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The Iowa Hawkeyes haven't won a Big Ten football championship since 2004. 

Iowa has been close to ending that drought numerous times under Kirk Ferentz, but even three Big Ten Championship Game appearances couldn't get the job done. 

With divisions now gone, the Hawkeyes' chances of returning to Big Ten championship glory have sunk. But if there's one thing to be optimistic about, it's that the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff gives Iowa a chance to be a regular participant. 

The Hawkeyes weren't far away from crashing the CFP party last year, and before they can even begin fall camp for the 2026 season, there's talk that the major conferences are pushing for a 24-team format. 

Nothing is set in stone yet, but considering the push for expansion wore out two years ago, there's a good chance a 24-team bracket will be a reality in the not-so-distant future.

That means the consistent Iowa program would be nearly an annual player in the CFP. It's obviously positive for the present, but it does make you wonder what some of Hayden Fry and Ferentz's Hawkeye teams could've done in a 24-team CFP if given the chance. 

With that in mind, let's take a look at how the 2004 Hawkeyes could've fared in an expanded playoff. 

The Rundown 

After posting consecutive 10-win seasons in 2002 and 2003, expectations were again high for Iowa in 2004. Ferentz would have a new starting quarterback at the helm for the third time in as many seasons, but a plethora of key returners on both sides of the ball signaled another successful season was in the cards. 

That new quarterback was Drew Tate. After spending a season behind Nathan Chandler in 2003, the high-flying Texas native was given the job. 

A 2-2 start caused plenty of nervous rumblings from the Hawkeye faithful, but Tate and Co. responded by going on a eight-game winning streak to close the regular season. The 33-7 win over No. 25 Ohio State on Oct. 16, was the catalyst, as was an emotional 6-4 triumph over Penn State.

By Nov. 20, Iowa was 8-2 and ranked No. 17 in the country. The only thing standing between it and a share of the Big Ten title was No. 9 Wisconsin. The two teams played a de facto Big Ten championship game inside Kinnick Stadium, where the Hawkeyes won in a 30-7 rout to claim their 11th Big Ten crown. 

Iowa's head-to-head loss to Michigan kept it from earning a BCS bowl berth, but the Hawkeyes would still head south for a New Year's Day bowl for the third straight year, where they defeated LSU in the Capitol One Bowl in thrilling fashion to finish No. 8 in the final polls. 

The Bracket 

Though the BCS existed in 2004 and did have its own ranking, it only ranked the top 15 teams in its poll, so we're instead using the pre-bowl season AP Poll. 

Iowa entered bowl season ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll, so it would've been the 11 seed in this bracket. A first round matchup with Texas A&M would've been fitting, as that was where Tate initially committed to before flipping to Iowa. 

A second round matchup against No. 6 Texas would've been a challenge, but it would've been fun to see this gritty Hawkeye team take on Vince Young and a talented Longhorns squad. 

But this is only a hypothetical bracket, though. USC would go on to win the national title in 2004, defeating Oklahoma 55-19 in the Orange Bowl. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io

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