Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz reacts after becoming the winningest coach in Big Ten history, passing Woody Hayes, with a win over the Massachusetts Minutemen Sept. 13, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Iowa Performs After Bye Weeks

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Connor Mardian | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 9:00 AM ET

After Saturday’s disappointing 20-15 loss to the No. 8 Indiana Hoosiers, there are a number of ways to welcome an upcoming weekend of no football, as the Iowa Hawkeyes are set to host its first of two bye weeks.

Maybe for some, the Hawkeyes being able to take a break means the increased chances of a Mark Gronowski return, as the quarterback was injured and replaced during Saturday’s fourth quarter, along with the hope a banged-up running back corps would be able to fully recover.

Yet the other branch wants to wash Saturday’s heartbreaker down with Wisconsin immediately.

With the inevitable bye week here, we wanted to analyze some recent history to very loosely forecast Iowa’s future success post this upcoming bye week.

2024-25 Season

The Hawkeyes’ first bye week came after a monster 31-14 win over Minnesota that had just propelled them to a 3-1 start, where the only hiccup came in that year’s grueling 20-19 loss to the Iowa State Cyclones.

After the bye week, the Hawkeyes were tasked with a trip to Columbus, Ohio, where head coach Kirk Ferentz’s squad could not complete the daunting task of taking down the No.3 Ohio State Buckeyes. As a matter of fact, things were never truly close as eventual National Champions dismantled the Hawkeyes 35-7.

The second bye week came towards the tail-end as Iowa was reeling after a narrow 20-17 loss to the UCLA Bruins. After a week’s break, the Hawkeyes were back in action against the Maryland Terrapins. Ferentz’s squad was able to take down the Terps with an authoritative 29-13 win.

What does this mean for the future?

Well, when the Hawkeyes travel to take on a Badgers team that is rapidly nearing the panic button as No.20 Michigan, Iowa, No.1 Ohio State, No.2 Oregon, Washington, No. 8 Indiana, and No. 22 Illinois all are set to take on Luke Fickell’s team, the Hawkeyes become a must-win.

For the Hawkeyes, the rest of their season sees No. 7 Penn State, Minnesota, No. 2 Oregon, USC, Michigan State and Nebraska. While things look considerably worse for the Badgers, a win at Camp Randall Stadium still feels imperative.

If we were to compare Wisconsin to either the 2024-25 Buckeyes or the 2024-25 Bruins, that question shouldn’t draw much thinking to conclude that the Badgers look closer to the Bruins, which should give the Hawkeye faithful a positive mindset heading into what will be a long period between the Hoosiers and the Badgers.

This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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