Iowa Hawkeyes Garner National Buzz as Playoff Hopefuls in 2025

The College Football Playoff has been something of a pipedream to Iowa Hawkeye fans. Sure, maybe one day, but not under Kirk Ferentz. Or, maybe one season will come along and Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Michigan will all be down, and then it’s the Hawkeyes’ chance to shine.

It doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, the only thing stopping the Hawkeyes from reaching the College Football Playoff in 2025 is themselves. If that sounds too optimistic, need I remind you that Indiana was one of the first teams in the newly expanded Big Ten to reach the likewise expanded College Football Playoff? If they can do that, then Iowa certainly can.

FOX Sports’ Michael Cohen listed Iowa among 10 programs nationwide that could reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history this season. He made little mention of Iowa’s often staunch defense under coordinator Phil Parker. Instead, he focused on the revamped offense under Tim Lester and new quarterback Mark Gronowski.

For years, Iowa has fielded impeccable defensive units. The running game has usually been enough to keep the program competitive. But now that the Hawkeyes have a quarterback they can trust, there’s no real reason to put a ceiling on the 2025 group’s potential.

Make no mistake, no one is crowning Iowa as the next Big Ten Champion, let alone the next national champion. But with the strides the offense has made in recent seasons, the expected boost from a quarterback like Gronowski is enough to comfortably entertain the idea of Iowa finding itself in the postseason conversation in November.

Of course, expectations soon have to face reality. The Hawkeyes have the 32nd toughest schedule in the nation. Three of the Big Ten’s four playoff teams from last year come to Iowa City this season. On the road, Iowa faces Iowa State, Wisconsin, USC, and Nebraska. The Hawkeyes will have to show drastic improvement and then some to find 10 wins and have a hope at securing an At-Large bid.

But again, it’s not that Iowa is likely to make the playoffs; it’s that they have the full opportunity to prove they’ve made the improvements necessary to take such a leap in the college football landscape.