The OP question asked "will," not "did." Iowa finished 7th five years ago (2009), hasn't wound up in the Top 25 since then. The two coordinators who were instrumental in helping Kirk Ferentz-coached teams to those high national rankings are gone.
It is not an accident this question was posed on National Signing Day. At least based on recruiting services (I know, I know, Iowa's 3-star athlete is the SEC's 5-star), Iowa seemed to be able to attract a higher caliber athlete in the early 2000s, eventually helping those teams to final season rankings of 8 (2002, 2003, 2004), 20 (2008) and 7 (2009).
On internet web page, at least, there has been a marked drop-off in the level of athlete Kirk Ferentz and his staff are now bringing to Iowa City. Most analysts are putting Iowa's 2014 class in the middle to the lower third of the conference. Newcomers Maryland and Rutgers score higher.
This is not meant as a slam against the young men who signed their letters of intent and faxed (!) them in this morning. Welcome to Iowa football!
It just seems as fans we need to brace ourselves for more mediocrity out of Fort Kinnick. <sigh>
