College Football Playoff Ranking Projections: Top 25 for Week 11
By Zach Bigalke
With a massive 55-24 upset of No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday, Iowa played its way into the College Football Playoff Top 25. The Hawkeyes rolled up a convincing upset that pushed them to bowl eligibility. In the process, they also sent the Buckeyes tumbling down the rankings on a day when everything went right in Iowa City for the home side.
Nathan Stanley threw for just 226 yards, but he racked up five touchdowns without an interception in the blowout win. Akrum Wadley rushed for 118 yards, as the Hawkeyes finished with 243 rushing yards as a team. The Iowa defense was stout, forcing four J.T. Barrett interceptions and holding a formidable Buckeyes offense under 400 total yards.
A shot at the Big Ten West title is out of reach since the Hawkeyes sit 3-3 in conference play. But they can play spoiler beginning with next week’s trip to Madison to face top-10 Wisconsin. Purdue and Nebraska close out the regular season, and a 10-win season is still in reach for Kirk Ferentz’s team if they win out through their bowl game.