Iowa’s run under Kirk Ferentz has been steady enough to feel routine at this point. The Hawkeyes keep stacking winning seasons, keep hanging around the top half of the Big Ten, keep sending players to the NFL, and keep showing up in bowl games. But for all that consistency, there’s still one glaring line missing from the résumé: a trip to the College Football Playoff.
That gap stands out even more when you look at what Iowa has done lately. The program has produced 13 straight winning seasons and gone 109-54 over that stretch.
It has also reached Big Ten title games in 2015, 2021, and 2023. And in the 2026 NFL draft, Iowa sent seven players to the league, which set a new program record.
Still, none of that changes the fact that the Hawkeyes have never made the CFP.
Former Vegas oddsmaker and current CBS Sports HQ analyst Todd Fuhrman pointed that out on July 20, 2026, noting that Iowa is part of a short list of programs with long winning streaks but the only one still chasing its first CFP appearance. He also said the Hawkeyes are +700 to end that drought.
Longest current streaks of consecutive winning seasons in college football
Boise St - 28
Alabama - 19
Georgia - 15
Clemson - 15
Ohio St - 14
Iowa - 13 @HawkeyeFootball is the only team on that list looking for their 1st ever CFB playoff birth
They're +700 to end the drought
- Todd Fuhrman (@ToddFuhrman) July 20, 2026
That number doesn’t exactly scream certainty, but Iowa does have a path if a few things break the right way.
One reason for optimism is that the Hawkeyes often seem to do their best work when they’re not the center of the college football conversation. This year, they’ll also be leaning on a roster with more new faces than usual. That can be a problem, but it can also create opportunity for players ready to step into bigger roles.
The biggest swing factor is up front. Iowa’s offensive and defensive lines both have holes to fill, yet there’s enough talent there to make the units interesting.
Kade Pieper and Trevor Lauck are two of the best returning linemen in the country, and Jack Dotzler just missed out to Lauck for a starting job last season. That gives Iowa a solid core, and if the Hawkeyes can find two more players to cover the openings left by Gennings Dunker and Beau Stephens, the group could hold up.
The defensive line has its own upside. Iose Epenesa is expected to take on a larger role, and there are multiple talented transfers in the mix as well. For Iowa, that matters because the formula is familiar: the Hawkeyes go as their lines go.
On defense, there’s also the presence of Phil Parker, and that alone gives Iowa a real chance to stay organized and effective even with so many new faces. The unit may look different, but Parker’s defense is not something to dismiss.
The concern is that those same questions up front could drag the whole season down. Iowa’s offense leans heavily on the run game, and the quarterback situation is still unsettled.
If the offensive line doesn’t hold up, the offense could get stuck in a bad place quickly. There’s also a real possibility that Iowa has to throw more than it wants to this season, and that’s where the Hawkeyes have historically had trouble when the offense becomes one-dimensional.
Quarterback remains a major issue, too. Iowa doesn’t need the position to carry the offense, but it does need someone steady and confident.
Mark Gronowski brought veteran experience, while Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski have limited experience. Whoever wins the job will be under a microscope immediately, and the Hawkeyes will need that player to do enough to keep everything moving.
In Other News...
Iowa Guard Peyton McCollum Is Finally Back After Another Setback
Peyton McCollums path back to the floor has taken longer than anyone around Iowa likely expected when the season began, but the redshirt freshman is finally back in practice and working his way into the Hawkeyes guard mix. After dealing with injuries to both feet, McCollum spent his time away focused on getting healthy again, and he has talked about the challenge of staying locked in mentally while his body caught up.
For Iowa, the timing matters because guard depth is always a priority, and McCollum gives the staff another option to evaluate as practices continue. The son of coach Ben McCollum has already had to navigate a frustrating stretch of setbacks, but the fact that he is back competing on the floor is at least a sign that the long rehab detour is over and his role can start to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
TyReek Coleman May Be Iowas Answer In The Biggest Moments
Ben McCollum spent part of preseason talking about the same issue every team wants solved before March arrives: what happens when a game tightens up late. Iowa feels good for most of the night right now, but the final five minutes remain a work in progress, and that is where transfer point guard TyReek Coleman starts to matter. Coleman has already made an impression on the defensive end, and the Hawkeyes are expecting him to help steady the ball as one of the main options in the backcourt.
McCollum has liked what he has seen from Coleman enough to rave about his length on the ball, his twitchiness and the edge he brings every day. The Hawkeyes are sorting through a rotation that includes Kael Combs, Peyton McCollum and Tate Sage, but Colemans role looks especially important because Iowa needs reliable handlers who can survive the pressure moments and make the right play when possessions get heavy. If the Hawkeyes are going to close better than they did a year ago, Coleman looks like the kind of guard who could end up in the middle of it. [Read more 🡒]
CBS Just Put Iowa's Reloaded Offensive Line Back In Elite Company
Iowas offensive line has become one of the programs most reliable calling cards, and George Barnetts group is back in the conversation again after winning the Joe Moore Award in 2025. Entering the 2026 season, CBS Sports has the Hawkeyes ranked ninth nationally up front, a nod to how much respect the unit still carries even with a new look and only two returning starters in Kade Pieper and Trevor Lauck.
The challenge now is turning that reputation into another dominant season while replacing key pieces from last years front. There is some inexperience to sort through, but the early optimism around this group is real, and Iowa will spend the fall trying to show that last season was not a one-year peak for a line that has already climbed back into elite company. [Read more 🡒]