With training camp nearing, a video-game run-through of Iowa’s 2026 season offered a pretty familiar ending for the Hawkeyes: a solid year, a bowl win, and just enough frustration mixed in to feel on brand.
On EA Sports College Football 27, Iowa finished 9-4 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play, capped by a Rate Bowl win over Colorado. For a program that tends to live in the middle ground between steady and stubborn, that’s a record plenty of fans would probably sign for right now.
The simulation started cleanly enough. Iowa rolled past Northern Illinois 45-7, beat Iowa State 41-28, and handled Northern Iowa 42-17 to open 3-0.
Then came the rough stretch. Michigan beat Iowa 28-20, Ohio State won 42-14, and Washington edged the Hawkeyes 31-28 to drop them to 3-3.
After that, though, Iowa steadied itself. The Hawkeyes won five straight Big Ten games after the bye, beating Minnesota 31-14, Wiscosnin 24-7, Northwestern 33-13, Purdue 38-20, and Illinois 38-17. Nebraska got the last word in the regular-season finale, taking a 24-16 win, but Iowa still closed the year with a 27-21 victory over Colorado and Deion Sanders in the Rate Bowl.
The offense was the biggest surprise in the simulation. Iowa averaged 30.5 points per game, although the scoring dried up in the losses, with the Hawkeyes putting up 20 points or fewer in three of their four defeats.
Still, the passing game was the headline. Jeremy Hecklinski finished 199-for-332 for 2,538 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
My, oh my! The Iowa Hawkeyes were slinging it around the yard with Jeremy Hecklinski under center.
That kind of production would be a huge deal in Iowa City, and the simulation leaned into it. Kamari Moulton led the backfield with 226 carries for 1,270 yards and eight touchdowns, while L.J.
Phillips Jr. added 100 carries for 586 yards and nine scores. At receiver, DJ Vonnahme paced the group with 52 catches for 705 yards and eight touchdowns, followed by Tony Diaz with 45 receptions for 550 yards and three touchdowns.
Jarriett Biue turned in a breakout showing with 34 catches for 447 yards and three touchdowns, while Reece Vander Zee had 29 receptions for 386 yards and three scores. Evan James was efficient too, catching 11 passes for 160 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, the Hawkeyes looked like themselves. Iowa allowed 19.6 points per game, but the timing of the damage mattered.
A three-game run in which the defense gave up 28, 42, and 31 points did the most harm. After the bye, though, the unit tightened up and held opponents to 20 points or fewer in five straight games.
Cam Buffington led the team with 71 tackles and an interception, with Zach Lutmer close behind at 70 tackles and two picks. Tyler Brown, the transfer safety, was the turnover magnet of the group, snagging five interceptions. Jaylen Watson added 60 tackles and an interception, Deshuan Lee had 54 tackles and two interceptions, and Anthony Hawkins chipped in 42 tackles and a pick.
Up front, Iose Epenesa led Iowa with four sacks, while Kenneth Merriweather, Will Hubert, and Derek Weisskopf each added three. The simulation also credited Merriweather with 26 tackles, Hubert with 24, and Weisskopf with 18.
In the end, the computer gave Iowa a season that feels believable in broad strokes: wins over the teams it should beat, losses to the Big Ten heavyweights, and a Nebraska game that could swing either way. Even with the bowl win, a 9-4 finish wouldn’t be enough to push Iowa into the College Football Playoff. But as simulations go, this one landed in a pretty familiar place for the Hawkeyes.
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Julian Manson stands out as the local name in the mix, while Luke Brewers path to Iowa added another layer to the class after he reclassified and picked the Hawkeyes over other major suitors. The bigger picture is still unsettled, though, because spring impressions only go so far and the class rankings for 2026 only raise the expectations around what this group might become. For now, Iowa has a freshman battle worth watching closely, and the question is how many of these newcomers can turn promise into something more than just a strong first impression. [Read more 🡒]
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It also comes with a little extra intrigue beyond the quarterbacks, since the open practice should offer a glimpse of new transfers and the rest of the incoming class as they settle in. With tickets already moving for several home games and some dates gone entirely, the event figures to draw plenty of attention from a fan base still looking for answers and a clearer sense of what this team might be when the fall arrives. [Read more 🡒]