Iowa is one of the best teams in the country halfway through the season. The Hawkeyes are 6-0 3-0 in B1G play and the No. 2 team in the country.

The Hawkeyes are coming off a hard-fought victory against No. 7 Penn State 23-20 on Saturday.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit praised Iowa and compared them to an MMA fighter. Herbstreit explained that an SEC fan or a Big 12 fan may think this team is overrated until you play the Hawkeyes on the field.

You can read Herbstreit’s full quote below:

The Hawkeyes’ hot start can be credited to their defense which is one of the best defenses in the country.

Iowa’s defense has now held 28 straight opponents to 24 points or fewer.

The Boilermakers in their last 3 games have failed to score more than 13 points. After scoring above 30 in their first 2 contests.

They are the No. 1 team in turnover margin in the country; they are +15 in that category.

This season,  no. 7 Penn State is the only team to score at least 20 points on the Hawkeyes.

Iowa plays host to Purdue this Saturday at 3:30 ET on ABC.