How Many Coaches Poll Top 25 Teams Are on the Iowa Football Schedule?

The 2026 schedule is looking like we expected for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa is going to have multiple chances to prove itself against the best of the best, followed by a stretch run of games that, on paper, appear very winnable at the moment.

Did you expect the schedule to be any different for the Hawkeyes? The real question we should be asking is if Iowa can finally handle the ranked teams.

Iowa’s Coaches Poll Ranking

Iowa is a ranked team to start the 2026 college football season. The Iowa Hawkeyes are slotting in at No. 22 in the US LBM Coaches Poll to start the year.

It’s a predictable spot for Iowa, daring them to prove everyone wrong by winning games, but showing at least some faith in this team’s ability to compete with the best in the country, as they did in 2025.

In 2026, Iowa needs to do more than just compete, though. The Hawkeyes need to win against the best in the country to take flight.

Ranked Teams on 2026 Iowa Football Schedule

The Hawkeyes are being given their chances to knock off ranked teams. It just so happens that those three chances come in consecutive order as part of one of the most difficult stretches any team in the country has.

September 26: No. 22 Iowa at No. 16 Michigan

Iowa opens Big Ten play with a monster game on the road against No. 16 Michigan. The Hawkeyes have games against Northern Illinois, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa before this one.

Win those three, get some help across the board, and suddenly Iowa enters Ann Arbor ranked in the teens with an early opportunity to prove itself to the Big Ten and national landscape.

October 3: No. 22 Iowa vs. No. 1 Ohio State

Things only get more difficult after the Michigan game. Iowa gets the gift of turning around and welcoming the preseason No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes to Kinnick Stadium.

This one is where we really find out who Iowa is. It’s at home; Kinnick Stadium will be loud, and this is where Iowa could change the narrative of recent struggles against ranked teams.

October 9: No. 22 Iowa at No. 19 Washington

It’s harder to imagine things getting tougher, but they do. Iowa comes off of those two games and then makes a trip to No. 19 Washington.

Oh, and this game is a Friday night game, creating a short week for Iowa. This is where success could hinge this season. If Iowa loses the previous two, this is a must-win. If they split the previous two, this game is a springboard for Iowa to enter the top-10 conversation.