Iowa Football is named as a team that could make their first College Football Playoff

Iowa Football was on the outside looking in at the College Football Playoff last season. The Hawkeyes finished with an 8-5 (6-3 Big Ten) record, finishing No. 6 in the Big Ten and unranked nationally.

Before the 2024 season, the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams, opening up more possibilities for fringe playoff teams to gain entry.

After the first year of the 12-team playoff, the committee decided there were still multiple flaws in the format and updated it.

The committee decided to remove automatic bids in favor of a straight-seeding format. In the straight-seeding format, the top four teams in the committee's final rankings receive an automatic bye, playing their first game in the quarterfinals.

Last season, the Power-Four conference champions received the automatic byes.

With the new format, more teams have the potential to get it, and Fox Sports' Joel Klatt ranked his top 10 teams that have the best chance to make their first College Football Playoff next season.

Klatt ranked Iowa No. 5 on his top ten list of teams with the highest potential to make their first playoff.

Klatt stated that Iowa went 1-3 in games decided by three points or less last season, and they can turn those losses into wins with an improved offense.

He also noted that Iowa has shown the ability to win close games under Kirk Ferentz and with a better quarterback, those losses will turn into wins.

Iowa's success hinges on the success of South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski. Gronowski tallied over 10,000 passing yards and won the FCS Heisman during his time at South Dakota State.

Gronowski is a proven winner who gives Iowa a solid chance to improve an anemic offense.

If Iowa's offense improves and the defense returns to its 2023 form, the Hawkeyes will make noise next season and have the potential to make their first College Football Playoff.

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