The Yahoo article doesn't mention it (somehow), but Iowa's got the soft draw for schedules in 2023. No Ohio State or Michigan. It does have trips to Penn State, Wisconsin, and Iowa State...but overall easier than the West competition.
I think Iowa plays with too narrow of a margin to make a serious CFP contender. Unless their offense improves a lot they will likely lose some of their many close games, and without a tough schedule or impressive wins, even one close loss could spell their playoff ouster.
I disagree with this.
The recipe to make the college football playoff is simple.
Win a power 5 league outright with zero or one loss.
How many teams have ever been left out while having that criteria met?
I’ll out teams who ALMOST meet the criteria to the side
2014 none (TCU/Baylor co champs)
2015 none (1 loss Michigan state over 1 loss Ohio state and 1 loss iowa and 1 loss non p5 Houston (MSU big ten champs))
2016 none (unbeaten w Michigan left out)
2017 none (2 loss conference champ Ohio state left and unbeaten UCF out for Alabama as a 1 loss non conference champ)
2018 1-loss p5 champ Ohio state left out for unbeaten SEC champ, ACC champ, notre dame, and 1 loss big 12 champ….1 loss big 13 champ also had beaten the team that beat them
2018 is the only example where a 1 loss conference champ from a p5 doesn’t get in…and it’s because there were 5 “power 5” 0-1 loss teams that year if you include Notre dame
2019 none
2020 unbeaten non p5 cincinatti left out
2021 11-1 notre dame left out (didn’t win conference and lost to unbeaten cincinatti)
2022 none
It would take a really unique year for a 1 loss Iowa who wins the big ten to be left out. There would have to be 5 0 or 1 loss power 5 champs. And even with that soft schedule they would end up with a win over Michigan or Ohio state in the big ten title game.
