College football is a wild game. Regardless of how any individual season turns out, there is always an opportunity to rectify or totally overshadow those on-field results with off-field momentum or lack thereof. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college football program and if nothing else, it provides fans an opportunity to claim victory and grow their excitement for seasons to come.
For Hawkeye fans, there are conflicting feelings on recruiting. Under Kirk Ferentz, this program has been built on development, largely of under-recruited 2- and 3-star athletes who had few high major offers outside of Iowa. For the Hawkeyes, when thinking about any potential impacts from recruiting rankings, a quote from the venerable Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding:
But on the other hand, it’s difficult to not get caught up in the rankings and ratings and stars when your program is doing well.