Though they fell short of winning a Big Ten title, the 1991 team may have been Hayden Fry's second-best team in Iowa City.
With a 24-team College Football Playoff seemingly imminent in the near future, HawkeyeRoundtable got curious.
Iowa has famously just missed out on qualifying for the CFP, but it would be a frequent contender in a 24-team format. Kirk Ferentz would have at least 10 teams that would've been playoff bound in this scenario, but what about his legendary predecessor Hayden Fry?
Ferentz has probably passed his mentor as the most successful head coach in Hawkeye history by this point, but though Fry hasn't been on the sidelines in nearly three decades, his teams are far from forgotten.
So for the rest of the summer, we're taking a look at every Iowa team that would've made a 24-team bracket - starting with Fry and ending with Ferentz. We've journeyed well out of Fry's glory days in the 1980s, so be sure to go back and read some of those pieces.
The next team on the list is the 1991 squad. While it fell short of capturing Fry's fourth Big Ten title, you could make a very good case that it was Fry's second-best team at Iowa.
The Rundown
Looking back at it now, Iowa's brief rebuild was probably a year early in 1990. The Hawkeyes won a share of the Big Ten crown and reached the Rose Bowl for the third time under Fry, but nobody really saw it coming.
What happened in 1991 was probably the season Hawkeye fans were waiting for, but their wait was over once the 1990 squad returned to Big Ten contention. With a returning nucleus of talent intact for 1991 (including quarterback Matt Rodgers and wideout Danan Hughes), expectations were high.
Iowa had an unusual Week 3 bye week, but that didn't stop it from steamrolling through September, cracking the 50 mark in wins over Hawaii and Northern Illinois and beating Iowa State by 19 in Ames.
The Hawkeyes were No. 9 in the polls by October, but No. 7 Michigan offered them a slice of humble pie with a 43-24 drubbing at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa got back on its feet after that, however, winning its next three games to enter November at 6-1 and No. 11 in the polls.
The first matchup of the month was an emotional one. The University of Iowa community was shattered when a tragic mass shooting on campus claimed the lives of five people.
The Hawkeyes were then forced to play No. 13 Ohio State in Columbus, but Alan Cross' 61-yard touchdown reception allowed Iowa to escape The Horseshoe with a `16-9 triumph. No Hawkeye team has won in Columbus since.
Iowa continued its winning ways the rest of the way, finishing the season at 10-1 overall and second to Michigan in the Big Ten standings. The seventh-ranked Hawks were sent to the Holiday Bowl, where they tied unranked BYU, 13-13 (the last tie in bowl history), to finish 10-1-1 and No. 10 in the final polls.
The Bracket
Iowa would've positioned itself in a great position if the 24-team playoff system was in place in 1991. If this portion of the bracket is all chalk in the first and second rounds, the Hawkeyes are looking at a highly-anticipated 1991 Rose Bowl rematch against Washington in the quarterfinals.
Since Iowa had much-more big game experience in 1991, the Hawkeyes would've put up one heck of a fight against the eventual Coaches' Poll national champion Huskies (Miami FL won the AP title).
There were a lot of stacked teams in 1991, but it definitely wouldn't have been surprising to see this group make a legitimate run at the 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]
