The Iowa Hawkeyes swarm onto the field ahead of a football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers Oct. 25, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa Recognized in First CFP Rankings

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 8:22 PM ET

With many arguing that the Iowa Hawkeyes don't have have any big wins, the team finally proved the doubters wrong. Their dominant win over Minnesota two weeks ago was a fantastic step in the right direction, and they've finally been recognized.

Iowa earned the No. 20 ranking in the first edition of the College Football Playoff Top 25. Ahead of their highly anticipated showdown against No. 6 Oregon, the CFP committee showed respect to Iowa, something that AP voters have not.

Make no mistake about it, Iowa was still receiving AP votes. That said, teams like Tennessee and Cincinnati found themselves ranked despite poor losses. Even Washington was ranked ahead of Iowa, but the Hawkeyes are now in the driver seat.

Iowa Ranked No. 20 in CFP Poll

November 4️⃣ #CFBPlayoff Selection Committee Rankings

2️⃣0️⃣. Iowa // @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/IkO81O1SAY
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 5, 2025

When the season comes to an end, the only voting that matters is from the college football playoff committee. With them putting Iowa at No. 20, it gives Hawkeyes fans are intrigued by their outlook for the rest of the season. Should the Hawkeyes have what it takes to defeat Oregon, things get very interesting.

Not only are they playing Oregon on November 8, but the Hawkeyes are then traveling to play the No. 20 ranked USC Trojans. If Iowa takes down Oregon, and then goes to California and beats USC, their resume would be unmatched.

Being ranked at this point in the season doesn't mean a whole lot as there are still four games to go, but it shows that the committee is paying attention. They're aware of the Hawkeyes two losses, but one of those was to a team that could be argued as the best in the nation. Now, Iowa's fate lies in their hands.

The Road Ahead

Iowa is 20th in the first College Football Playoff rankings pic.twitter.com/8EH4RhiOIp
— Iowa Chill (@IowaChill) November 5, 2025

When this team was 1-1 after their 16-13 loss to Iowa State, no one would've ever imagined a potential college football playoff appearance. It's still far from becoming a reality, but moments like this put things into a different perspective.

The Hawkeyes have all the momentum in the world, and had an extra week to prepare for Oregon. This is one of, if not the biggest game at Kinnick Stadium in recent memory. With the Big Noon Kickoff panel coming to town, it only adds extra fuel to the fire.

Come November 8, CBS will host the Hawkeyes vs. Ducks kickoff at 3:30 p.m. EST. Iowa has never been more prepared, and they know it'll take their best foot forward to even think about beating a team like Oregon.

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

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