IOWA CITY, Iowa – I don’t care and neither should you. Not about everything, just what’s being said nationally about the Iowa football team.

I know it’s hard to ignore the noise. You want respect for your Hawkeyes, who have raced to an 8-0 start and a Top 10 ranking. Everywhere you turn, you hear contempt for them being in the playoff discussion.

My co-publisher here at AllHawkeyes.com, Pat Harty, wrote a good column on the national disparaging of your beloved Black and Gold. The longer Iowa has remained unscathed the more scathing the attacks have become, relatively speaking.

Again, it’s OK. Well, it’s not OK in the sense that many of the talking heads ignore Iowa’s solid strength of schedule. It’s OK because what they say doesn’t matter.

The only thing that matters is where the Hawkeyes stand with the 12-member playoff selection committee, which releases its first standings of the season on Tuesday night. Nobody from ESPN has a seat at that table.

Sure, perception accounts for something. Incessant downplaying of Iowa’s accomplishments could infiltrate the minds of committee members like Barry Alvarez and Condoleezza Rice. More likely, it won’t.

Much like the NCAA Tournament basketball selection committee, these folks are chosen because they throw out preconceived notions and focus on body of work. If the Hawkeyes reach 13-0 with a win against Ohio State or Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship, they’ll probably be in the final four regardless of some schmo in Bristol, CT screaming that they’re not worthy.

“I don’t mean this in a disingenuous — I really don’t care,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said following Saturday’s 31-15 win against Maryland. “I’m not worried about the playoffs. We’re still four games from the end of the Big Ten season. We’re going to enjoy this one. We’ll worry about our next opponent starting (Sunday) afternoon.

“But the one thing I’ve noticed, and I really haven’t followed all the stuff that close, the new system and committees and all that, it just seems like if you win enough, good things happen, and that was true 30 years ago, and that’s all we’re looking at right now. We’re just going to try to keep winning every week we’re out there.”

It’s harder for fans to approach the disrespect so calmly. They’re watching it and reading about it more than are the coaches and players. While I get that, it’s just not worth the hand wringing.

I wrote in this space last week that the Hawkeyes could get left out of the playoff even if they run the table. That was based on the AP and Coaches polls having one-loss Notre Dame and Stanford ahead of them.

We’ll see Tuesday if 12 smart, objective people in a room feel the same way as the media and coach groups. I’d bet that they’re a lot less influenced by perception, at least I hope that’s the case.

RUNNING OUT OF ROOM: K.J. Sails’ unexpected verbal pledge to Iowa on Monday raised its group of know commitments in the 2016 Class to 24. It was expected to top off at 25.

It would be neat and clean if we knew for sure that Iowa has one available scholarship left. Matt Farniok, Jovan Swann, Alaric Jackson, whoever wants it better take it.

It’s recruiting, however. We know from experience that few times are things black and white.

If recent history tells us anything, it’s that there will be at least one de-commitment. You all remember Karan Higdon, Delano Hill and Ross Pierschbacher, right?

We’ll see how it shakes out. I don’t expect the coaches to pull any scholarships from currently committed prospects unless he continues to consider other schools without the staff’s permission/understanding.

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE: In this case, it was the Iowa men’s basketball team’s exhibition game against Sioux Falls on Thursday night. The Hawkeyes led by only six points at halftime before cruising to a 99-73 win.

Iowa’s inconsistent play against a Division II team that posted an 8-13 record last season concerned some folks. It shouldn’t have, at least not yet.

The Hawkeyes are trying to sift through six new players along with two redshirt freshmen to determine their rotation. It’s going to take time to work that out, likely into the regular season.

I still see Iowa being an NCAA Tournament team for a third year in a row. I like the returning experience and its talent level. And a few of the new players will rise up above the rest to help the cause.

It might be hard to watch at times early in the campaign but be patient with this team. Better days are ahead.

RAPID-FIRE ROUND

-If you’re a regular reader of the Monday Musings, you’ll remember that I began growing a goatee in August agreeing with my kids that I would shave when Iowa lost a game. It’s become unruly and itchy but my wife seems to like it.

I’m open to suggestions on how to keep food out of it.

-I have to admit I was surprised when Iowa opened as only a seven-point favorite for this Saturday’s game at Indiana, who is winless in the Big Ten. I was shocked when it dropped quickly to 6, meaning early money was coming in on the Hoosiers.

I don’t consider myself a blind, Kool-Aid drinking homer, but despite Indiana boasting an explosive offense, its defense is awful.

-Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer taking away a semester of scholarship from J.T. Barrett is laughable. You’re starting quarterback drinks and drives and you punish his parents by making them pay?

I also read a lot of justification on Barrett’s one-game suspension because that seems to be the standard across the country. It shouldn’t be. That’s too light in my mind for getting behind the wheel and putting others in serious danger.

-I Tweeted Saturday that the 2015 Nebraska team reminded me of the Hawkeyes in ’12. The Huskers probably have underperformed based on talent and Iowa’s game in Lincoln to close the regular season could be tricky if it represents their bowl game.

-Ferentz has 123 Big Ten victories. That’s eighth all-time. Think about that.

And with Virginia Tech’s Frank Beemer announcing he’ll retire at the end of the year, Ferentz and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, an Iowa alum, will be the most tenured FBS head coaches beginning in ’16.