The 2019 Hawkeyes just missed out on a special season, losing three games by a combined 14 points.
After a mediocre run of seven win seasons from 2011-2014, a magical 2015 season helped return Iowa football to its consistent ways under Kirk Ferentz.
The Hawkeyes won at least eight games in the three seasons after the 12-2 2015 campaign, but fell short of winning the Big Ten West each time.
Iowa's hopes of a special season were quickly dashed with a three-game losing streak midway through the 2018 season, but the 9-4 finish resulted in plenty of momentum heading into 2019.
The Hawkeyes indeed capitalized on that momentum with a 10-3 finish, but it remains one of those "what if" seasons today because Iowa wasn't able to get the job done against some of the best teams on its schedule.
With a 24-team College Football Playoff likely on the way in the near future, it's easy to wonder what this experienced group could've done in the expanded bracket.
The Rundown
Three-year starting quarterbacks are a rarity in college athletics these days, but life looked a little bit different back in 2019. Not only was this the final season before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no such thing as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), either.
The three-year starter for Iowa back then was Nate Stanley. Stanley entered the season on an impressive two-year heater, completing roughly 60% of his passes for 52 touchdowns and just 16 interceptions.
Stanley wasn't a very mobile quarterback, but he was the perfect fit for the Hawkeyes' pro-style offense. That offense was clicking early on in 2019, as Iowa raced to a 4-0 start that saw it reach 30 or more points in three of of its four victories.
But then the rut came. The Hawkeyes scored just one touchdown across their first two conference games, leading to close losses against Michigan and Penn State.
Iowa recovered with two wins to enter November in Big Ten West contention, but a two-point loss at Wisconsin cost the Hawkeyes a chance to play in Indianapolis.
After Keith Duncan kissed Nebraska's victory hopes away with his game-winning field goal in the regular season finale, Iowa was sent to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl against USC.
The Trojans were a slight favorite, but the Hawkeye offense, which ranked just 87th in the FBS, exploded for 49 points en route to a dominant 49-24 victory. Iowa finished the season 10-3 and No. 15 in the final polls.
The Bracket
Using the final CFP rankings, here is Iowa's portion of the 24-team bracket. The Hawkeyes would've been the No. 16 seed in this field, but it's pretty likely they would've had a short run here.
LSU, which won the national championship, is regarded as one of the greatest college football teams of all time, would be waiting in the second round, but Iowa would've had to get there first. Memphis, a 12-win team in 2019, would've been a very difficult out.
The Hawkeyes' defense was good enough to win games in 2019, but offensive struggles likely would've resulted in an early exit.
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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]
