Iowa Hawkeyes 1996 Team Would Have Shaken Up a 24-Team College Football Playoff
As college football continues to expand its playoff format, Hawkeye fans can look back at a forgotten gem: the 1996 Iowa squad that would have made serious noise in a 24-team bracket. Under legendary coach Hayden Fry, this team represented one final burst of brilliance before the program's decline.
After a rough stretch from 1992 to 1994 where Iowa went just 11-18-1, Fry's Hawkeyes rebounded with an 8-4 mark in 1995. The 1996 season proved to be the last great team of the Fry era, finishing 8-3 in the regular season and ranked No. 21 in the final AP poll before the bowl games.
Why the 1996 Hawkeyes Were Special
The 1996 team featured three of the most electric players in college:<