Iowa football chosen as CFP long shot on Pat McAfee Show

In most places college football fans look, the Iowa Hawkeyes find themselves just inside the top 25 or as one of the first teams out.

In its recent post-spring top 25 rankings, ESPN ranked Iowa as the nation’s No. 23 team heading into the 2024 college football season.

While Iowa is thought of by most as either a top 25 team or a fringe top 25 team, there aren’t a lot of folks nationally expecting the Hawkeyes to make their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Tone Digz, one of the members of the “Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN, made his case for why Iowa just might be headed to the College Football Playoff. It was part of his favorite College Football Playoff long shot bets.

“I’m starting in the Big Ten with the Iowa Hawkeyes..

They’re returning eighteen starters from last year and they’ve brought in a new OC” ~ @ToneDigz#PMSLive https://t.co/ba1Zc8e0gF pic.twitter.com/9nbLOVaHNm

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 13, 2024

“I’m starting in the Big Ten with Ty Schmit’s Iowa Hawkeyes. They are +700 to make the College Football Playoffs. They are sixth in the Big Ten to win the Big Ten. What was their record last year? 10-4? Is that a good record? Yes, it is. OK, they return 18 starters off of that 10-4 team. Nine on offense, nine on defense.

“They had the 130th-ranked offense in college football last year. Can it get worse? It could get slightly worse. It could get three teams worse, but they brought in a new OC, they have Cade McNamara who was the Michigan transfer who is coming back. They have both of their running backs returning. They have four of five O-linemen returning and then their defense ranked fourth last year, so they have nine guys coming back on that defense. So, I (love that),” Digz said.

Digz, real name Anthony DiGuilio, also loves the way the schedule sets up for Iowa.

“OK, they were good last year. Their schedule, they have to play Ohio State. OK, Ohio State is the cream of the crop this year in the Big…