Hawkeye Football players and coaches acknowledged that losing sucks and you never prepare to lose, but they have learned from it and have moved on.
Iowa (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) dropped another close game over the weekend to a tough Oregon squad as its College Football Playoff hopes are starting to dwindle.
The Hawkeyes entered the first CFP Rankings last Tuesday, after not being ranked in the AP Top 25 poll, with hopes of moving up in the rankings and overcoming a 0-12 stretch against ranked opponents.
After Saturday's loss, they did neither of those things, but were only moved down one spot from No. 20 to No. 21 this week.
After Iowa's latest heartbreaking loss, Head Coach Kirk Ferentz believes that you have to be able to deal with setbacks, and move on.
During Ferentz's weekly press conference, he acknowledged that losing is hard and you never prepare to lose, but you have to be able to move on.
Ferentz also acknowledged that stats "are great," but at the end of the day, it's all about getting the job done.
He coyly stated that the only essential stats are points, wins, and losses, and you have to finish out games, especially when you have a chance to win.
When asked about the defensive unit's frustrations after failing to close out wins in multiple games this season, Ferentz stated that he does not have to mention it to them; they already know.
Ferentz mentioned that the squad will not practice any differently or change what they have been doing since the start of the year. They are only focused on improving every day and moving on after tough losses.
The Hawkeyes have another golden opportunity to upset a ranked team, this time on the road. If the Hawkeyes struggle once again in the waning minutes of the game, Ferentz will have more questions about finishing games hurled his way.