I’m referring to Iowa’s football team, which today joined some select company.

The unbeaten Hawkeyes were ranked No. 9 in the coaches’ poll. Some people are of the opinion that it’s mostly sports information directors, not coaches, who actually vote in that poll. But, heck, who cares when you’re having fun like this?

But whether Iowa deserves the high ranking won’t be known for a while.

The players know it. You should know it.

Iowa, No. 13 in the new AP poll, ran its record to 4-0 Saturday night with a 21-2 victory over then-No. 16-ranked Arizona State at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

Many Hawkeye fans—mainly students—targeted the Sun Devils with the chant, "Overrated! Overrated!" in the final minutes of the game.

"It’s good to beat a ranked team like that," Iowa tailback Fred Russell said, "but you’ve got to think about the two teams they played (Northern Arizona and Utah State) before they played us.

"I mean, we probably won’t know until after the Michigan game (Oct. 4) how good we really are."

Actually, maybe the answers will start coming sooner than that.

The Hawkeyes, who were ranked No. 14 by the coaches last week, open their Big Ten schedule this week against Michigan State (3-1). The Spartans, who ran their record to 3-1 by beating Notre Dame, are a dangerous team.

A very dangerous team.

Iowa hasn’t won in East Lansing since 1995. This game won’t be easy. Count on it.

Russell, who ran for 154 yards in 27 carries, didn’t sound very convincing.

No, he really doesn’t feel sorry for the offenses that must run against the Hawkeyes’ defense.

Russell said he ran harder against Arizona State than he did earlier in the season.

"I knew they were a Pac-10 team," he explained. "I knew you couldn’t get to the outside. You had to stay between the tackles with these guys."

As the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Iowa-Arizona State game, I asked Brooks what he thought of the Hawkeyes.

"I think this Iowa team has a chance to be as good or better than last year’s team," Brooks said.

Quite a statement when you consider that the 2002 Hawkeyes finished with a school-record 11 victories and tied for the Big Ten title at 8-0.

"When you’ve got a program going where you lose a Mo Brown, an Ed Hinkel and some defensive players to injuries, then you can’t tell if you’ve lost ‘em or not, then you’ve really got something rolling," Brooks added.

Then, right alongside them, are your powerhouses at Marshall, Northern Illinois, Miami of Ohio and Toledo.

If the football coaches in the Mid-American Conference start pounding on the doors of their athletic directors tomorrow morning, demanding pay raises, don’t blame ‘em.

What a Saturday the MAC had. Kansas State is accustomed to playing a cupcake non-conference schedule, but Marshall refused cupcake status when it upset Bill Snyder’s team 27-20. Northern Illinois—Saturday’s opponent for Iowa State—upended Alabama 19-16; Miami put it to Colorado State 41-21 and Toledo blitzed Pittsburgh 35-31.

They call it parity. I call it good for college football.

Hey, when Northern Illinois wins at Alabama, everything is all right with the sport.

The Huskies (3-0), who earlier in the season jolted Maryland 20-13 in overtime, were rewarded with a No. 20 ranking in the AP poll and a No. 22 ranking by the coaches.

Indeed, it will be difficult for Iowa State to beat this team Saturday in DeKalb, Ill.

"Iowa State will be lucky to win two more games," Kunert writes. "The Northern Illinois game now appears to be a must-win."

Kunert has some other thoughts, too. And what he’s thinking will bring Iowa fans back to earth.

"Now, before everybody starts jumping on the Hawkeye bandwagon and proclaiming Ferentz the next coming of Vince Lombardi, ask yourself this: How good would Iowa be if they played in the Big XII?

"Ohio State is winning ugly, Michigan lost yesterday, Purdue and Illinois are good, not great. Granted, Kansas State lost, but the Big XII, in my view, is much tougher than the Big 10-plus-one. With that being said, Iowa will be tough to beat in their conference. But just a middle of the pack team in the Big XII."

Students wearing T-shirts saying, "KAEDING FOR HEISMAN."