Wins don’t highlight the flaws the way losses do. Obviously, Kirk Ferentz’s squad’s 40–16 victory over Nebraska can’t be swept under the rug. But with four losses this season, Iowa is out of the CFP hunt and even the B1G title race. That string of close calls has caught the attention of CBS Sports analyst Rick Neuheisel. Here’s where the former CFB coach pointed out the reality behind those losses.

“Ross Tucker just said it. Iowa fans have to be scratching their heads, ‘what if?'” said Neuheisel on Friday’s appearance on CBS Sports College Football.

Since those losses were mainly close calls, they naturally sting for Iowa fans while also raising alarms for Ferentz. More importantly, the reason behind those defeats points towards QB Mark Gronowski, who has struggled to show his full potential despite having 11,000 passing yards in his career.

“Gronowski had this kind of confidence early in the season,” said Neuheisel. “You talk about a game of inches. We did the Oregon-Iowa game.”

Against Oregon, Gronowski struggled as a passer for much of the game. With that, his 10-of-18 performance for 138 yards ended up handing the Hawkeyes an 18–16 loss. Although he led a late scoring drive to give Iowa a temporary lead, that was not enough.

As Neuheisel put it, “That Dante Moore ball had eyes to get to where it was so that they, the Ducks, could come down and kick that game-winning field goal.”

Then, Iowa headed west to face the Trojans. In that game, Gronowski dialed up a gorgeous fourth-down strike to Kaden Wetjen, dropping it inside the five. But Wetjen’s toe was just out of bounds as he landed from the jump ball catch, a matter of inches that decided the game’s outcome. Just like that, Iowa walked away with another heartbreak, falling 26–21. Even the loss to Indiana was also a close call.

If those close losses hadn’t happened and if Gronowski and Co. had played to their full potential, avoiding missed opportunities and costly mistakes, this season might look very different for Iowa.

“They could be a CFP team,” according to the CBS Sports analyst.

The what-if scenario and the close losses point to another team that failed to materialize. Penn State had a season to forget, and James Franklin got the sack after spending 11 seasons. These two teams had great expectations but failed at the last hurdle.

Iowa’s potential this season is undeniable, and its dominant win against Nebraska makes that clearer than ever.

Iowa’s blowout win over Nebraska

In the game against Nebraska, Iowa buried the noise. While Gronowski powered the charge with two rushing TDs and another through the air, Kamari Moulton bulldozed his way to 93 yards. Then, a one-point nail-biter late in the second quarter quickly morphed into a runaway as the Hawkeyes stacked three TDs and a safety, blanking the Huskers in the second half.

“After that first quarter, we really took it away,” said Gronowski. “When we’re a consistent team, we’re a really tough team to beat.”

Probably, that’s why Nebraska’s early spark faded fast. Emmett Johnson ripped off 177 first-half yards, but Iowa adjusted, throttling him to just 40 yards after the break. Then the defense forced a safety out of a muffed punt, while Gronowski punched in a goal-line score before halftime. Following that, two more Iowa TDs had Memorial Stadium emptying early.

“We knew they’d be a tough, physical team, and we ended up breaking them in the second half,” stated Wetjen.

After this glaring loss, Matt Rhule didn’t mince words. “If I’m a fan right now, I’m walking away mad,” he said.

While Iowa walked away with its most lopsided win in the rivalry since 2017, its losses this season still sting.