Two teams with identical 6-2 records are getting vastly different treatment in college football rankings. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes preseason expectations created a bias that still influences how voters view these teams today. Texas entered the 2025 season ranked number one in the country. The Iowa Hawkeyes started at 44th. Now, despite identical records, the Longhorns sit at number 20 while the Hawkeyes remain unranked, only receiving votes.
Klatt asks a pointed question that exposes this issue.
“Why is one team ranked and one team not ranked?” Klatt said on his show. “I think it has to do with where you start and where you’re at now. Texas was the number one team in the country, and we thought that they were going to be incredible.”
He points out that Iowa “started as the 44th ranked team in the country” and notes that “here they are, they’re both six and two.”
The resumes tell a compelling story. Iowa’s losses came in heartbreaking fashion. They fell 16-13 to Iowa State on a last-second field goal in a road rivalry game. Against Indiana, currently ranked number two in the country, Iowa was “tied with them, 13-13, with like a minute 50 left in the game in Kinnick” before losing 20-15.
Iowa also delivered impressive wins. They beat Penn State 25-24 and demolished Minnesota 41-3.
“Iowa just thumped Minnesota. It’s a good football team,” Klatt said.
Texas has struggled against quality opponents. They lost 14-7 to Ohio State and 29-21 to Florida. Klatt notes these losses were “candidly, not particularly close.”
“I know the Ohio State one looks like a one possession game. That’s really a two possession game. It’s 14-0 until late, late into the fourth quarter,” Klatt said.
“Is it because of preseason ranking, or because of narrative?”@joelklatt breaks down how the resumes of No. 20 Texas and unranked Iowa stack up. pic.twitter.com/lq04zmLIyh
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) October 28, 2025
Against weaker teams, Texas barely survived. They needed overtime to beat Kentucky 16-13 and Mississippi State 45-38.
“They beat Kentucky and they beat Mississippi State, two bottom tier teams, close wins over time,” Klatt said.
Klatt’s central point cuts to the heart of the rankings problem.
“Preseason ranking 44, preseason ranking number one,” Klatt said. “So one team’s ranked number 20 in the country, one team’s unranked. Is it because of the preseason rankings or is it because of narrative?”
The evidence supports Klatt’s argument. Iowa has quality losses by narrow margins against top opponents and solid wins. Texas has wider losses against good teams and struggled against bad teams.
Yet voters still rank Texas while leaving Iowa outside the Top 25. The difference isn’t the on-field results. It’s the perception created before the season started.
Iowa now ranks second nationally in total defense, allowing just 234.9 yards per game. They play tough, competitive football. Texas has the talent and reputation but hasn’t lived up to preseason expectations.
Klatt’s analysis reveals a fundamental flaw in college football rankings. Preseason projections create narratives that persist regardless of actual performance. Texas gets credit for where they started. Iowa gets penalized for exceeding expectations from a lower starting point.
The answer to Klatt’s question seems clear. Preseason bias absolutely favors Texas over Iowa in current rankings.
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