Nov 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Will Iowa Ever Make The CFP?

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Nov 18, 2025 10:16 AM ET

Now 6-4 (4-3), all hope is lost for the Iowa Hawkeyes to make the College Football Playoffs. They had numerous chances to beat No. 9 Oregon and No. 17 USC, but failed to come out on top in both of those games. Had they won, this would be a very different conversation.

Instead, Iowa is just two games above .500 with two games remaining. They knew their toughest stretch was going to be from October 18 to November 15, but Penn State no longer being ranked certainly changed things.

While they only lost to the Ducks and Trojans by a combined seven points, those are two games they would love to have back. Iowa will no longer be ranked, and they can say goodbye to their hopes of making the CFP for the first time.

Will Iowa Have Another Opportunity Like This?

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Now that the playoffs have expanded to 12 teams, there's no better chance to be in the mix than now. Iowa had their chance against Oregon, and once the committee only dropped them one spot in the rankings, it was clear they controlled their fate.

Sadly for Hawkeyes fans, the Trojans took care of business at home. Whether it was controversial or not, Iowa lost by five-points, tying their largest defeat of the season. Iowa now must prepare for Michigan State and Nebraska, two teams they should have no issue beating.

At the end of the day, that's the Kirk Ferentz effect. Iowa's longtime head coach has taken care of business against sub-par teams, but seemingly always comes up short when the lights shine the brightest.

The Future Without Mark Gronowski

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

It's crystal clear that fifth-year quarterback Mark Gronowski is far from perfect, but he's done everything in his power to lead this Iowa offense. This isn't a team that's going to score 40 points a game, but it's an offense that Ferentz has perfected in his 20+ years with the team.

There's no better man to lead the charge than Gronowski. His ability to use his legs is second-to-none and he's arguably Iowa's best QB in recent memory. After this year, they'll be back to square one.

Sure, Iowa just flipped four-star QB Tradon Bessinger and wideout Xavier Stinson, but who knows when those two will be ready to play. Iowa plays in one of the toughest conferences in the nation, and while they are young at a few key positions, they remain unable to compete against the best of the best for 60 minutes.

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

More must-reads: