Ten’s fourth and final College Football Playoff spot. If they can upset #6 Oregon next week they will certainly be in a great position to make the CFP. 

Maybe they’re “winning ugly,” but you can’t argue with results. It’s ironic because the other revenue producing sport at the University of Iowa, men’s basketball, has a polar opposite identity. They have been known to light up the scoreboard. 

First year coach Ben McCollum brought an exciting, fun-to-watch, up-tempo style with him to Carver-Hawkeye Arena from Drake.

“He recruits the right guys,” said Iowa point guard Bennett Stirtz, in an exclusive with RG.org. “And I think it’s as simple as that.”

Stirtz, who followed McCollum to Iowa from Drake, is right- it’s about recruiting to a program identity. You can find guys that fit, and it fosters success. Both Iowa revenue sports embrace this concept, as Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz has constructed a team that has a real Gestalt; much more than the sum of its parts. 

The Baltimore Ravens Tyler Linderbaum is one of the best young centers in the NFL. His success in the league, after growing and developing at Iowa, can only help Jones’ draft stock. The same could be said with San Francisco 49ers starting guard Connor Colby, regarding Pieper’s stock. 

Recruiting and developing top tier offensive linemen is something they take pride in at Iowa, and there is nothing wrong with that.Â