Iowa football is serving up a delicious spoiler ahead of the 2025 season, and fans are here for every sly move. Head coach Kirk Ferentz is entering his 27th season with the Hawkeyes, yes, you read that right, 27! And the Hawkeyes aren’t sneaking up on anyone this time. What’s actually cooking? A transfer quarterback with swagger, Mark Gronowski, sure, but there’s something else that’s even sweeter for the Hawkeyes this time.

The offense took a big leap last season under Tim Lester, nearly doubling points and carving out a serious ground game. But that 8-5 final record left many scratching their heads, especially after a schedule that, on paper, should’ve meant more. Fans have been whispering, and maybe yelling, about how the stars might finally be aligning this time.

Popular analyst Greg McElroy talked about Iowa during a recent episode of ESPN College Football, and he didn’t hold back. “Now they don’t have Michigan on the schedule. They don’t have Ohio State on the schedule, but you get Oregon, Penn State, and Indiana. The good news is all three of those games are at Kinnick Stadium, there in Iowa City.” That right there? That’s the main headline, the “unfair advantage” that gives Iowa not just hope, but a legit edge.

Hosting three power-conference opponents at home is rare in today’s college football world. And this time they gotta cash in the opportunity because they were favoured in the last season as well. McElroy pointed out, “They were favored in almost all of their games last year. They avoided Oregon, they avoided Penn State, and yet to only win eight games was kind of disappointing, especially when you take into account they blew a couple leads against Missouri in the bowl game, against Iowa State.” Yeah, despite a pretty favourable schedule, they were able to win only eight games, including a heartbreaking Music City Bowl game against Missouri 24-27.

But things can be different this year because of their new QB, Mark Gronowski. The South Dakota State transfer who comes armed with back-to-back FCS titles, a Walter Payton Award, and a record of 49-6 as a starter. Talk about big shoes, right? But it’s not just a shiny new quarterback stealing the spotlight. Iowa’s offense finally looked like it had flipped the script last year. Now, with Gronowski settling in and backups like Moulton and Patterson returning behind an experienced offensive line anchored by Logan Jones, fireworks feel imminent.

Mark Gronowski brings hope to an already sweet schedule

Let’s drop some numbers for extra spicy context. Iowa’s 2024 offense averaged solid numbers, 27.7 points and 328.8 total yards per game, backed up by 197.2 rushing yards. While the defense allowed just 17.8 points and 318.4 yards per contest. Now throw in Gronowski’s dual-threat magic. Last year, he dropped nearly 2,721 passing yards, 23 TDs, plus 380 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs at South Dakota State, and you’ve got a legitimate renaissance in motion.

Even McElroy called Iowa’s 2025 offense “super optimistic.” He was all praise for Gronowski. “He’s a four-year starter, two-time FCS national champion. He’s won a ton of games. Gained more than 12,000 career yards, but he did miss spring with a shoulder injury.” However, he also admitted that the program will miss the services of their star RB Caleb Johnson, who has been signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the NFL 2025 draft. “They’re going to miss Caleb Johnson and his 1500 yards and 21 touchdowns,” McElroy added.

But at the end of the day, we can say that McElroy’s not wrong; this year is set up for Iowa in a way you don’t see too often. No Michigan. No, Ohio State. And the big boys, Oregon, Penn State, and  Indiana, are all coming to Kinnick, where visiting dreams usually go to die. That’s a gift, but it’s also a test. You can’t waste a schedule like this and expect anyone to take you seriously as a Big Ten contender.