Hawkeyes And The Playoff Picture

[Hawkeye News]

Will they make it?

Iowa Hawkeyes enter ESPN College Football Playoff conversation

Sitting at 5-2, the Iowa Hawkeyes have entered ESPN's conversation around the College Football Playoff.

hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com

 

[ChosenChildren]

This one is pretty easy. Beat Minnesota at home....not easy, but certainly possible. 75% chance to win?

Then beat a really talented Oregon team, hopefully at home, under the lights in freezing temperatures. 25% chance to win?

Win those two and you can start thinking playoffs.

Lose one and it is over.

Iowa's playoffs start this Saturday. Survive and advance. Lose and start thinking about a good bowl game, but outside of the playoff.

My personal feeling is that we have a chance in every game where Gronowski is healthy and playing.

 

[HawkeyeHypnosis]

Hope Gronowski has that brace off this week. Could definitely tell it hampered his top speed. Even with the brace he made some excellent reads and runs.

 

[HawkPowerlifter]

This one is pretty easy. Beat Minnesota at home....not easy, but certainly possible. 75% chance to win?

Then beat a really talented Oregon team, hopefully at home, under the lights in freezing temperatures. 25% chance to win?

Win those two and you can start thinking playoffs.

Lose one and it is over.

Iowa's playoffs start this Saturday. Survive and advance. Lose and start thinking about a good bowl game, but outside of the playoff.

My personal feeling is that we have a chance in every game where Gronowski is healthy and playing.

I think every game here on out is a must win. I think we likely have to run the table to even be considered and not an impossible task but definitely a tall task. One game at a time. It definitely starts Saturday. Iowa is not going to sneak up on anyone after how tough we played Indiana. Every game will be a war.

 

[HawkeyeHypnosis]

Every game here on out is huge. Get past Minny and the real bulk of the schedule will be interesting. Season turned out to be more exciting than expected after that first L.

 

[Gibsonian]

One play at a time we eat this elephant

 

[Seth53]

Win out. Do *not* make the B1G champ game. Finish 10-2. Magic.

 

[ICHawk24]

10-2 but missing B1G game would really be perfect.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

9-3 with no Top 25 wins won't do it. Have to beat Oregon. USC may be in the TOP 25 by the time we play them (they have Nebraska and NW) but beating them wouldn't be enough. Have to beat the Ducks.

Most of the playoff projections have only 3 B1G teams. Nothing short of 10-2 will get Iowa in.

 

[haydensly]

9-3 with no Top 25 wins won't do it. Have to beat Oregon. USC may be in the TOP 25 by the time we play them (they have Nebraska and NW) but beating them wouldn't be enough. Have to beat the Ducks.

Most of the playoff projections have only 3 B1G teams. Nothing short of 10-2 will get Iowa in.

Yeah, 9-3 will not get us in, even if we were to beat Oregon and lose to USC. I can't really think of any 9-3 team that would be playoff worthy.

 

[HuckFinn]

Worthy 3 loss teams, automatic: Notre Dame, and and all of the SEC teams.

 

[ICHawk24]

I can't really think of any 9-3 team that would be playoff worthy.

9-3 teams may not be "playoff worthy", but projections for the rest of this season seem to indicate we will probably see a 9-3 team in the field.

It will be a blue blood, even if they don't belong.

 

[guffus]

I think Iowa has a good chance to beat Oregon at home but it will be tough to also beat USC and Neb on the road. If Iowa loses all 3, the best they can do is 7-5.

The key is beat Minn first and get to the off week. Then Iowa can start thinking about Oregon.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

Face it, we are Iowa. We will get no benefit of the doubt. The calculus is simple. Win out, for sure in. Lose one game, for sure we don't make it.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

There's no margin for error. For me until we beat MN and then beat Oregon the topic isn't something to get ahead of ourselves thinking about much. If that happens and Iowa is as healthy as we are now and look good then I'll start getting pretty psyched about the possibility.

 

[HawkPowerlifter]

Honestly, Iowa can't look past any upcoming foe. I do not think we have shown we have that ability yet. It's fun to talk about, but we need to focus week to week and win. Period. It's also easy to look back that 2-3 plays separate us from being undefeated at this point. Easy and painful.

 

[ICHawk24]

Every close game has 8 to 10 plays that could have swung the outcome. That is true every year.

PSU, Indiana, and ISU fall into that category this year.

 

[Fryowa]

One play at a time we eat this elephant

This right here^^^

Observe...don't expect.

 

[Fryowa]

Indiana, OSU, Oregon, and Michigan are the teams at this point that if nothing goes haywire have a chance at the 3 spots.

--OSU is going to be in.

--Indiana has a very soft schedule and unless they fall apart will be in.

--Oregon plays Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, USC, and Washington in that order. I don't see a loss in there but even if they drop one they are in.

--Michigan plays MSU, Purdue, NW, Maryland, and OSU. I see one loss in there and it being Ohio State will not be held against them. NW is not the dark horse people are saying they are. Even if they lose to NW it will be looked at same as ours against ISU.

To get in the playoffs Iowa would likely have to win out including Oregon. If it comes down to it and Michigan, Iowa, and Oregon have similar looking resumes...Oregon or Michigan are getting the nod over us, period. Even with a win over Oregon because they didn't get beat by ISU. Whether you think that should be held against Iowa or not is irrelevant. It's up to the committee, not fans.

Bottom line, the non conference schedule is a liability for the Hawks. They need to drop the ISU game. Indiana had 3 wet blankets and so did NW. If you're at the level of Iowa where everything has to go perfect to make the playoff, you need to have a 3-0 non conference slate guaranteed.

 

[guffus]

Every one is talking about how Iowa needs to beat Oregon while winning out, but I believe the hardest game to win would be @USC. So far USC looks unbeatable at home and very beatable on the road. If it was reversed and Iowa hosted USC, I would like Iowa's chances against the Trojans, but not in Los Angeles.