Iowa Football: The sky is not falling for the Hawkeyes

Iowa football is bowl eligible in October and is playing meaningful football in November for the first time since 2015. Why are Hawkeye fans panicking?

To an extent, I get the negativity. The Iowa football team lost two games to ranked teams, both in equally excruciating fashion.

The Hawkeyes have, by almost every measurement, an elite defense. While Iowa football fans are used to having a strong defense, this year’s iteration may be the best of the bunch.

That makes Iowa’s offensive ineptitude that much more frustrating. Iowa hasn’t scored 30 points against a Power 5 opponent this year. This statistic is hyperbole, of course, if you count Rutgers as a Power 5 team, which would be a questionable categorization.

Even still, the last time Iowa failed to score 30 points twice in their first six against Power 5 opponents was in 2013. Therein lies the problem for fans.

In 2013 Iowa played and lost two consecutive games to Big Ten opponents in October – just like this season – but the Hawkeyes were effectively eliminated from contending after that second loss.

No one wants a season like 2013 where Iowa football loses to every good team they play. Iowa fans are tired of slightly above average football and rightfully so.

Iowa fans, 2019 is not 2013. The Hawkeyes lost to every team that ended the season ranked, but how many of those games truly felt winnable? Every game Iowa has played thus far this season was within reach.

Additionally, Iowa football enters the month of November still in reach of winning the Big Ten West. The Hawkeyes do not have control over their own destiny right now, but this is only relevant if you believe in Minnesota this year.

Since I doubt many Gopher fans read this blog, I’m guessing this does not apply to a single reader.

The point is simply that it is too early to give up on Iowa football. Iowa almost never defeats more than two ranked opponents in a season. The Hawkeyes still have their chance to accomplish this.

Before this becomes another premise for more Ferentz frustration, understand that most teams outside of the SEC, who are granted with the opportunity of having as many as ten ranked teams in their conference, do not beat more than two ranked teams during the regular season.

Even Wisconsin, one of the most dominating teams in the country over the last 10 years, has only done it twice during that period of time – in 2011 and 2016.

This season, Iowa football plays four ranked teams during their regular season. The two losses Iowa has accumulated this season have been to a team that rarely loses at home and to a team that is now in the top 5 in the country.

Despite the losses, Iowa plays two consecutive games that will truly define this season. These two games will likely be the difference between a humdrum 8-win season and an exciting 10-win season.

Illinois showed that Wisconsin is beatable. Minnesota at Kinnick Stadium is also beatable, though no other team needs to show this to Hawkeye fans.

The sky is not falling and virtually every objective of the Hawkeyes is still in reach. For the first time in four years, enjoy meaningful Iowa football games in November.