Yes
Despite a pair of disappointing losses to Iowa State and Michigan State, Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes still have an opportunity to earn nine wins in 2024.
This was supposed to be a very successful season for Iowa, as many college football analysts had the Hawkeyes as a dark horse candidate to make the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
Much of the preseason hype was earned because of a beneficial schedule that included only one preseason top-25 team — Ohio State. While the lofty expectations will not come to fruition, this doesn’t diminish the fact that this can still be a successful year for Iowa.
The remaining three games for Iowa are against opponents who are near the bottom of the Big Ten standings: UCLA, Maryland, and Nebraska. Maryland and UCLA have a combined six wins between them, while Nebraska has struggled after starting the year 4-1.
Though UCLA and Maryland will be on the road, ESPN Analytics favors the Hawkeyes in each matchup.
Another key factor in Iowa’s future success is the implementation of quarterback Brendan Sullivan.
Hawkeye fans had only seen Sullivan involved in red zone packages near the goal line for most of the season, but everything changed against Northwestern on Oct. 26.
Starting quarterback Cade McNamara walked off the field after suffering an injury in the second quarter, forcing Sullivan into the game behind a standing ovation from the Black and Gold faithful.
The Northwestern transfer gave the offense instant life after Iowa was down 7-5, manifesting four touchdown drives and even running one in himself for his third rushing touchdown of the season.
This burst of offense adds another dimension to the Hawkeyes’ already powerful rushing attack led by third-year star Kaleb Johnson.
Add in a softer remaining schedule, and I believe the Hawkeyes have a strong chance of winning out the rest of the regular season and eclipsing the nine-win mark this year.
No
While Jake certainly makes a great case for Iowa winning out, I just can’t see that happening this year.
The Hawkeyes have been wildly inconsistent on both sides of the ball this season, evidenced by terrible second-half performances in all three of their losses this year, especially against Michigan State on Oct. 19.
Replacing Cade McNamara is a plus for this offense, but even though Brendan Sullivan presents a new look for Iowa, I need to see more of a passing game from him to sell me.
Remember when fans were calling for backup Alex Padilla to replace Spencer Petras during the 2021 season? The Hawkeyes eventually made the move, and Padilla failed to bring any magic to Iowa’s struggling offense.
Now, I’m not saying that Sullivan is as bad as Padilla was, but there’s no guarantee that he will be the answer at QB.
The second reason why I don’t think the Hawks can win out is the fact they have to play on the road at UCLA. Though the Bruins are one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, it has been a massive struggle for teams traveling to the West Coast this year.
Jumping two time zones for any reason is difficult, especially for a football game. Making matters worse, the UCLA game takes place on a Friday night, forcing Iowa to rush its preparation for this matchup.
It’s worth mentioning that Indiana and Minnesota both came out victorious in the Rose Bowl when they visited earlier this year, but it will be a challenging game for the Hawkeyes.
In addition to the tough road contests at UCLA and Maryland, Iowa will have to wrestle with heated rival Nebraska at Kinnick Stadium to end the regular season. The Hawkeyes have won eight of the last nine matchups in this series, and the Cornhuskers will be desperate to seek revenge after a tough 13-10 loss in 2023.
It’s certainly not impossible, but these last three games are harder than most fans think. Iowa could easily slip up along the way.
I hope I’m wrong, though.