Iowa football: The most confusing team in college football

Sep 10, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; The line of scrimmage during the first quarter between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; The line of scrimmage during the first quarter between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /
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Iowa football is a team that can be difficult to understand. The Hawkeyes are seemingly able to beat any team on any given day, yet also lose to teams they should have no trouble with. This inconsistency has led me, a Hawkeye fan, to label them the most confusing team in college football.

The Hawkeyes have a history of upsets, particularly against highly-ranked opponents.

In 2017, they upset then-No. 3 Ohio State in a 55-24 blowout.

In 2019, they defeated then-No. 7 Minnesota in a 23-19 thriller. And in 2016, they handed then-No. 3 Michigan their first loss of the season and ruined their national championship hopes.

However, the Hawkeyes have also suffered some inexplicable losses.

In 2021 after starting the season 6-0 and being the second-ranked team in the country, Iowa was stunned by Purdue with a final score of 24-7. In 2019, after starting 4-0 they lost to a Michigan team (10-3) that was in the midst of a down year. And in 2020, they lost to a Northwestern team that struggled for much of the season (21-20).