Iowa football: Where the 6-2 Hawkeyes finished in final poll of 2020 season

When all was said and done for the crazy and unusual 2020 football season, the Iowa Hawkeyes wound up as a top-15 team.

Iowa's 6-2 season — in which it accrued a six-game winning streak before games against Michigan and Missouri were canceled — was voted No. 15 in the final Amway Coaches' Poll released Tuesday afternoon by USA TODAY. Iowa was No. 16 in the final Associated Press poll. Iowa earned a one-spot jump in both polls despite having its Music City Bowl game against Missouri canceled.

Remember, Iowa also was ranked No. 15 in the (pre-bowl) College Football Playoff rankings. 

A few final facts about Iowa's final ranking:

• The Hawkeyes have finished in the season-ending top-25 polls each of the last three years, the first time that's happened since the 2002 through 2004 seasons. They were 25th by the AP in 2018 and 15th in 2019.
• This marked the ninth time in Kirk Ferentz's 22 years that Iowa has been ranked in a season-ending top-25 poll. The Hawkeyes have five top-10 national finishes under Ferentz — 2002 (No. 8 by AP), 2003 (No. 8), 2004 (No. 8), 2009 (No. 7) and 2015 (No. 9).
• Iowa was one of four Big Ten Conference teams ranked. Title-game loser Ohio State (7-1) finished No. 2 in both polls; West Division champion Northwestern (7-2) wound up No. 10 in both polls after beating Auburn in the Citrus Bowl; and Indiana (6-2) was No. 12 by the AP, No. 13 by the coaches after losing to Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl.
• By virtue of the coaches' No. 15 ranking, Ferentz earned a $175,000 bonus based on his contract terms.

The Hawkeyes open the 2021 season on Sept. 4 against Indiana at Kinnick Stadium. USA TODAY Sports puts Iowa 18th in its way-too-early 2021 rankings; ESPN puts Iowa 12th.