- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,230,830
- Reaction score
- 59
After two successful seasons in 1990 and 1991, Iowa football slowly began to decline under legendary coach Hayden Fry.
The Hawkeyes went just 11-18-1 during a three-year stretch from 1992-1994, resulting in many fans calling for the then-65-year-old coach to step aside.
Though Iowa would never return to its 1980s glory days under Fry, it did have one final last breath in the mid-1990s. An 8-4 mark in 1995 was a step in the right direction, and it culminated in the final team under Fry to make a hypothetical 24-team bracket - 1996.
The Hawkeyes weren't able to sustain their 1996 success for the final two seasons of Fry's tenure, but 1996 is one of those seasons that could've seen Iowa shake up a 24-team field if it would've had the chance.
Let's get into it.
After finishing the 1995 campaign ranked No. 25 in the final AP poll, the pollsters were optimistic about the 1996 Hawkeyes, listing them at No. 22 in the preseason polls.
It helped that Iowa returned three of the most electric players in the sport - running backs Tavian Banks and Sedrick Shaw, and wide receiver/return specialist Tim Dwight. All three added a dynamic factor to the Hawkeyes' offense and made things a lot easier for junior quarterback Matt Sherman.
Iowa was heavily favored in its three non-conference games (Arizona, Iowa State, and Tulsa), but the lone loss of the three was one that nobody expected. The Hawkeyes should've easily rolled Tulsa after besting Iowa State by 25 points the week prior, but the Golden Hurricane took advantage of whatever home field advantage they had and stunned Iowa, 27-20.
That defeat knocked the 19th-ranked Hawks out of the top 25, but they would quickly gain the respect of the college football community with a 21-20 win at No. 10 Penn State. The win vaulted Iowa back into the top 20, but the stay was short lived when No. 2 Ohio State ran out of Kinnick Stadium with a win.
No. 18 Northwestern handed the Hawkeyes their final defeat of the regular season (again at Kinnick Stadium), but Iowa still finished with a solid 8-3 overall record and No. 21 in the AP poll.
The Hawks were sent to the Alamo Bowl for the second time, where they defeated Texas Tech in shutout fashion, 27-0.
Based on the pre-bowl game AP rankings, No. 21 Iowa would be pitted against No. 12 North Carolina in the first round. Though the Tar Heels would've been favored, it's very possible the Hawkeyes could've pulled off the upset considering they had the aforementioned trio of Shaw, Banks, and Dwight at their disposal.
No. 5 BYU became the first team ever to win 14 games in 1996, but considering they played in the much weaker WAC at the time, Iowa could've caught them off guard, too.
A rematch against Ohio State in the quarterfinals would've been fun to watch, but this is all hypothetical of course. Florida and Florida State would play for the national title in the 1997 Sugar Bowl, where the Gators won in a rout to secure their first-ever national championship.
Can you imagine Iowa's dynamic trio getting a chance to play Steve Spurrier's "Fun 'n' Gun" offense?
Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join and gives you the chance to win FREE Hawkeye swag.
Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected and get notified when new articles are posted.
Click here to join the fun!
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
Continue reading...
The Hawkeyes went just 11-18-1 during a three-year stretch from 1992-1994, resulting in many fans calling for the then-65-year-old coach to step aside.
Though Iowa would never return to its 1980s glory days under Fry, it did have one final last breath in the mid-1990s. An 8-4 mark in 1995 was a step in the right direction, and it culminated in the final team under Fry to make a hypothetical 24-team bracket - 1996.
The Hawkeyes weren't able to sustain their 1996 success for the final two seasons of Fry's tenure, but 1996 is one of those seasons that could've seen Iowa shake up a 24-team field if it would've had the chance.
Let's get into it.
The Rundown
After finishing the 1995 campaign ranked No. 25 in the final AP poll, the pollsters were optimistic about the 1996 Hawkeyes, listing them at No. 22 in the preseason polls.
It helped that Iowa returned three of the most electric players in the sport - running backs Tavian Banks and Sedrick Shaw, and wide receiver/return specialist Tim Dwight. All three added a dynamic factor to the Hawkeyes' offense and made things a lot easier for junior quarterback Matt Sherman.
Iowa was heavily favored in its three non-conference games (Arizona, Iowa State, and Tulsa), but the lone loss of the three was one that nobody expected. The Hawkeyes should've easily rolled Tulsa after besting Iowa State by 25 points the week prior, but the Golden Hurricane took advantage of whatever home field advantage they had and stunned Iowa, 27-20.
That defeat knocked the 19th-ranked Hawks out of the top 25, but they would quickly gain the respect of the college football community with a 21-20 win at No. 10 Penn State. The win vaulted Iowa back into the top 20, but the stay was short lived when No. 2 Ohio State ran out of Kinnick Stadium with a win.
No. 18 Northwestern handed the Hawkeyes their final defeat of the regular season (again at Kinnick Stadium), but Iowa still finished with a solid 8-3 overall record and No. 21 in the AP poll.
The Hawks were sent to the Alamo Bowl for the second time, where they defeated Texas Tech in shutout fashion, 27-0.
The Bracket
Based on the pre-bowl game AP rankings, No. 21 Iowa would be pitted against No. 12 North Carolina in the first round. Though the Tar Heels would've been favored, it's very possible the Hawkeyes could've pulled off the upset considering they had the aforementioned trio of Shaw, Banks, and Dwight at their disposal.
No. 5 BYU became the first team ever to win 14 games in 1996, but considering they played in the much weaker WAC at the time, Iowa could've caught them off guard, too.
A rematch against Ohio State in the quarterfinals would've been fun to watch, but this is all hypothetical of course. Florida and Florida State would play for the national title in the 1997 Sugar Bowl, where the Gators won in a rout to secure their first-ever national championship.
Can you imagine Iowa's dynamic trio getting a chance to play Steve Spurrier's "Fun 'n' Gun" offense?
You must be registered for see images attach
Looking for a FREE Hawkeyes community?
Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join and gives you the chance to win FREE Hawkeye swag.
Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected and get notified when new articles are posted.
Click here to join the fun!
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
Continue reading...
