Iowa fans eyeing a return to the College Football Playoff have reason for cautious optimism just past the midway point of the 2026 season. A new week 8 projection from Yahoo Sports slots the Hawkeyes as the No. 8 seed in the final 12-team bracket, with a projected 11-1 record and a schedule that sets up favorably the rest of the way.
According to Yahoo Sports, Iowa should be favored in every remaining game: at Minnesota, home against Wisconsin, at Northwestern, home for Purdue, at Illinois, and the season finale against Nebraska. The projection calls for the Hawkeyes to run the table, though the outlet admits the pick comes with a caveat.
“This is a bit of a reach since we're not totally sold that the Hawkeyes will go unbeaten the rest of the way to get this spot at 11-1, but they should be favored in every remaining game,” Yahoo Sports wrote. “Even at 10-2, they're in, just not this high.”
Ohio State Expected to Claim the Top Seed
The same projection has Ohio State finishing 12-1 and claiming the No. 1 overall seed. The Buckeyes are expected to keep winning while quarterback Julian Sayin recovers from a shoulder injury expected to keep him out “several weeks.” Yahoo Sports assumes Sayin returns in time for the Big Ten Championship, where Ohio State is projected to beat UCLA.
If that scenario holds, Ohio State would be the only team to beat Iowa, Indiana, and UCLA, a resume strong enough to anchor the bracket. Iowa fans tracking the quarterback situation in Columbus may recall our earlier coverage of how Sayin's injury opened a playoff door for the Hawkeyes.
Big Ten Could Land Four Teams in the Field
The projection is good news beyond Iowa City. Yahoo Sports places four Big Ten programs in the projected top 12: Ohio State at No. 1, UCLA at No. 6, Indiana at No. 7, and Iowa at No. 8. UCLA, at 12-1, benefits from a schedule that avoids Ohio State and Indiana entirely, and the outlet argues the committee would never leave out a 10-2 Big Ten team.
Indiana, which came within a toe-tap of beating Ohio State, is projected to finish 11-1 and miss the Big Ten Championship, which the outlet frames as an advantage: extra rest before a first-round home game.
How Many SEC Teams Will Make the Playoff?
The projection's headline question is bad news for the SEC. A few weeks ago, the conference looked poised to dominate the bracket. Then Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas all started losing. As of week 8, only four SEC teams (Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Tennessee) have fewer than two losses, and all four have exactly one.
Yahoo Sports projects just three SEC teams get in, and it won't be easy. Georgia is slotted at No. 5 at a projected 11-2, Tennessee at No. 9 at 10-3, and LSU at No. 11 at 9-3, with the Tigers needing a win over Alabama to secure their spot.
“There's still one more LSU loss coming somewhere, like at Tennessee, but Alabama is everything in the brief history of the College Football Playoff,” the outlet wrote.
BYU, Miami, and Notre Dame Round Out the Top Seeds
The projection has BYU at No. 2, losing at Utah but rebounding to win the Big 12 Championship, with an earlier win over Notre Dame carrying weight with the committee. Miami sits at No. 4 at 12-1 with an ACC title, Notre Dame at No. 3 at 11-1, and Wake Forest at No. 10 at 11-2. James Madison, projected to finish 13-0, grabs the final spot at No. 12.
ESPN's own midseason projection, published one day before the Yahoo piece, also places Kentucky in the playoff conversation, noting the Wildcats have won five straight games including three road wins against SEC teams. ESPN's playoff projection shows the same broad consensus that the SEC's grip on the field has loosened.
Under the 2026 format, five automatic qualifiers come from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC champions plus the highest-ranked Group of Six team, with seven at-large spots filled by the highest-ranked remaining teams, according to Pro Football Network's playoff predictor.
What the Projection Means for Iowa
For Hawkeye fans, the math is straightforward. Iowa controls its own path, with no ranked juggernauts left on the schedule and every remaining game winnable on paper. A single loss, even to a division rival, likely still lands the Hawkeyes in the field given the committee's history of rewarding two-loss Power Four programs.
The bigger question is seeding. At 11-1, Yahoo Sports sees Iowa hosting a first-round game at Kinnick Stadium as the No. 8 seed. At 10-2, the Hawkeyes make the field but travel, likely to a venue such as Georgia or Miami.
The Hawkeyes return to action this week with a trip to Minnesota, the first of six remaining regular season games that will decide whether the projection holds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Iowa projected in the College Football Playoff?
Yahoo Sports projects Iowa as the No. 8 seed in the final 12-team bracket, with an 11-1 record and a first-round home game.
How many SEC teams does Yahoo Sports project in the playoff?
Three: Georgia at No. 5, Tennessee at No. 9, and LSU at No. 11, provided LSU beats Alabama.
Who is projected as the No. 1 seed?
Ohio State, at a projected 12-1, with wins over Iowa, Indiana, and UCLA in the Big Ten Championship.
What is Iowa's remaining schedule?
The Hawkeyes play at Minnesota, home against Wisconsin, at Northwestern, home for Purdue, at Illinois, and home against Nebraska to close the regular season.