When North Dakota State kicker Cam Pedersen buried a 37-yard game-winning field goal against Iowa as time expired in Week 3, the Hawkeyes' dream of reaching the College Football Playoff all but evaporated. That stunning realization marked one of several low points for an Iowa team that entered the year with sky-high expectations following an undefeated regular season in 2015.
Iowa added losses to Northwestern, Wisconsin and Penn State to enter its game against No. 3 Michigan as three-touchdown underdogs while sitting at just 5-4 overall. But a late-season push, which included a stirring upset of Michigan, helped Iowa reach the Outback Bowl against Florida on Jan.