Ranking Every Iowa 24-Team Playoff Squad Under Hayden Fry

Brad SchultzSun, Jul 12, 2026·4 min read

Our hypothetical 24-team playoff series has now completely journeyed through Hayden Fry's legendary 20-year tenure.

With a 24-team College Football Playoff field likely coming in the near future, HawkeyeRoundtable's 2026 summer series is listing every Iowa football team that would've qualified for a 24-team bracket under Fry and Kirk Ferentz.

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The trip through the Ferentz era will begin this Tuesday, but while you wait for that to get underway, we're going to recap our Fry series. Remember that this list is completely our opinion, but by our count, eight of Fry's teams would've made a 24-team bracket had it existed all those years ago.

Each squad is fondly remembered by Hawkeye fans for a different reason, but which teams had the best chance to win a national championship? That's the answer we're trying to find today, so here's a ranking of those eight teams based on their title potential.

No. 8: 1986

This ranking was incredibly difficult because all of these teams were good enough to make a run in a 24-team playoff field, but the eighth spot on our list goes to the 1986 team.

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This group finished 9-3 overall and just outside the top 15, but the lack of a signature win really hurts them in this scenario. They might've been able to win a few games in a 24-team bracket, but that's their ceiling.

No. 7: 1987

The next team on the list is the 1987 squad, which became the second team to win 10 games under Fry. This team was nearly identical to the 1986 group, but what pushes them over the edge here is just how well they were playing to close the year.

Iowa scuffled down the stretch in '86, but closed 1987 on a six-game winning streak. Quarterback Chuck Hartlieb was playing great football, and don't forget about future NFL Pro Bowler Marv Cook, either.

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No. 6: 1990

One could argue the Hawkeyes were a better team in both 1986 and 1987, but the 1990 group gets the nod here because they captured Fry's third and final Big Ten title. As I wrote in the 1990 profile, Iowa was probably a year early in its rebuild, but the co-Big Ten championship was a great reward for the Hawkeye faithful.

The November collapse and Rose Bowl disappointment keeps this team out of the top five, though.

No. 5: 1981

1981 was such a magical season for Iowa football, but that's the key word here. There was a ton of talent on this team (namely future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Andre Tippett), but when it comes to winning a national championship in a 24-team format, the Hawks probably run out of magic early in the tournament.

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No. 4: 1996

Iowa was far removed from its 1980s glory days by the mid-1990s, but the 1996 team was very capable of competing in a 24-team field. Why? Because they had a dominant trio of wide receiver/return specialist Tim Dwight and running backs Sedrick Shaw and Tavian Banks.

Shaw remains the Hawkeyes' all-time leading rusher, and it would've been interesting to see he and Banks get a crack in an expanded CFP bracket.

No. 3: 1991

Everyone remembers 1990 because it ended in the Rose Bowl, but Iowa was a much better football team in 1991. The final record of 10-1-1 makes it easy to rank this group high, but considering how unpredictable the Big Ten was back then, the Hawkeyes losing just one game in conference (Michigan) was very impressive.

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Iowa fell just short of returning to Pasadena, but it would've been interesting to see a more-experienced team take on undefeated Washington in the Rose Bowl. The Hawkeyes would've been pretty good in a 24-team playoff, too.

No. 2: 1983

The top team on our list is the most popular team of the Fry era, but when you're talking a team that could've made a deep run in a 24-team tournament, 1983 probably should be mentioned.

Chuck Long was blossoming into a superstar at quarterback, and his 3,239 passing yards set a new program record. Though the season ended in disappointment with a loss to Florida in the Gator Bowl, this team, which entered bowl season 10th in the AP poll, would've been a tough out in an expanded CFP.

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No. 1: 1985

Does this team really need much of an explanation? The 1985 Hawkeyes were easily Fry's most-talented team, spending five weeks ranked No. 1 in the polls.

Long narrowly finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, but give this Iowa team a shot in a 24-team playoff bracket, and there's a good chance it would've been celebrating a national championship.

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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