AP Votes Not Enough to Get Iowa Ranked

Even after the Iowa Hawkeyes dominant win over Minnesota, only 21 people were impressed. When the AP Top 25 poll was released, Iowa failed to crack the Top 25. Sitting at 6-2 (4-1), Hawkeyes fans thought they had done enough to see a number attached to their name. Clearly, the committee thought otherwise.

For what it's worth, Navy is the only undefeated team that is still not ranked. They had the most votes of an unranked team (86), though 7-1 Memphis earned the No. 25 spot instead of them. At this point, Navy, Tulane and Washington are the only teams standing in Iowa's way.

A Win Over Oregon Guarantees Iowa's Spot In The Top 25

Iowa football since losing a heartbreaker to Indiana less than a month ago--
✅ 3-0 record
✅ hammered 2 rivals by combined score of 78-3
✅ set up another HUGE home game in 2 weeks

Coaching and culture matter pic.twitter.com/RItH8rCRGY
— Matt Randazzo (@MattRandazzo) October 25, 2025

Even though Iowa has a bye this week, there's still a scenario where they could enter the Top 25 in the days prior to their game against No. 6 Oregon. Should any combination of Houston, USC, Utah, Memphis, Navy, Tulane or Washington lose, Iowa is ready to move up in the rankings.

Out of those teams listed, Washington is the only other team on a bye this week. Sneaking into the Top 25 during their bye week is far from impossible, but Hawkeyes fans know they'd rather earn it with a win over the Ducks.

Iowa vs. Oregon is set to be one of the biggest games in recent memory at Kinnick Stadium. Earlier this year, they played No. 11 Indiana in the same building. The Hawkeyes were a field goal away from leading late against the Hoosiers, who are now the No. 2 team in the nation. When Oregon comes to town, they'll look for a different result.

College Football Playoff Hopes Still Alive

Finally some respect for Iowa football pic.twitter.com/lTVLwXKOY7
— The Analyst (@analyst4sports_) October 26, 2025

There's no question that Iowa's early season loss to Iowa State is going to hold them back. Had they won that game against the Cyclones, they'd likely be in the Top 20 right now. A win over Indiana also would've helped, but that five-point loss doesn't look nearly as bad on their resume.

Moving forward, the only way for Iowa to earn a spot in the CFP is by winning out. Oregon is not going to be an easy opponent, but they slipped up quite a few times against Wisconsin, a team Iowa had no issue shutting out.

Iowa vs. Oregon is the definitive game in the Hawkeyes 2025 season. Coming into the season, it was hard to imagine a potential playoff berth, but defeating the Ducks would immediately earn them a spot in the Top 25 and a chance to sneak into the 12-team playoffs.

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