Nagel had a 3–16–1 () record after two years, and he needed a good season in 1968. Behind Podolak and some solid sophomore players, including Larry Lawrence and running back Denny Green, Iowa had one of its best seasons in years. Iowa had one of the most explosive offenses in Big Ten Conference history in 1968. The highlight of the season was a 68–34 win over Northwestern. Iowa had 639 yards of total offense, led by Podolak's 286 rushing yards. Both marks were Big Ten records, breaking the previous records that had been set against the Hawkeyes by Michigan State two years earlier.