Iowa football's recent success has been marred by one glaring gap on its resume

Iowa Football has experienced an extended period of success due to the consistency of Kirk Ferentz and the program's stellar development.

The Hawkeyes have been consistently in the mix in the Big 10 Conference, making title game appearances in 2015, 2021, and 2023, and are essentially a guarantee to make a Bowl game. Not only are the Hawkeyes consistently in the top half of the conference, but the program also sends numerous players to the NFL every year. The program sent seven players to the NFL during the 2026 NFL draft, a new Iowa program record, and that will continue as long as Ferentz is in charge.

Despite all of Iowa's regular-season success, the program hasn't achieved the ultimate goal: making the College Football Playoff.

Iowa has an uphill battle to finally make the College Football Playoff

The Hawkeyes have been solid in the regular season, producing 13 consecutive winning seasons. During those 13 winning seasons, the Hawkeyes have notched an overall 109-54 record, making a Bowl game every year. Even though Iowa has consistently had success in the regular season, they haven't been good enough in a loaded Big Ten Conference to make the College Football Playoff.

13 consecutive winning seasons are all well and good, but that is never the goal. The goal is to make the CFP, but the Hawkeyes have an uphill battle to end the drought.

According to former Vegas oddsmaker and current CBS Sports HQ analyst Todd Fuhrman, Iowa boasts one of the longest streaks of consecutive winning seasons (13), but is the only program on the list to never make the CFP. He also mentioned that the Hawkeyes are +700 to end that drought, which doesn't inspire too much confidence. Iowa does have multiple factors working against it, but if they can flip a few of those weaknesses into strengths, they could be a dark horse to make the field after this season.

Why Iowa can make its first CFP in 2026

The Hawkeyes traditionally play better without the spotlight fixed on them, and that could easily work in their favor this season. The squad is normally a veteran-heavy team with multiple players with a ton of starts under their belts, but that won't be the case this season. Multiple new players will be asked to play expanded roles, and while that is potentially scary, Iowa has talented players chomping at the bit to make an impact.

Both the offensive and defensive lines have glaring holes, but have the potential to surprise some people. Kade Pieper and Trevor Lauck are two of the best returning linemen in the country, with Jack Dotzler narrowly losing out to Lauck last season for a starting spot. They have a solid starting three, and if the unit can find two other players to fill gaps left by Gennings Dunker and Beau Stephens, they will be in good shape. The defensive line also has some potential, with Iose Epenesa projected to play an expanded role, and multiple talented transfers in the mix. The Hawkeyes go as their lines go, and if they play well enough, Iowa will be just fine.

Another strength of the program is defensive coordinator Phil Parker, who will have the unit ready to go. The defensive unit is full of new faces, but Parker and his defense should never be doubted.

Why Iowa could miss out on the CFP once again in 2026

While the lines could turn into strengths, they could also go in the other direction, which would be horrible for both units. Iowa's offense heavily relies on the running game, especially with the current quarterback situation unknown, and if the offensive line struggles even a little bit, the offense will struggle. There is a good chance Iowa has to throw it more this season out of necessity, and Iowa's offense historically struggles when it is forced to be one-dimensional.

The starting quarterback situation is also a glaring issue, and while Iowa's offense doesn't rely heavily on the quarterback, Iowa needs a confident, consistent signal-caller to be successful. Mark Gronowski was a solid veteran with years of experience under his belt, and both Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski have limited experience. Whoever wins the job will be heavily scrutinized from the start, but must overcome that and do enough to keep the offense afloat.

Early prediction: Iowa finishes 9-3 and sneaks into their first CFP

Today's best reads

• On3 fanned the flames of Iowa's ongoing starting QB battle with a bold prediction
• Kirk Ferentz can enter some rarified air after being named to the Dodd Trophy Watch List
• Iowa's biggest recruiting double 'what if' that still splits the Hawkeye fanbase
• Why ESPN's recent FPI prediction proves Iowa's quarterback situation isn't a big deal
• Iowa's top 3 biggest recruiting wins over the past 5 years that paved the way for success

This article was originally published on dearoldgold.com as Iowa Football's recent success has been marred by one glaring gap on its resume.