There needs to be a lot of soul-searching after that one, especially on the offensive side of the ball and on the coaching staff.
Iowa simply had to take care of business against Minnesota, a very winnable game, and then focus on making a run through the rest of the season. In one of the biggest blunders in the past five years, Iowa not only fell flat but also may have killed any dreams of a College Football Playoff berth with a loss to unranked Minnesota. Especially after a bye week, that performance is inexcusable, and people have a right to be scared about what the rest of the season will look like.
Sound the alarms: Iowa's performance proves that not all is well in Iowa City
No one in or around the program will say they are panicked, but that performance raised more questions than it gave answers. After a solid win over Washington, vibes were extremely high that Iowa might actually make a run and earn a trip to its first College Football Playoff. While those dreams aren't completely gone, it is a lot harder for a 10-2 Iowa squad than an 11-1 Iowa squad. Nearly everyone thought Iowa would roll in the second half on a much easier schedule, and the Minnesota loss proves it wasn't as easy as everyone thought.
It is hard to maintain perspective after a loss like that, but given how poorly the offense performed, even with an extra week to prepare, the outlook isn't good. College football is tough, and isn't always happy-go-lucky, and winning in the Big Ten isn't easy. Calling yourself a "second half team" is one thing, but executing when all the chips are down is something different. Iowa won almost every statistical category against Minnesota and still lost thanks to a sloppy, turnover-filled performance. The Hawkeyes have no one to blame but themselves, and have to let this one hurt so they can improve.
Beyond the doom-and-gloom this loss brings, the defense was a bright spot. The unit played well enough for Iowa to win, but the offense handed the game over. Four turnovers and a blocked punt are very unlike Iowa, a team that prides itself on discipline and not beating itself. The defense forced a turnover, racked up 10 tackles for loss, and had three sacks, but Iowa still didn't win. That is why alarm bells should be sounding. Not because this is unfixable, but because it looks a lot like old Iowa teams.
Yes, it's only one game, but it's hard to look past how bad that performance was. If the offense doesn't change drastically, Iowa won't beat Wisconsin in week nine, Northwestern in week 10, or Nebraska in week 13, and even Illinois and Purdue aren't guaranteed wins given how those programs have played. This is an extremely negative outlook, but based on years of watching Iowa underachieve when the lights are brightest, it isn't that far-fetched.
The outlook isn't great right now, but there's still time to turn it around
Despite everything we've mentioned, Iowa can still turn this thing around and make a run for it. If Iowa wins out, are they guaranteed a CFP spot? No, but they can do a few things to right the ship. The biggest and most obvious fix is to pick a quarterback and stick with him. The revolving door at the starting quarterback spot isn't helping anyone, and Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski likely don't have much confidence right now. One way to rebuild confidence is to pick one and stick with them. Both guys have now gotten plenty of reps to prove what they can do, and Kirk Ferentz and the coaching staff need to make a final decision.
With a starter locked in for the rest of the season, the rest of the offense can prepare for one guy every week without worrying if he will get pulled. While that fixes most of the issues, it doesn't fix them all. The program must put together complete performances in all three phases, instead of just one or two. That might sound obvious, but Iowa has rarely put together a complete performance in all three phases. If they do that and still lose, credit to the opponent, but it won't happen as often.
The most obvious key is to stop beating themselves. Iowa has traditionally played mistake free football, but has been racking up turnovers and penalties lately Refocusing is the key, and it will surely be discussed before the Wisconsin game next week. The program has some soul searching to do, and must do it quickly before another rivalry matchup in week nine.
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