As Iowa football (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) clashes with Purdue (3-6, 2-4 Big Ten) at a sold-out Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Hawkeye fans will also be keeping their eye on the out-of-town scoreboards, with Iowa within plausible reach of potentially securing its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.
While a hypothetical 10-2 finish for the No. 15-ranked Hawkeyes would put Iowa in an excellent position to clinch a spot in the 13-team CFP field, Kirk Ferentz and Company will likely need outside help to fend off other programs competing for a spot.
With this season being the lone year of the 12-team CFP model, the champions of the Power Four conferences, Notre Dame (Fighting Irish are guaranteed a spot in the CFP bracket if it finishes in the top
12 of the final CFP selection committee rankings), and the highest-ranked Group of 6 program receive an automatic bid. That leaves Iowa in stiff competition for a bid with just three games left in the regular season.
As the Hawkeyes look to bolster their resume with a win over the Boilermakers, here is how Iowa fans should be rooting for during several high-impact games this weekend:
Week 11 College Football Schedule
Duke at No. 7 MiamiSaturday, 11 a.m. CTABCRoot for: Duke
A second-straight loss increases the odds that the ACC is a one-bid league. Hawkeye fans should be pulling for Duke here.
No. 13 Wake Forest at SMUSaturday, 11 a.m. CTESPNRoot for: SMU
Like Miami, a Wake Forest loss increases the odds that the ACC is a one-bid league. A Wake Forest loss all but guarantees another Iowa rise in the rankings.
Northwestern at No. 20 Ohio StateSaturday, 11 a.m. CTFoxRoot for: Northwestern
After an embarrassing home loss to Oregon last week, Ohio State's playoff chances are on life support. A fourth loss for the Buckeyes would be the proverbial "nail in the coffin" for Ohio State and would remove them from impacting Iowa. Iowa fans should be cheering on the Wildcats.
No. 3 Alabama at VanderbiltSaturday, 11:45 a.m. CTSEC NetworkRoot for: Vanderbilt
As much as the CFP committee likes this two-loss Crimson Tide team, a third loss to Vanderbilt would be catastrophic for Alabama's playoff outlook.
No. 8 Tennessee at Texas A&MSaturday, 2 p.m. CTESPNRoot for: Texas A&M.
With two losses, Tennessee and Iowa may be more alike than not, and a loss to a middling Texas A&M squad would be a major blow to the Volunteers' resume.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football CFP rooting guide: What Hawkeyes hope for in Week 11
