Under 13 Saturday’s await the college football season and the boo birds are already out for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Particularly, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz.
Despite over two decades of success and numerous bowl game appearances, one national analyst isn’t buying Ferentz’s greatness any longer.
And that’s ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.
Finebaum went on a scathing rant about unpopular college football coaches; unfortunately for Ferentz, he was a primary target.
“I think sometimes coaches live off of their resume and not really anything they've done (lately)," Finebaum said. "I think Kirk Ferentz is one of the most overrated coaches in the country."
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Ferentz has yet to respond to Finebaum’s remarks, but the Hawkeyes now have a chip on their shoulder.
The Hawkeyes open their season with three of their first five games at home, sandwiched between a rivalry game in Ames against Iowa State in Week 2.
Iowa did enough to qualify for a bowl game in a challenging Big Ten last season, but fell short against Missouri in Nashville to finish 8-5.
The Sporting News' Bill Bender still considers Ferentz one of the sport's best coaches, leaning slightly opposite of Finebaum with his No. 19 ranking for the 27-year veteran.
"With Mack Brown's exit from North Carolina, Ferentz is now the active FBS leader in career victories," Bender wrote. "The Hawkeyes have enjoyed 12 straight winning seasons, and the Hawkeyes have ranked no lower than 13th in scoring defense since 2018. "
The Hawkeyes get tough draws this fall, which include a three-game stretch against Indiana (Sept. 27), at Wisconsin (Oct. 11), and Penn State (Oct. 18) to potentially decide their bowl fate.
As per tradition, a Black Friday showdown against Nebraska ends the season (noon ET, CBS).