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Riley Donald
Each year the Iowa Hawkeyes are
often an afterthought to the national college football media. Sure, they have
great defense and special teams, but they don’t always do the flashy things
that analysts want to talk about.
But, who said
you have to do those flashy things to win games? Iowa has proven it isn’t
always needed and the
Hawkeyes are among some of the biggest names in college football when it comes
to how often they win. Really, that’s the only barometer that matters at
the end of the season.
In a tweet, SportSource Analytics highlighted
just that fact.
Technically, the data SportSource Analytics is
showing in this tweet is from the last four seasons. Right now, 2023 results
would only include last season’s bowl games.
Per SportSource Analytics, over the last four
seasons Iowa is one of just 10 teams to have won at least 70% of their games,
though. The Hawkeyes boast a 70.83% winning percentage since the start of 2019
with their 34-14 overall record. It speaks for itself. The Hawkeyes and head
coach Kirk Ferentz don’t care how it gets done, they just care if they win.
And they do that among the best of them. The
company the Hawkeyes are keeping over the last four seasons is downright
impressive.
From the SEC,
the Georgia Bulldogs (90.74%) and Alabama Crimson Tide (88.89%) are the top two
winningest teams over the last four seasons. Each is in the playoff
conversation annually and has won titles, specifically Georgia, repeating the
last two years.
The Big Ten
leads the way in winning games recently as they boast the most schools in the
top 10 here with three. The Michigan Wolverines (76.60%)
and Ohio State Buckeyes (87.50%) join Iowa as teams
hailing from the Big Ten that simply get it done.
Soon-to-be Big
Ten member, Oregon (75.00%), is also winning games at a pretty
good clip. Also among teams winning 70% or more of their games over the past
four seasons are Clemson (83.33%), Notre Dame (80.39%), Oklahoma (74.51%),
and Utah (72.34%).
Interestingly
enough, the rule would still apply for Iowa over the course of the last five seasons,
too. The Hawkeyes have won
more than 70% of their games dating back to the start of the 2018 season.
Since 2018,
Iowa has an overall record of 43-18. That includes a Big Ten mark of 29-15. Each of the last five seasons
has seen the Hawkeyes earn a bowl bid as well, going 3-1 in those bowls
with the 2020 Music City Bowl canceled due to COVID issues.
The Hawkeyes are in the top 10 with some of
college football’s annual playoff attendees and recent national champions. Iowa
is keeping pace with some of the best teams year in and year out.
There seem to
be some Hawkeye fans that have feelings of complacency or apathy toward Kirk
Ferentz and Iowa, but his track record recently is among the best in the game.
Again, while it isn’t pretty, it is effective.
There are 123
other schools that haven’t seen this success recently and should serve as a
stark reminder that the grass isn’t always greener.
