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

Iowa Has Real Shot at CFP Appearance

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 7:00 AM ET

If there was ever a time for the Iowa Hawkeyes to be in consideration for the College Football Playoffs, it's now. They would love to get back their Week 2 loss to Iowa State, but the team has clearly put that behind them as they push forward this season.

No. 11 Indiana is one of four AP Top 25 opponents they'll have to face in the next six weeks. No. 3 Penn State, No. 6 Oregon, and No. 21 USC are all on the docket for later in the season. HC Kirk Ferentz knows to take things one game at a time as the Hawkeyes opened conference play with a 38-28 win over Rutgers.

That win makes it 99 for the Hawkeyes in the College Football Playoff era. Of the Power 4 programs, no one has more wins without a playoff appearance. Iowa and Wisconsin are battling it out to see who reaches 100 first, but the Badgers current struggles may keep them at 97 for quite some time.

QB Mark Gronowski only has one year with the Hawkeyes before he runs out of eligibliity. He came to the team from South Dakota State where he racked up plenty of wins and put up quality numbers. Now, he stands alone as the all-time winningest QB in college football history.

Gronowski's numbers continue to get better as he grows more and more comfortable with this Iowa offense. It's safe to assume that the days of throwing for fewer than 100 yards are behind him. Currently, he's 49/81 for 492 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Should his receivers catch the ball more often, his numbers would be that much better. Regardless, he's proven to be able to do it all with 46 carries for 143 yards with six touchdowns.

His nine combined touchdowns may not be able to compete with Heisman frontrunner, Fernando Mendoza, but Iowa's passing game is the best it's been in years. Their defense held Iowa State to just 16 points in a loss that many would argue should have never happened. Now, it's time for the Hawkeyes to prove that.

Indiana has been slotted as high as the No. 3 seed in this years edition of the College Football Playoffs. It's far too early to predict seeding, though the Hoosiers seem to be the real deal. Iowa's loss to the Cyclones doesn't count them out just yet, but they cannot afford to lose more than one other game this season. That loss could come to any of the ranked teams, but it's still going to be an uphill battle if they don't run the table. Knowing their schedule, that's much easier said than done.

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