Iowa Football: Hawkeyes Ranked in Initial College Football Playoff Rankings

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Over the last couple weeks, there’s been much digital ink spilled around these parts fretting over the national polls. Frankly, it’s been more widespread than even just these parts. As of last week, we got the national media starting to take notice of the disrespect on Iowa’s name.

But at the end of the day, all the concern over Iowa being left out of the AP and Coaches polls meant nothing. Those polls mean nothing. The only rankings that matter are the College Football Playoff rankings. As should be the case with all rankings, those don’t begin in the preseason before we have any idea who is any good. Instead, the first CFP rankings of the year came out on Tuesday evening as Iowa prepares for their week 10 showdown in Kinnick.

In a surprise to everyone south of the Mason-Dixon Line and anyone who hasn’t watched college football this year, the Hawkeyes show up in the inaugural rankings at #20 nationally.

It’s the first time the Hawkeyes have been ranked in the CFP ranks since December of 2023. The #20 entry is also the highest for Iowa since the 2019 season when the Hawkeyes were ranked #18 in the initial rankings.

All told, Iowa has been listed in the CFP rankings 32 times since their inception back in 2014. Their highest ranking came the following year in 2015 when the Hawkeyes finished the regular season undefeated and #4 in the nation. They fell to #5 when they lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship, narrowly missing their potential for a first ever College Football Playoff appearance.

Now Iowa looks to again have a chance for that coveted playoff spot. They’ll play host to the Oregon Ducks on Saturday at 2:30pm CT. The Ducks, while ranked #6 in the AP poll, come into the week ranked #9 in the CFP rankings.

This week marks the first in back-to-back weeks where the Hawkeyes will face CFP ranked teams. After the showdown with Oregon in Kinnick, Iowa travels west to #19 USC the following week. The Trojans play host to Northwestern this week and barring something totally unexpected, will be ranked when Iowa comes to town on 11/15.

Beyond Iowa, Oregon and USC, the Big Ten has a total of seven teams ranked in the CFP top-25. Ohio State and Indiana are 1-2 as in the AP. As mentioned, Oregon makes it three Big Ten teams in the top ten. Only the SEC has more with four (A&M, Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss go 3, 4, 5, 6). They also have ten teams ranked total. Michigan and Washington round out the Big Ten’s ranked teams. They come in at #21 and 23 respectively.

Here’s a look at the full College Football Playoff rankings from week 10.

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