Iowa’s College Football Playoff buzz is getting louder, and Joel Klatt is now fully on board.
On a recent episode of the Joel Klatt Show, the FOX analyst backed the Hawkeyes over an SEC contender that reached the semifinals last year, making the case that Iowa’s path is clearer than it looks and its formula is built to travel.
Klatt pointed to the Hawkeyes’ 5-1 start and the stretch ahead, saying, "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.
He also brushed off the concern around Iowa’s quarterback situation, even with Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinksi drawing attention. For Klatt, the Hawkeyes are still doing what they do best.
"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 one catch is that Iowa may not get the kind of headline win that usually helps settle a playoff debate. That leaves little room for error, and Klatt thinks the Hawkeyes probably need to finish 11-1.
"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.
He also put Iowa side by side with Ole Miss. The Rebels are 4-1, and while their schedule looks tougher on paper, they still have to survive a brutal finish to keep their case intact. Even with that in mind, Klatt chose Iowa.
"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.
That comparison is hard to ignore. Iowa still has Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Nebraska ahead, with Purdue and Illinois offering some breathing room, though hardly easy nights. Ole Miss, meanwhile, has Missouri, Texas, Georgia, and Mississippi State still on deck, along with Oklahoma after its win over Texas.
The real question now is how much margin for error the committee gives Iowa. One view is that the Hawkeyes need to run the table from here. Another is that 10-2 could still be enough, even if it sends them on the road in the first round, likely against an SEC school.
Last year’s two-loss teams included Alabama, Oklahoma, and Miami. Whether that precedent matters this time is part of the bigger conversation. For Iowa, the simplest answer is also the hardest one: keep winning and leave nothing to chance.
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