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The 2020 college football season was a hot mess. 

Everyone knew the season would be derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but football fans probably didn't think it would turn out like it did. 

While the NFL managed to play a full 16-game season (albeit with limited or no fans in attendance), college football was split right down the middle. Some conferences (the SEC, ACC, and Big 12) opted to play with a revised schedule, but others (the Big Ten and Pac-12) chose to not even play a season at all. 

Not surprisingly, the decision to not play a season at all caused a lot of negative reactions from fans and the media, leading to both the Big Ten and Pac-12 to reverse course with a revised schedule by mid-September. 

The Big Ten's revised schedule meant Iowa would play an eight-game conference only schedule in 2020. The season hovered on the brink of disaster early on, but by its end, the Hawkeyes were playing good football. 

Had a 24-team College Football Playoff existed in 2020, then you could've likely chalked the Hawkeyes down as one of the participants.

The Rundown 

2020 was a rough year for Iowa athletics, but especially for the football team. 

The Hawkeye program was accused of racial bullying, leading to the dismissal of longtime strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle. Though he was heavily scrutinized, head coach Kirk Ferentz would return for his 22nd season as coach. 

Instead of playing a MAC or FCS team in a normal season opener, the Big Ten-only schedule forced Iowa to hit the road to take on Purdue. 

Quarterback Spencer Petras threw for 265 yards in his starting debut, but two turnovers plagued the Hawkeyes in a 24-20 loss. Iowa's fortunes continued to spiral the following week on Halloween, where it blew a 17-0 lead to Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium and lost, 21-20. 

The Hawkeyes recovered after that, though, winning their final six games of the regular season in pretty dominant fashion. The winning streak propelled Iowa in Big Ten West division contention, but the head-to-head loss to Northwestern ultimately was the difference between the Hawkeyes earning another trip to Indianapolis. 

But just as Iowa was on its way to capping another successful season, COVID-19 ended the season. The Dec. `19 home game against Michigan was cancelled, as was the Music City Bowl matchup against Missouri. 

As a result, the Hawkeyes ended the year 6-2 overall and No. 16 in the final AP Poll. 

The Bracket 

Using the final CFP rankings, Iowa would've been the No. 15 seed in this bracket. 

The first thing that pops out here is the potential for a Cy-Hawk game in the quarterfinals. The 2020 matchup that was supposed to be held in Iowa City was cancelled due to the pandemic, so playing each other in the CFP would've been one of the most toxic weeks the state of Iowa has ever seen. 

But the Hawkeyes would've had to get there first. Iowa State would've had a good shot to advance in its half of the bracket, but Iowa's potential second round matchup against Trevor Lawrence and Clemson would've been a potential nightmare. 

This is only a hypothetical bracket, though. Nick Saban would win his seventh and final national championship and sixth with Alabama after leading the Crimson Tide to a blowout win over Ohio State in the championship game.

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This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium. 

Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too! 

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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