The 1986 Hawkeyes weren't as successful as the 1985 squad, but they still went 9-3 and finished No. 16 in the AP poll.
With a 24-team College Football Playoff seemingly imminent in the near future, HawkeyeRoundtable.com got curious.
Though Iowa football has never qualified for the CFP in history, it almost certainly would've been a regular participant had a 24-team system been in place for years. Many teams from the Kirk Ferentz era would fall under that umbrella, but what about some of the notable squads from Hayden Fry's legendary 20-year tenure in charge?
Throughout the next few weeks, we're going to be looking at every Fry and Ferentz team that would've qualified for a 24-team CFP had it existed back then. Remember that the AP poll didn't expand to 25 teams until 1989, so some of Fry's successful teams from the 1980s will be bracketed into 20-team playoff brackets.
Articles will be released chronologically, not by the team's final ranking. That means we will begin with Fry and end with Ferentz. The mid-'80s were arguably the glory days of Fry's tenure, so if you're interested in reading the articles you missed, doing so is heavily encouraged.
Without further adieu, let's dive into the next team on our list - the 1986 Hawkeyes. Though not as well-known as the '85 team, this group easily could've made some noise in a 24-team CFP.
Let's get into it.
The Rundown
After the disappointing 1986 Rose Bowl defeat, the Hawkeyes entered the 1986 campaign with vastly different expectations. Iowa was a preseason top five team in 1985, but it was unranked in the 1986 preseason AP poll.
The primary reason was due to questions at the quarterback position. Chuck Long's illustrious five-year career ended after 1985, thrusting longtime backup Mark Vlasic into the starting role.
It didn't take long for Vlasic to settle in, though. Iowa won its first three games (Iowa State, Northern Illinois, Texas El-Paso) by a combined score of 169-17. The Hawkeyes quickly vaulted to No. 8 in the AP poll, and entered a highly-anticipated battle at 5-0.
But Michigan got revenge from the iconic 1985 clash by winning on a last-second field goal of its own. Iowa recovered with a win over Northwestern the following week, but losses to No. 17 Ohio State and unranked Illinois ended its Big Ten title hopes.
The Hawkeyes finished the regular season 8-3 and No. 19 in the AP poll. Iowa was rewarded with a berth in the 1986 Holiday Bowl, where it defeated the hometown San Diego State Aztecs, 39-38, on a game-winning field goal by Rob Houghtlin to finish 9-3 and No. 16 in the final AP poll.
What Would A 24-Team Playoff Have Looked Like?
Remember that the AP still ranked just the top 20 teams back in 1986, so our hypothetical bracket only features 20 teams. Though Iowa didn't record a victory over a team that finished ranked in 1986, it still would've earned a spot in this field at No. 19.
The Hawkeyes were an established big brand name in the sport by this point, so the committee would've been wise to include them in a 20-team bracket.
But what would the field have looked like?
19th-seeded Iowa would've opened the playoff with a first round battle against No. 14 Baylor. Though the Bears were historically a losing program in the Southwest Conference by this point, they, like Iowa, went 8-3 during the regular season and finished in third place in their conference.
Should the Hawkeyes escape Baylor, a daunting task against Barry Switzer's Oklahoma Sooners would've awaited them.
Only two teams finished the regular season unbeaten in 1986 - Penn State and Miami. Both teams would meet in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl in a de-facto national championship game, and the Nittany Lions came out victorious for their second and most recent title.
Looking for a FREE Hawkeyes community?
Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join and gives you the chance to win FREE Hawkeye swag.
Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected and get notified when new articles are posted.
Click here to join the fun!
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
