Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa Among Nation's Most Efficient Teams

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI | By Lane Mills | Last updated Nov 8, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Following their bye week and the current stretch leading into Iowa's marquee matchup with the #6 Oregon Ducks, the Hawkeyes have suddenly been thrust into the national limelight in a more positive manner than usual. Following their dominant home win over Minnesota - effectively demoting the Golden Gophers into mid-level B1G standing - Iowa made noise both in their conference landscape and the AP Poll voting.

Deserved National Attention

While they still didn't receive quite enough votes to be given an official number, Iowa's upward trend throughout their still-active three-game winning streak has given the team definition beyond the bounds of Iowa City. Now 6-2 (4-1), the Hawkeyes are just outside a top-three placement in the B1G; a win over the Ducks this weekend would certainly propel them onto the pedestal.

Of that possibility, the wider realm of college football onlookers have taken notice. In national headlines, Iowa has consistently been seen as a suitor for an upset versus Oregon on their home field. Despite their unranked nature (at least, according to the AP Poll) the Hawkeyes have drawn attention for the product they've exhibited on the field regardless. Among many factors, one of the most appealing is the team's high-shelf statistical efficiency, which is among the best in the FBS.

Iowa plays efficient football, not shocked pic.twitter.com/mxGjrGIZ0L
— The Analyst (@analyst4sports_) November 4, 2025

According to a graph posted comparing the opponent-adjusted EPA (expected points added) of FBS teams through week 10, the Hawkeyes are among the right-most teams on the list. For those unacquainted, the further right and towards the top a logo is, the more efficient and well-balanced that team fares according to the base statistic.

Evidenced Upset Potential

The nation's top two teams, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers - both above Iowa in the B1G - are by far and away the most efficient teams on the graph, speaking to the method's accuracy. Iowa, being among the few teams separated from the middle pile and towards the more efficient side of the slate, further calls into question the AP's denial of a number next to their name.

All the same, it also predicts exactly the sort of result that many have come to expect this weekend when the Hawkeyes face off with the Ducks. While Oregon compares similarly in terms of EPA, Iowa's home-field advantage and recent tinge of momentum suggests to many that the game is rife with upset potential.

If any game was to determine Iowa's ultimate potential as a team, it's this one. A win catapults the black and gold into the overarching B1G conversation as the season turns its final corner. A loss, unfortunately, does the somber opposite.

Only one day remains until Iowa splits the difference.

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

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