All-time ranking

Top 25 games in the database

Wins receive a small preference, but exceptional losses and ties remain eligible. Select any game for its available box score and statistics.

1985Week 8Home
W 12-10 vs. Michigan
No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 2 Michigan · 2-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
82
Game score
2021Week 6Home
W 23-20 vs. Penn State
No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 4 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 45/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
77
Game score
Highlight · 2021 Iowa vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
1953Week 10Home
T 14-14 vs. Notre Dame
No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 2 Notre Dame · 0-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 30/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
71
Game score
2015Week 14Neutral site
L 13-16 vs. Michigan State
No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 5 Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
70
Game score
Full Game · 2015 Iowa vs. Michigan State (Big Ten Championship Game Full Game)
1983Week 5Home
W 20-14 vs. Ohio State
No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 8 Ohio State · 6-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
69
Game score
1960Week 6Home
W 28-21 vs. Wisconsin
No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 11 Wisconsin · 7-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
68
Game score
1958Week 7Home
W 26-20 vs. Northwestern
No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 11 Northwestern · 6-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
68
Game score
1981Week 7Away
W 9-7 vs. Michigan
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 Iowa · 2-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
68
Game score
1957Week 10Away
L 13-17 vs. Ohio State
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Iowa · 4-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
67
Game score
1959Week 4Home
L 10-14 vs. Northwestern
No. 10 Iowa vs. No. 2 Northwestern · 4-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
66
Game score
1956Week 10Home
W 6-0 vs. Ohio State
No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 12 Ohio State · 6-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
66
Game score
1957Week 8Home
T 21-21 vs. Michigan
No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 11 Michigan · 0-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 30/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
66
Game score
1985Week 10Away
L 13-22 vs. Ohio State
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Iowa · 9-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 21/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
64
Game score
1986Week 8Away
L 17-20 vs. Michigan
No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 11 Iowa · 3-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
64
Game score
1960Week 7Home
W 21-14 vs. Purdue
No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 15 Purdue · 7-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
64
Game score
1954Week 2Home
W 14-10 vs. Michigan State
No. 12 Iowa vs. No. 7 Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
64
Game score
2009Week 11Away1OT
L 24-27 vs. Ohio State
No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Iowa · 3-point margin
Ranking 27/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 9/15 · Win 0/5
63
Game score
1957Week 11Away
W 21-13 vs. Notre Dame
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Iowa · 8-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 22/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
61
Game score
1960Week 9Away
L 10-27 vs. Minnesota
No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Iowa · 17-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 13/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
59
Game score
1960Week 5Away
W 27-15 vs. Michigan State
No. 14 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Iowa · 12-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 18/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
59
Game score
1954Week 5Away
L 14-20 vs. Ohio State
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Iowa · 6-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
59
Game score
2021Week 2Away
W 27-17 vs. Iowa State
No. 9 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Iowa · 10-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 20/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
58
Game score
Full Game · 2021 Iowa State vs. Iowa (Regular Season Full Game)
2009FedEx ORANGE BOWLNeutral site
W 24-14 vs. Georgia Tech
No. 9 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Iowa · 10-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 20/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
58
Game score
1997Week 9Away
L 24-28 vs. Michigan
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 15 Iowa · 4-point margin
Ranking 32/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
58
Game score
1984Week 4Home
L 17-20 vs. Penn State
No. 14 Iowa vs. No. 7 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 31/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
58
Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-week AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero ranking points.

Closeness, 30 points: the score margin is subtracted from 30, with margins of 30 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Result, 5 points: a featured-team win receives five points; losses and ties receive zero.

Regular-season rankings are matched to the AP Top 25 for the game's recorded week. Postseason games use the final regular-season AP poll published before bowl and playoff results. Overtime uses period scoring when available, then explicit overtime notes as a fallback. Older games and smaller programs may have less complete poll or period data.

Iowa Top 25 Games

Top 25 games in the database

How each game earns up to 100 points

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