What to Make of Iowa Football's Remaining Schedule as CFP Path Opens Up

The bye week has come at just the right time for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Smack dab in the middle of a 12-game season, Iowa gets some much-needed rest this weekend, which is extended by one extra day after handling Washington on Friday night.

Sitting at 5-1, with the lone blemish being a loss to Ohio State, which can be covered up with some good makeup and editing by way of continuing to look as good as they did against Washington, Iowa has a legitimate path to the College Football Playoff.

It's the truth. It's not easy. No games are easy in the Big Ten. But arguably more than ever, Iowa's path to finally punching a ticket to the College Football Playoff is alive and well with the remaining schedule.

Iowa Football's Remaining Schedule

After the bye, Iowa gets back in action with back-to-back trophy games, a trip to Evanston to take on a new-look Northwestern team, and then a stretch run of a few programs ready for basketball season, capped off with the annual Black Friday date against Nebraska.

Iowa Football 2026 Schedule

Iowa vs. Northern Illinois (40-0 W)
Iowa vs. Iowa State (16-13 W)
Iowa vs. Northern Iowa (55-0 W)
Iowa at Michigan (20-19 W)
Iowa vs. Ohio State (31-14 L)
Iowa at Washington (41-24 W)
BYE
Iowa at Minnesota, October 24
Iowa vs. Wisconsin, October 31
Iowa at Northwestern, November 7
Iowa vs. Purdue, November 14
Iowa at Illinois, November 21
Iowa vs. Nebraska, November 27

What to make of Iowa's remaining schedule?

Let's start from the top. Minnesota looked frisky the last few weeks. That is, until Purdue dropped a 41-13 win right on them to slow down the hype train. Still, it's a rivalry game on the road. Iowa will get everything Minnesota has.

Wisconsin is certainly better than it was the last few years. The Badgers have conference wins over Penn State and Michigan State, but those look less and less impressive with each passing week as the Nittany Lions and Spartans can't get out of their own way.

The game Iowa's College Football Playoff life could hinge on

Did you ever think that a sentence stating that an early November game between Iowa and Northwestern could have a seismic impact on the College Football Playoff? Well, get ready for it. It's a reality, and it's coming.

This game could be a ranked Big Ten matchup if Iowa can get through Minnesota and Wisconsin, while Northwestern tries to navigate games against Rutgers and at Oregon, who suddenly looks vulnerable.

The final stretch

Alright, get through these three, and here comes the fun for Iowa. Back-to-back games against Purdue and Illinois aren't automatic wins, but that two-game sequence is about as good as you can ask for coming down the stretch. Iowa should be favored in both games and just has to execute.

Then it's Black Friday. It's Nebraska. It's at Kinnick Stadium. The stage is set for this to be one of the most important Heroes Trophy games in the series' history. Iowa could be staring down a very clear win-and-in situation against the Cornhuskers.

How many wins get Iowa into the CFP?

If Iowa runs the table to get to 11-1, they are a lock. It's that simple. Don't fall for any other hypotheticals or theories. An 11-1 team from the Big Ten is a lock for the College Football Playoff, with a high likelihood of hosting a December playoff game at Kinnick Stadium.

Iowa might have the tiniest margin of error for one stumble down the stretch, but that starts to factor in who the loss comes to, how it looked, and what happens around the country.

At 10-2, my gut tells me Iowa sneaks in, but the Hawkeyes would draw a road trip to the SEC, which is a drastically different situation than an 11-1 mark.

If Iowa goes 9-3, the Hawkeyes won't sniff the College Football Playoff. The Hawkeyes wouldn't have the marquee victory to put them in position for consideration, and the two losses down the stretch would be to teams Iowa is better than, knocking them down to the rungs of the Citrus Bowl, ReliaQuest Bowl, or Music City Bowl.

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