Perhaps no team has shifted the outside world’s opinion this year as much as the Iowa Hawkeyes. If nothing else, they have made us realize just how high their ceiling is in 2018.

At the beginning of the year, a finish outside the top 10 seemed unlikely but possible for Iowa. A month in, we believed Rutgers had a very real shot to beat the Hawkeyes. Even going into Midlands, the math seemed to favor Arizona State to finish ahead of them at Welsh Ryan Arena.

But Alex Marinelli has shown himself to be every bit of the blue-chip recruit people considered him to be coming out of high school. Meanwhile, Sam Stoll has fought his way into the #3 spot in the country, and Cash Wilcke has gone from the 34th guy in to NCAAs to a legitimate All-American candidate. That's not to mention Spencer Lee became the first true freshman in the history of Tom Brands’ tenure to have his redshirt pulled.

With the possible addition of Pat Downey this weekend against Ohio State, that pushes the Iowa's number of potential All-Americans this season to seven. When’s the last time a team from Iowa City put out seven AAs in one season? That would be 2010, the year of the Hawkeyes' most recent national title.

Of course, that does not necessarily mean they will win a title this year given the strength of Ohio State and Penn State. But when the comparisons to 2010 start being realistic, you’re getting much closer to getting back to the top of the podium.

However you may feel about rankings, this week’s edition features six Hawkeyes, each of whom are in All-American spots. Brandon Sorensen and Michael Kemerer are both ranked second, Stoll is #3, Wilcke is #5, Spencer Lee comes in at sixth, and "The Bull" Marinelli is ranked seventh. That projects them to 71.5 team points (without bonus), good for third in our rankings.

Now potentially add in Downey, who was an All-American at 197lb in 2016. He would take over for Mitch Bowman at 184lb. Downey has posted pictures on social media of him being accepted into a graduate program at Iowa, and the semester has now started. He wasn't listed in the match notes for this weekend, which may just mean his weight has not yet been certified.

Whether Iowa adds Downey or not, coach Tom Brands and his staff are looking at a potential top four finish at NCAAs. With PD3 in tow, a team trophy could be all but guaranteed.