Monday's depth chart listed Hank Brown "OR" Jeremy Hecklinski. Iowa football [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/community/how-to-become-a-free-hawkeyeroundtable-community-member]has been very close to breaking through to the College Football Playoff under legendary head coach Kirk Ferentz, but 2026 feels like the closest the Hawkeyes have been to crashing the playoff party in over a decade, when the 2015 team fell inches short [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/opinion/how-the-2015-iowa-football-team-would-stack-up-in-a-24-team-cfp-field] of qualifying for the four-team field after losing to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game. But unlike the 2015 campaign, Iowa doesn't even need to win the Big Ten title or even appear in Indianapolis to punch their CFP ticket this year. The 12-team field (and soon to by 24 next year) allows the Hawkeyes to earn a spot in the CFP if they do enough of damage in the regular season to impress the selection. Though there are still six games to play, 5-1 Iowa is in a fantastic position [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/opinion/iowa-football-three-and-a-half-early-thoughts-ahead-of-minnesota]to earn a seat at college football's special table. But what has to happen between now and Selection Sunday? What is the Hawkeyes' resume? Let's unpack it all here. CURRENT RESUME While a 5-1 NFL team is probably going to be regarded as one of the league's best, that's not always the case in college football. All that matters in the NFL is wins to get into the playoff, but you have to beat good teams to beef up your resume for the College Football Playoff. Before the season, it looked like Iowa would have to go through a gauntlet to open Big Ten play. Michigan, Ohio State, and Washington were all ranked in the preseason, but Ohio State would ultimately be the only ranked opponent of the three by the time that portion of the schedule arrived. The Hawkeyes lost that game by 17 (31-14), but it's hard to see the committee giving Iowa much flack for that considering the Buckeyes will likely be one of the top seeds in the bracket. So there's no bad loss, but what about the wins? Wins over Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, and in-state rival Iowa State probably won't get much love from the committee, but the most of the Hawkeyes' work will be done in conference play, anyway. Iowa's two conference wins (Michigan and Washington) are unranked, but that doesn't mean they aren't completely worthless. The national media will always value a win at the Big House, while the win at Washington came in blowout fashion, 41-24. The bottom line: Iowa's resume isn't perfect, but it has avoided a bad loss and is currently ranked No. 15 in the country. That's not a bad resume at all, and it will more than suffice with six games to play. WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN Iowa probably needs to win out: There's a potential scenario that could get a 10-2 Hawkeye team in the CFP, but with so many 10-2 or 9-3 SEC teams and Notre Dame likely forming a logjam come playoff time, Iowa would be in excellent shape if it can get to 11 regular season wins. That would require the Hawkeyes to win out, but considering the remaining schedule only features one AP-ranked team at this point (No. 24 Northwestern), it's certainly possible. Others have to lose: The actual College Football ranking will be first released on Nov. 3, but until then, we have to go off the AP Poll. There's still a lot of season left, but Iowa could be left out if the teams ahead of it were to win out, too. Some of those teams ahead of the Hawkeyes right now that Iowa might want to drop a few games are No. 14 Houston, No. 13 Alabama, No. 12 Kentucky, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 10 Utah, and No. 9 UCLA. Remember: even if the Hawkeyes finish ranked No. 12 in the final CFP poll, they would be left out of the field to accommodate the Group of Six representative. Winning is obviously the only thing on Iowa's mind right now, but this is still important to note. It needs its wins to finish the year strong: We alluded to it in the current resume, but Iowa's strength of schedule is probably significantly lower than some of its top competitors for a playoff spot. It's not a terrible schedule, but it's against the entire old Big Ten West. Northwestern being the lone ranked team of the bunch isn't a good sign, but one thing that could help Iowa? Its wins turning their seasons around. Michigan has a chance to get back into the rankings if it can upset Indiana on Saturday, while Washington and Iowa State could be respectable victories if both can steal some wins down the road. The same goes for any win the Hawkeyes get the rest of the season, and it likely wouldn't hurt to have Northwestern and hated rival Nebraska ranked when Iowa plays them. LOOKING FOR A FREE HAWKEYES COMMUNITY? Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members in the community section! Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected! Click here [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/community/how-to-become-a-free-hawkeyeroundtable-community-member] to join the fun and potentially win some FREE Hawkeye swag! HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io
