The Heartland Line
Iowa climbs to No. 16 in AP poll after rout at Washington
Iowa moved up to No. 16 in the AP Top 25 and No. 17 in the coaches poll after a 41-24 win at Washington, led by Kamari Moulton's 208 rushing yards.
Iowa has climbed to No. 16 in the AP Top 25 after a 41-24 win at Washington on Friday night. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 and now rank fifth among Big Ten teams in the poll.
Hawkeyes Wire reported a two-spot rise to No. 16 and pointed to a ground game that took over in Seattle. Running back Kamari Moulton ran for a career-high 208 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. One of those scores was a 56-yard run at the end of the first quarter. Quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski made his first college start and was efficient, going 14 of 19 for 202 yards and three touchdowns. According to the outlet, it was Iowa's first win at Washington since 1963 and its first regular-season win in the Pacific time zone since 1965.
The Sporting News published both polls in its Week 6 rankings roundup. Iowa's 729 points put it 16th in the AP poll, just behind USC and just ahead of Kentucky. The coaches poll has the Hawkeyes one spot lower, at No. 17 with 621 points. Hawkeyes Wire labeled the No. 16 ranking as the coaches poll, but the No. 16 spot and 729 points match the AP poll as The Sporting News printed it.
In the AP poll, Indiana is the highest-ranked Big Ten team at No. 4 and Ohio State is No. 5. UCLA sits at No. 12 and USC at No. 15. Northwestern, Nebraska and Wisconsin are all receiving votes. Iowa's place in that group matters because the conference race is taking shape fast. A road win by 17 points with a first-time starter at quarterback is the kind of result voters reward.
The weekend also reshuffled the top of the league. UCLA beat Oregon and jumped 10 spots to No. 12 in the AP poll. It is the Ducks' second loss, and they fell from No. 13 to No. 25. In the coaches poll, Oregon dropped out of the Top 25 entirely and is receiving votes. The Sporting News wrote that the Ducks are now on the brink of elimination from the College Football Playoff, while first-year coach Bob Chesney has the Bruins looking like a real contender.
Oregon tries to recover at home against Nebraska this week. The Ducks are favored at -251 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, with a 6.5-point spread and a total of 52.5. The best sportsbook price on Oregon is -230 at theScore Bet. Odds for the game are on the Nebraska at Oregon page.
Washington is 3-3 after the loss to Iowa and goes on the road to Purdue. The Boilermakers are favored at -163 on Novig, with a 3.5-point spread and a total of 52.5. Hard Rock Bet has the best sportsbook price on Purdue at -145. That game's odds are on the Washington at Purdue page.
For Iowa, the poll jump is a reward for its most complete performance of the season. It also raises a question the Hawkeyes will have to answer quickly: whether Hecklinski can build on a debut this efficient while Moulton carries the offense.
