The College Football Playoff talk around Iowa is getting louder, and Joel Klatt is leaning all the way in.
On a recent episode of the Joel Klatt Show, the FOX analyst backed the Hawkeyes over an SEC contender with a stronger reputation and a trip to the semifinals last year. Iowa is sitting at 5-1, and Klatt sees a real path to the playoff if the Hawkeyes keep handling business.
He pointed first to what’s ahead. Iowa’s schedule gives it a chance to keep piling up wins, and Klatt believes the Hawkeyes can be favored the rest of the way.
“When you look at Iowa, they only have one loss, and then look at the rest of their schedule. You can see a very clear path to 11-1. I think that they are going to be favored to win the rest of their games.
"I don't think going to Minnesota is all that easy. I don't think going to Northwestern is all that easy.
I do not think playing Nebraska is going to be all that easy. And watch out for Wisconsin, because Wisconsin's defense is a lot better than people realize," Klatt said about Iowa's schedule.
What’s keeping Klatt on board is the way Iowa wins. It may not be flashy, but it keeps working, and he doesn’t view the quarterback situation as a major concern.
"This Iowa team, they just ran for 260 yards on the road, and the fact that they have a backup quarterback in right now doesn't bother me as much because Iowa is not a quarterback-centric program.
"Jeremy Hecklinski comes in and, like, 'Okay, can you throw to the tight end and hand the football off?'"It's Iowa. This is what we do," continued Klatt.
The catch for Iowa is simple: there may not be a signature win waiting on the schedule. That means the Hawkeyes could need to be spotless the rest of the way.
"I think 11-1 would get them in. I don't think they can lose a second game because they're not going to have a tremendous resume, even though I don't think the back end of their schedule gets the respect that it deserves," said Klatt about Iowa's CFP chances.
Klatt also compared Iowa with Ole Miss. The Hawkeyes are 5-1, while the Rebels are 4-1.
Ole Miss has the tougher-looking slate on paper, but that only matters if it keeps winning. Even with that caveat, Klatt said he’d pick Iowa over Ole Miss for a playoff spot.
"So, most likely to go to the CFP? I'm going to go Iowa.
I'm going to go Iowa right there. I think that they would be more likely over Ole Miss because of what's going on," Klatt ended with.
The schedule is the whole conversation here. Iowa still has Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Nebraska ahead, with Purdue and Illinois offering some relief even if they’re no sure thing. Ole Miss, meanwhile, still has Missouri, Texas, Georgia, and Mississippi State on deck, all ranked, plus Oklahoma after its win over Texas.
The one question that hangs over Iowa is how the CFP committee would treat a two-loss team. Last year, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Miami all got in with two losses.
Whether that precedent helps Iowa is another matter. For now, the Hawkeyes’ best answer is the simplest one: keep winning and avoid giving the committee a reason to decide.
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