The 2025 season was filled with what-ifs for the Iowa football program.
The Hawkeyes lost four games last season by a combined 15 points. In each loss, Iowa had chances to make a play here or there to flip the script. The football Gods decided it wasn't in the cards.
A tipped ball went Iowa State's way on a crucial fourth-quarter third down. An All-American kicker missed a chip shot to give Iowa the lead late against Indiana. A ball was dropped in perfectly over great coverage to set Oregon up for the game-winning field goal. And Kaden Wetjen's toe landed an inch out of bounds late against USC, which would've set Iowa up to win the game.
Those were just a few 50-50 plays that went the opposite direction last season, resulting in four Iowa losses.
Fast-forward to 2026, and it looked like things were setting up the same way.
The Hawkeyes had their first big test on Saturday with a top-20 road matchup at Michigan. It was a typical Kirk Ferentz game against a great team: a low-scoring nail-biter where Iowa waits for its opponent to make a late mistake. Except it was almost Iowa who made the crucial error late in this game.
With just under three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Iowa faced a 4th-and-1 at the Wolverines' 28-yard line. Trailing by five, Ferentz decided to keep the offense on the field. Just before the ball could be snapped, left guard Leighton Jones flinched, resulting in a false start penalty. It caused the Hawkeyes to bring kicker Caden Buhr out for a 51-yard field goal attempt. He missed it wide right.
It seemed like Iowa had blown it again. Just like the four games last season, it was one mistake in the fourth quarter that cost them the game. And potentially a chance at the College Football Playoff. However, something was different this time. The football Gods stepped in to deliver some poetic justice.
Iowa's defense forced a quick three-and-out to give its offense one last chance. Hank Brown and the offense took the field with 1:46 to play, needing to drive 91 yards with only one timeout. It seemed nearly an impossible task. For last year's team, it might've been. But this isn't last year's Hawkeyes.
Brown slowly led the offense down the field, dinking and dunking for a pair of first downs. After a few incompletions and another false start, Iowa was staring down a 3rd-and-12 from its own 40-yard line. With just 28 seconds left, things looked dire. But that's when it happened. Unlike Iowa's opponents in those close losses last year, Michigan made the mistake that proved costly.
Brown's third-down pass to Tony Diaz fell incomplete, but Michigan safety Zeke Berry delivered a late shove to Diaz out of bounds. The flag was thrown, and Iowa got a new lifeline. They took advantage of it. Three plays later, Brown found tight end Addison Ostrenga down the seam. Ostrenga caught the deflected ball and fell for a 29-yard gain with two seconds left.
Just like the shove on Diaz earlier in the drive, Iowa got another break. Michigan defensive lineman John Henry Daley was down behind the play, creating an injury stoppage. Without that injury stoppage, the Hawkeyes wouldn't have had time for one final play. Instead, Iowa got to line up for one last-ditch effort. And we all know what happened next.
IOWA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/RyB7za10SS
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 26, 2026
Brown delivered a 16-yard strike to the front corner of the end zone, where Reece Vander Zee was waiting with open arms. He corralled the pass and dragged his feet in bounds for the score, sealing an improbable victory for the road team. In front of a shocked Michigan crowd, the Hawkeyes stormed the field to celebrate a season-defining win.
Most of Saturday's contest played out like a 2025 Iowa football game. They hung around against a great team, but couldn't quite make the big play in the biggest moment. It took just 1:46, a crucial Michigan mistake, and one immaculate throw to change that narrative.
With the victory, Iowa captured its first road win over a ranked Big Ten foe since 2015 at Northwestern.
Who knows where this season ends up? Maybe Iowa makes the College Football Playoff. Maybe they don't. But one thing is for certain: Ferentz's strategy to beat ranked opponents still works. And with Ohio State coming to town, the Hawkeyes will have another chance to add a marquee win to their belt.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football exorcised 2025, ranked foe demons in win vs. Michigan
