Coming off an emotional upset win at home against rival Nebraska, Ben McCollum's squad was flying high.
After beating the Cornhuskers at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Hawkeyes hit the road to Madison, Wisconsin, to take on rival Wisconsin in an important game for both teams.
Time is running out for both teams to improve their seeding for the Big Ten Tournament, and each team also had the opportunity to add another Quad 1 win.
It was neck-and-neck in the first half, with Iowa securing a one-point halftime lead, but the Wisconsin offense came to life in the second, while the Hawkeyes faltered yet again.
Wisconsin not only won the game 84-71, dropping Iowa to 3-6 in Quad 1 games, but also exposed a much bigger issue for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa's offense just can't compete against good teams
The Hawkeyes offense has been streaky all season, and it was exposed again against a tough Badgers squad on the road.
No one is questioning Iowa's toughness and competitive spirit, but let's call a spade a spade: Iowa's offense isn't good.
Excluding Bennett Stirtz, who does everything on both ends for the Hawkeyes, the rest of the squad haven't supported him enough on offense.
Stirtz is going to get his on a nightly basis, but who else is going to step up is the issue.
During the loss to Wisconsin, Stirtz scored 23 points, and the rest of the starters scored 24 combined.
The offense gets bogged down, especially when everyone waits for Stirtz to do something special, and it really shows up against good teams.
Iowa's calling card in the first year under Ben McCollum has been the defense, but the offense can't keep underperforming if the squad wants to make a postseason run.
Excluding the Big Ten Tournament, Iowa has only two more chances to earn Quad 1 wins against Michigan and Nebraska, and while they aren't must-wins, winning at least one would go along way.