College Football Playoff Rankings 2019: Projected final Top 25

Iowa lost to three teams that will be ranked ahead of them in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Otherwise, Kirk Ferentz’s squad took care of business against the rest of their regular-season schedule, including dealing Minnesota their first loss of the season. With the chance to reach 10 wins for the sixth time in Ferentz’s tenure in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes will be somewhere in the mid-teens of the final Top 25 released by the selection committee on Selection Sunday.

Like so many other Big Ten programs, Iowa’s success in 2019 was predicated on the strength of one of the nation’s most stifling defenses. The Hawkeyes ranked sixth nationally in points allowed, holding their opponents to only 13.2 points per game. Entering Championship Saturday, only Ohio State gave up fewer points per game than Iowa among Big Ten teams.

Now Iowa will get to prepare for a bowl game and the opportunity to finish with 10 wins. The most likely destinations for the Hawkeyes are either the Citrus Bowl against either the ACC or SEC, or a Holiday Bowl trip to San Diego to take on a Pac-12 foe. Either way, Iowa will be prepared to challenge for the chance to end their season on a high note.