On3 tabs Iowa football stretch among nation's most dangerous schedules
· Yahoo Sports
Every season, fans can usually identify a slate of games that will define their team's year. For Iowa football in 2026, that portion of the schedule is not hard to find.
The Hawkeyes drew the short end of the stick when the 2026 schedule dropped. After a three-game nonconference slate to open things up, Kirk Ferentz's team will face a gauntlet of conference contenders.
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Iowa opens Big Ten play at the Big House to take on Michigan on Sept. 26. A home game against Ohio State follows that on Oct. 3. Then, six days later, Iowa has to travel across the country to face Washington for a Friday night game on Oct. 9
It's an absolutely brutal stretch of games that will define what the Hawkeyes' ceiling is next season. And it's one of the most dangerous stretches that any team in the country faces, according to On3's Andy Staples.
"Someone at the Big Ten office must hate Kirk Ferentz, punts or both. Michigan and Ohio State back-to-back is brutal enough for Iowa, but tagging on a Friday game at Washington six days after facing the Buckeyes is pure sadism.
But here’s the silver lining. If Iowa can win one of these games, it might be a CFP contender. Win two and the Hawkeyes probably would be a favorite to make the CFP." - Andy Staples, On3
While those games will be tough and test Iowa, Staples' silver lining rings true. Picking up one to two wins there sets the Hawkeyes up to be dark-horse College Football Playoff contenders. It wouldn't guarantee anything, but it would give them a leg up with a lighter back half of the schedule.
Iowa's been close to making the playoff a few times since its inception over a decade ago. This stretch of games will determine if 2026 is another year of what-ifs. Or, if it's the year that the Hawkeyes finally break through and reach their first CFP.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: On3 tabs Iowa football stretch among nation's most dangerous schedules