Iowa's goal of repeating as Big Ten West champions in 2016 and making a run at the College Football Playoff fell short. But the Hawkeyes did enough to turn their season around and reach consecutive January bowl games, which didn't seem likely in early November.
Wins against Michigan and Nebraska will stand out. So will a close loss against North Dakota State, as well as blowout defeats to Penn State and Florida in the Outback Bowl. In the end, Iowa finished 8-5 despite retaining so many pieces that nearly made the playoff one year earlier.
As Iowa begins looking ahead to 2017, there are plenty of questions to answer.