Iowa Hawkeyes climb in CBS Sports college football power rankings

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It seems every few years, the Iowa Hawkeyes linger around, and out of nowhere, they are somehow in the midst of the Big Ten conversation with an opportunity to make things interesting for the entire conference.

That is the case that the Iowa Hawkeyes are presented with right now. Iowa hosts Oregon, a bona fide College Football Playoff contender, in a game that could send seismic shakeups across the entire landscape of the sport.

There also seems to be a growing belief around Iowa being able to make some noise and not just hang around. In this week's CBS Sports Power Rankings, Iowa has climbed inside the top 20 and sits at No. 18.

18. Iowa

You can count on Iowa throwing a wrench into the Big Ten machine from time to time. Might that arrive over the next two weeks against a pair of playoff contenders? The Hawkeyes host Oregon and travel to USC with an opportunity to leap into the human polls' top 25 with a split or sweep. The Hawkeyes have done enough already to be in our top 20. – Brandon Marcello, ESPN

This is the time Iowa has to perform. If Iowa wants to turn the corner and force its way into playoff contention, or an outside shot at going to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship, it starts with two of the biggest back-to-back games the Hawkeyes have found themselves in in years.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa climbs in CBS Sports college football power rankings

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