Its weird, I just assumed that since Iowa has won at least 8 games every single year since 2015, and won at least 10 games 4 times since 2015, that Iowa would do well in this time period. But I guess they weren't ranked that much. The classic case of a high floor but with a low ceiling.
A lot of this is timing and specifically the fact that Iowa can't seem to get out of September without a loss. For the last 15 years:
2011:
Started RV (#32) but lost to ISU. Second loss on 10/8, cratered starting with a loss to a horrible MN team on 10/29. Not ranked at all in 2011.
2012:
4-8 catastrophe of a season, never even received votes.
2013:
No votes in preseason due to 4-8 finish prior year. Lost opener to NIU. Climbed up to RV on 9/29 then promptly lost two straight and three out of four, no votes in November. Finished November on a three-game winning streak that resulted in votes in the December polls and lost close to a quality LSU team in the Outback bowl to finish RV (#32).
2014:
Started RV (#30) and maintained votes for a few weeks but then lost to ISU. No votes again until mid-October but then promptly lost to Maryland and that was it for 2014.
2015:
No votes preseason due to 7-6 finish prior year. Started getting votes in week 2, ranked in week 5 and stayed ranked the rest of the way. Finished 12-2 and #9.
2016:
#17 in preseason, first preseason ranking since being #10 in 2010! Lost to NDST on 9/17 and was not ranked again until #22 at 8-4 in late November and #21 in early December then lost bowl and fell out.
2017:
Lost back-to-back games to PSU and MSU in late September. In retrospect that wasn't so bad as they finished #8 and #15 respectively. Got into the poll at #25 after demolishing Ohio State but turned around and got run out of Camp Randall then lost at home to Purdue. This was a pretty good team. They finished 8-5 but four of the five losses were to really good opponents (PSU, MSU, NU, UW).
2018:
RV in preseason but lost to UW in September. Ranked three weeks in late October but then lost three straight, finished #25 after a bowl win. Ranked in 4/16 polls.
2019:
Ranked all year long! This was in large part due to FINALLY getting out of September without a loss. Ended up 10-3 and #15.
2020:
Didn't lose in September . . . because the B1G didn't play in September. Went 6-2 but started with the two losses so they were ranked preseason then not again until late November.
2021:
Ranked all year long! This was in large part due to getting out of September without a loss. Ended 10-4 and #23.
2022:
Finished 8-5 and RV (#34) but not ranked at all largely due to timing, lost to ISU on 9/10 then three straight in October.
2023:
Ranked in 50% of the polls (8/16). Finished 10-4 and #24. Would have been ranked more if not for bad timing: Lost badly in September to PSU. Finally got ranked in mid-October then promptly lost at home to a mediocre MN team. Finally got back into the rankings in mid-November at 9-2 and remained ranked the rest of the year.
2024:
#25 in the preseason and finished 8-5 so not THAT far from being ranked but a loss to ISU on 9/7 knocked them out after only two appearances and they never made it back.
2025:
RV in preseason but barely (#42) and lost in September to ISU. Didn't make it into the rankings until being 9-4 and #17 in the final poll.
