Iowa Wins More Games Than Most But Can It Get Out of Neutral?

Iowa owns one distinct honor it hopes to change this year. It has them among a select group of other programs they hope to depart from.

Jul 26, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Winning games is great. It makes fans happy. It makes players happy. It's fun.

But there is a level beyond that. There is more than just winning.

There is winning big games and turning those wins into trips to the College Football Playoff. And for the Iowa Hawkeyes, the big question around this team remains: can they turn wins into more?

Iowa wins games. They win a lot of them, in fact, but they have yet to turn that corner and take the next step.

Iowa owns one unique distinction in college football

No team in college football has won more games since the inception of the College Football Playoff while still lacking a postseason appearance than the Iowa Hawkeyes.

That's quite the honor for Iowa. It clearly shows how often this team wins. They win more than 75% of the schools in the country on an annual basis, but have not found the elusive ticket to the College Football Playoff.

That stat has earned Iowa a spot in ESPN's "Always so close, but no cigar" tier of college football programs entering 2026. It's not a tier the Hawkeyes want to spend a considerable amount of time in.

They are joined by other near contenders such as Penn State and Tennessee, as teams who are always on the cusp but continue to fall one or two key wins short of taking the next step.

How does Iowa take the next step?

The reality for Iowa is that taking the next step is a very clear path. It's not changing much about the program or reinventing itself (as if that was ever a possibility under Kirk Ferentz).

It all comes down to the ranked games against the top of the Big Ten. We saw it last year against Indiana and Oregon. Iowa is right there, but has to learn how to close in these games.

The Hawkeyes are going to have chances to take that next step in 2026 with the Big Ten schedule handed to them. Some may view it as no favor, but it can also be viewed as Iowa's chance to prove itself.

The three-game stretch against Michigan, Ohio State, and Washington isn't for the faint of heart. It's going to be a grind for Iowa, but that is where this team takes that next step.

With how dominant the Big Ten is nowadays, avoiding good teams is impossible. You have to beat good teams to climb the hierarchy of college football, and the Hawkeyes have to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the 2026 schedule.