IOWA CITY - Kirk Ferentz has watched college football change plenty of times over the years, but the latest shift landed with a little more clarity this week.
The College Football Playoff announced on Nov. 9 that it will expand to 24 teams beginning in 2027, with the format set to run through at least the 2031-32 season. Ferentz said Tuesday that he supports the move, even if his attention is firmly on Iowa’s next game.
“I heard about it, but it's kind of like an old subject right now. I'm a little bit more focused on this weekend and this week's game than that stuff, but I'm in favor of it,” Ferentz said during his weekly press conference.
“I was in favor of it back in May. I think there are a lot of positives to it.
It’s been war and peace going back and forth here, but at least finally we have a little clarity on that.”
The expansion also means the end of conference championship games, including the Big Ten’s, which was announced Monday after the CFP decision.
Under the new setup, the 24-team field will include the Power Four champions from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, the highest-ranked team from the Group of 6 conferences - the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt - and the top 19 remaining teams. Games would still be played on college campuses, and the new model will require schedule standards aimed at creating “compelling nonconference, regular season matchups.”
Ferentz has repeatedly said he wants some stability in college football while the sport continues to deal with major changes in the playoff structure, NIL and revenue sharing. Even with Iowa in the mix for a CFP spot, he said the focus inside the program cannot drift from what is right in front of the Hawkeyes.
Iowa entered last week ranked No. 19 in the first CFP rankings and is tied for third in the Big Ten standings. The Hawkeyes are still in the conversation, but they likely need to win their final three games to stay alive heading into Selection Sunday on Dec. 6.
That starts with Purdue.
“It’s all week-to-week, and if you look beyond what’s in front of you, you’re really going to miss an opportunity - at least the chances are you will,” Ferentz said. “With college guys, they have a lot more going on outside in their lives, so the better we can be focused football-wise.
Plus, not many teams are that good. I know we’re not.
We need to be 100-percent wired into what's in front of us. We’ve won seven games right now.
Our goal is to win 12. We didn't make that, and that’s not going to happen.
So what's the next best number? It's double digits.
You can't get there until you win eight.”
For Ferentz, the message is simple: Saturday night comes first, then the next Saturday, and then the one after that. The playoff picture and the debate around expansion may be swirling outside the building, but he isn’t letting that seep into Iowa’s preparation.
“You can't skip steps,” Ferentz said. “The better everybody understands that, the better chances we'll have at being successful.
I do know this. If you start thinking about things that aren't pertinent to what's in front of you, you reduce the chances of being successful.
“There are still no guarantees even if you're 100-percent locked in. That's just what we all need to understand. When I say’ ‘we,’ I'm talking about people in this building.”
In Other News...
Iowas Latest Depth Chart Hints At Two Key Changes Vs Purdue
Iowas Week 11 depth chart offered a couple of notable clues ahead of the Purdue matchup, starting with the interior of the offensive line. Cael Winter was absent for the second straight week, and Michael Myslinski is again listed as the starter at center, a development that keeps the Hawkeyes protection and run-game setup in focus as they prepare for another Big Ten test.
There was also a welcome update on the defensive side, where Jaylen Watson reappeared on the depth chart after missing time in the previous game. The full release covered offense, defense and special teams, but those two changes stood out most for a Hawkeyes team still sorting through its weekly lineup and trying to settle into the right combinations before facing Purdue. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's New Backfield Picture Changes Everything Against Purdue
A week after Kamari Moultons season-ending injury, Iowas backfield picture has already shifted for Saturdays home game against Purdue. L.J. Phillips is now listed as the starting running back, a move that comes on the heels of his busiest outing yet, when he led the Hawkeyes with 21 carries for 128 yards against Northwestern.
The changes do not stop there, either, as Michael Myslinski is expected to start on the offensive line in place of Cael Winter, who may be sidelined again. For an Iowa offense that has leaned so heavily on stability up front and in the run game, the updated Week 11 depth chart makes this a notable test of how quickly the Hawkeyes can absorb another personnel shakeup and still keep their ground game on track. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech's Fast Start Faces Its First Real Test Against Iowa
Virginia Techs opening-night win over Mercer offered an early glimpse of a team that can push the pace and protect the ball, with Amani Hansberry delivering a career-best 23 points and Ben Hammond and Jaylen Curry helping steady the offense. The Hokies looked sharp enough to make that first result feel convincing, but the next step comes quickly enough, and it comes against a Big Ten opponent that will be far less forgiving of mistakes.
Iowa enters the neutral-site matchup with a different kind of storyline, hoping to get center Andrew McKeever on the floor after he has been dealing with back issues. For the Hawkeyes, his availability matters not just for depth but for what it could mean inside against a Virginia Tech team that already showed it can score in bunches and keep turnovers down. [Read more 🡒]