Hawkeye fans are fed up with brutal Big Ten refs at Purdue

If I told you the Hawkeyes came out of the gate strong and finished shooting 53 percent from the floor and 48 percent from three-point range, you would assume they won the game, right?

Unfortunately for Ben McCollum's squad, the Hawkeyes failed to hold onto their halftime lead, allowing Purdue to capture their eighth straight win with a 79-72 home victory.

The offense was finally clicking, and Iowa played hard throughout the game, but it just wasn't enough. The game was a must-see, but Iowa fans are unhappy with more than just the outcome.

Hawkeye fans are irate with how the game was officiated

There is no shame in losing to a top five team on the road, but everyone wanted this game badly.

Iowa has not found a signature or a Quad 1 win this season, and time is ticking away for the Hawkeyes to add to their NCAA Tournament resume.

Despite an intense game where the Hawkeyes had a chance to win, fans aren't letting the refs off the hook.

While this post responds to a specific play in which Cooper Koch was whistled for what looked like two guys fighting for the ball, it was a microcosm of how this game was called.

Former Hawkeye Football legend and current radio analyst for Iowa Football, Pat Angerer, was also less than happy with the referees.

He posted a GIF of Kobe saying "soft" to describe what he thought of a lot of the calls on Wednesday night.

It's hard enough to play on the road in the Big Ten, but this Hawkeye fan is giving the credit for Purdue's victory to the refs.

This Hawkeye fan went a step further, saying the Big Ten refs make "ridiculous money" and are objectively "awful" at their jobs. Yikes.

Regardless of how the fans feel about the officiating in the loss, the Hawkeyes have to clean up a few things if they want to earn a signature win this season.