The Hawkeyes snuck into the final CFP Rankings ahead of their game against Vanderbilt

Iowa is back!

After easily defeating Minnesota 41-3 in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale, Iowa was sitting in a great spot heading into its first bye week.

The Hawkeyes had a 6-2 overall record, with their only two losses coming against ranked teams (No. 14 Iowa State, No. 11 Indiana).

Iowa then shocked the college football world by leapfrogging into the first College Football Playoff Rankings on November 4 after not being ranked in the AP Top 25 rankings.

With a prime opportunity to make some noise in the postseason, including making its first CFP, Iowa ultimately fell short after losing two close games to Oregon and USC.

Those losses ended their chances of making the CFP, but two straight wins allowed the Hawkeyes to finish the season strong.

Iowa ended the regular season with big wins over Michigan State and Nebraska, bumping its record to 8-4 (6-3 Big Ten) to close out the year.

Following a successful regular season, the Hawkeyes learned they would be heading to Tampa for the ReliaQuest Bowl against a tough Vanderbilt squad.

Not only did Iowa learn they will head to Tampa, but they jumped back into the final CFP Rankings of the season.

Iowa is ranked No. 23 in the final CFP Rankings for the 2025 season, just after Georgia Tech and ahead of CFP contender James Madison.

Iowa's postseason opponent, Vanderbilt, is ranked No. 14.

While this season did not exactly go according to plan, finishing the season ranked with an 8-4 overall record is an achievement.