IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa Hawkeyes have kept busy with Kids Day at Kinnick on Saturday, and media day on Friday.

21 days remain until the Hawkeyes host Miami (Ohio) in the season opener. 2019 will be a rebuilding year for the Hawkeyes with big shoes to fill that belonged to players like T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant.

“You start from scratch in January, that’s never going to change,” said head coach, Kirk Ferentz. “Really, what it’s all about is the challenges of filling some voids of really good players which creates opportunities for players.”

Despite having to fill those voids, the Hawkeyes are among the favorites in the preseason. After going 9-4 last year, the Hawkeyes rank 19th in the coaches poll. 37 wins in the last four season have finally placed Iowa back on the radar.

“Things haven’t changed at all. Our goal is to become a championship football team. You look at the polls – we’ve been picked anywhere from sixth to the top in our conference and I think it’s a reflection of the competition. It’s going to be a strong division there’s no doubt about that.”

The 2019 season opens with Miami (Ohio) on Aug. 31 at 6:30 PM in Iowa City.