Iowa’s latest Top 25 move feels pretty familiar by now: the Hawkeyes are back at No. 17 after hammering Washington and heading into a bye with a 5-1 record.
That road win was built on a slow-burning start that turned into a runaway once Kamari Moulton ripped off a 56-yard run to jumpstart the offense. From there, Iowa kept rolling. The defense completely erased Washington’s ground game, finishing with the Huskies at -3 rushing yards, and the offense did its part with 202 passing yards and 263 rushing yards in a 41-point effort.
The win mattered plenty on its own, but the timing made it even better. Iowa got to 5-1 and 2-1 in Big Ten play before a week-seven bye, and the AP rewarded the Hawkeyes with a three-spot climb. They were also sitting at No. 17 after their easy win over Northern Iowa in week three, so the ranking puts them right back in a spot they’ve seen already this season.
The bigger picture is where this gets interesting. Iowa handled a stretch that included Michigan, Ohio State and Washington, and the results have kept the Hawkeyes in the conversation for a College Football Playoff berth. Now the hard part shifts to what comes next.
Minnesota on Oct. 24, Wisconsin on Oct.
31, Northwestern on Nov. 7 and Nebraska on Nov. 27 all enter the back half of the schedule having been better than expected this season, which makes the rest of Iowa’s path look anything but easy. The Hawkeyes still have six games left, and three trophies are still out there.
That leaves no room for a slip.
There’s also plenty Iowa still has to clean up if it wants to stay in the CFP mix. The defense has been good against the run, but it has also given up too many big passing plays and hasn’t consistently gotten after the quarterback. That showed up against Ohio State, when Julian Sayin had time to carve up the secondary, and again against Washington, when backup Elijah Brown threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
Phil Parker got creative with his blitzes against Washington, and those pressures worked well. If the front doesn’t start getting home more often, that approach may need to keep carrying the load.
The offense hasn’t exactly been steady either. Iowa has looked dominant against teams it should handle, but much less sharp against stronger opponents.
The numbers are helped by the big outputs against Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa and Washington, and the quarterback situation still isn’t settled, with Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski potentially in line moving forward. Hecklinski looked sharp after stepping in for Brown against Washington, but there’s no guarantee he starts again.
For Iowa, the formula is clear enough: keep the run game moving, force more turnovers and find a way to pressure the quarterback. Through six games, the Hawkeyes have just four interceptions and three fumbles, which is below their usual standard. The path is there, but so is the risk if they stumble against one of the remaining winnable games.
In Other News...
Iowas Playoff Push Now Rests On 5 Hawkeyes Fans Know Well
Iowas push toward the College Football Playoff has settled into a familiar kind of late-season pressure, the sort that often turns on a handful of trusted names rather than the entire roster. For the Hawkeyes, that means leaning on players fans already know well and have seen in big moments, from linebacker Cam Buffington setting the tone on defense to left tackle Trevor Lauck handling the most demanding protection assignments up front.
Zach Lutmers ability to finish plays and find the football gives the defense another edge, while DJ Vonnahme could add needed offense if he keeps trending back toward full strength. Caden Buhr also looms large in the kind of tight games Iowa expects to keep getting, where special teams can decide everything. If the Hawkeyes are going to keep this playoff chase alive, it may come down to those five players doing exactly what the staff has been counting on. [Read more 🡒]
Ty'Reek Coleman Is Giving Iowa Fans A Reason To Believe In This Backcourt
TyReek Coleman has quickly become one of the more interesting newcomers around Iowa basketball, not just because he arrived from Illinois State, but because the Hawkeyes seem to have a real need for what he brings. Expected to handle lead-guard duties next season, Coleman is already drawing attention from Ben McCollum for the kind of defense and efficient scoring that can steady a backcourt while a new roster takes shape.
For Iowa, the appeal goes beyond one transfer filling a spot. Coleman is still getting comfortable in the system, but the early signs suggest he could be more than a stopgap and instead become a central piece of how the Hawkeyes want to play. If his progress keeps trending the way it has since he arrived in Iowa City, the backcourt may end up looking a lot more stable than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas 5-1 Start Has One Midseason Reality Fans Should Notice
Iowas 5-1 start has put the Hawkeyes in a familiar spot: winning enough games to stay relevant, while still sorting out what this team really is through six contests. The offense has shown enough production to keep drives moving, the defense has delivered the kind of steady work Iowa fans expect, and special teams has continued to factor into the bigger picture as well.
The interesting part now is not whether the record looks good, but which pieces are sustainable once the schedule tightens and the season moves deeper into October. Individual contributions across the roster have helped shape this run, and the coaching staff has clearly gotten solid early results, but there is still a midseason benchmark every contender has to clear if it wants to be taken seriously. [Read more 🡒]