Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa Finishes in Top Third of Big Ten Standings

Now that rivalry week is complete, it's important to look at where the Iowa Hawkeyes finished in the Big Ten.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Nov 28, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kamari Moulton (28) is hoisted by teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
Nov 28, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kamari Moulton (28) is hoisted by teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

With the season finally complete, the Iowa Hawkeyes' 8-4 (6-3 Big Ten) record was good enough to land them a sixth place finish in the Big Ten. Playing in one of the toughest conferences in the nation is no joke, and the Hawkeyes learned that first-hand this season.

This year, Iowa had to play the teams that finished tied for first, third, and fourth. All three of its losses came to those teams, but it's important to note that at least the Hawkeyes didn't lose to any teams that finished below them.

In fact, Iowa dominated the opposition that finished below them. It became a common trend this season, and ended on Black Friday when they demolished Nebraska. A 6-3 record in the Big Ten is nothing to be sad about, though Hawkeyes fans know this season could've gone much differently.

Iowa Finishes Sixth In Big Ten

Other than a bid into a relatively prestigious bowl game, there isn't much a sixth place finish in the Big Ten does for a team. With 18 teams in the conference, seeing the Hawkeyes in the top third is nice, but their ceiling was much higher this season. Sure, they only lost to Indiana, Oregon and USC, but Iowa would love to have all three of those games back.

It's impossible to play everyone in a season, and this year, Iowa didn't have to take on the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Washington and Illinois. Who knows how things would've gone against the Buckeyes, but Iowa certainly would've put up a fight against the rest of those teams.

In the end, Iowa played four ranked teams this season, three of which were conference battles. The Big Ten may not be talked about as highly as the SEC, but plenty of teams from the Big Ten found themselves ranked this season, Iowa included.

This Will Go Down As A Successful Season For Iowa

All four of Iowa's losses this year were by a combined 15 points and that's a number Hawkeyes fans can't get out of their head. The Iowa State loss is an afterthought at this point, but Iowa was two minutes away from taking down the Hoosiers. They were seemingly one play away from beating the Ducks, and they were one bad call away from taking down the Trojans.

Iowa will have to live with those losses, but they have to be extremely proud of a few of their wins. Iowa handled Minnesota and Nebraska with ease, and those two teams finished ninth and 10th in the conference. The Hawkeyes may not have beaten a team ranked higher than ninth in the conference, but they played their hearts out against top opponents who will be seeing their name in the College Football Playoff.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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