by Scratch your head and call me a lunatic all you want, but the Iowa Hawkeyes are a legit CFP dark horse in 2024.
A historically bad offense in 2024 stains the reputation of this program, but people forget that Iowa still won 10 games last season! All the offense needs to do is be a LITTLE bit better and I see a smidge of improvement this season with new OC Tim Lester taking over the play calling.
Sure QB Cade McNamara had a pitiful stat line in the team scrimmage, but 1) that happens to college quarterbacks more often than not against their own defense who practices against them every day, and 2) Iowa will have a perennial top 10 defense in college football this year.
Not saying McNamara is amazing, but he’s an upgrade over what the Hawkeyes had last season; besides, backup Brandon Sullivan is a decent plug-and-play QB too. And it’s not like there aren’t any weapons on the offense either. Tight end Luke Lachey is one of the top all-around players at his position on the national level and will continue the TEU legacy. The backfield is also filled with depth as leading rusher Leshon Williams returns and so does a now-healthy Kaleb Johnson.
It can only go up from here offensively…
I’ll briskly go over the defense because it goes without saying that this unit is going to be elite yet again. Phil Parker may be the best DC in the sport, and he gets a handful of All-conference-type talents back this season. Jay Higgins is a preseason All-American linebacker, and he will anchor the front seven with DE Yahya Black. Iowa has had a top-25 passing defense every year since 2017 and the fact that future early-round draft pick Sebastian Castro and safety Quinn Schulte are returning gives reason that they will continue that trend.
The schedule is beautiful with the only true tough test being at Ohio State in October. They also get a rebuilding Washington team and both Wisconsin and Nebraska at Kinnick Stadium. No Penn State, Michigan, Oregon, or USC improves their CFP birth chances even more.
With my understood high level of optimism, I can’t see this program finishing any worse than 10-2, which, in all likelihood, just may be enough for a Big Ten program to get into the playoff depending on how the rest of the field pans out.
Consider them a CFP bubble team as of right now, but their current odds of +600 to make the playoff (via Draft Kings) is such an attractive low risk, high reward wager. One of my favorite preseason futures that I feel confident enough in feeling good about come late November.
