ESPN trusts Iowa to knock on College Football Playoff door in 2026

You can only knock on a door so many times until it breaks. That is what the Iowa Hawkeyes are doing with the College Football Playoff. Arguably one of the few teams in America that have been as close as possible without punching a ticket, 2026 could be the chance.

Iowa, which was on the cusp of making a push to the playoffs last year, could get that chance in 2026. ESPN previewed the 2026 college football season and has put Iowa among its group of teams that are favorites to make their first CFP trip.

Iowa: Last year, Iowa lost to national champion Indiana by five points and to Oregon by two points. The Hawkeyes are measurably close to joining them in the CFP, but they've got to get more out of their passing game, which ranked 127th nationally last year. If Iowa can win September's unofficial state title by beating Iowa State and Northern Iowa, the Hawkeyes should head to Michigan undefeated. – ESPN

Last year, the offense took another step forward under offensive coordinator Tim Lester. That is going to be the question mark this year, as he ushers in a third quarterback in as many years with Iowa churning through transfer portal additions.

Should Iowa have a pulse in the passing game, which could be the case due to a revamped wide receiver room containing Tony Diaz and Reece Vander Zee, alongside another strong Iowa tight end in DJ Vonnahme, the Hawkeyes could be a team finally sending Kirk Ferentz to his first College Football Playoff trip.

Others from the Big Ten yearning for their chance to make their first CFP trip, who have been awfully close before, include the USC Trojans, a team built upon history and national championships, looking to rekindle that success.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: ESPN trusts Iowa to knock on College Football Playoff door in 2026