2009 Iowa Hawkeyes: A Team of Destiny?
Or just a good team in a bad conference?
Comments (5)|2 Liked It
Back in 2002, the Big 10 sent a team to the National Championship game. If you’re a Big 10 fan, you’ll remember that team; Jim Tressel’s first juggernaut in Columbus. The Buckeyes were far from dominant that year, surviving seemingly weekly scares from supposedly inferior opponents. But in the end, the battle tested ‘02 Ohio State Buckeyes pulled off an upset for the ages, knocking off a top rated Miami Hurricanes team that probably would have made the NFL playoffs that year in an epic title game.
Fast forward 7 years, to today’s Big 10. This year’s Iowa Hawkeyes look eerily similar to Tressel’s ‘02 bunch. They have hardly looked like BCS material to date; a 17-16 win to open the season over Northern Iowa; A 24-21 surviving against division 2 Arkansas State; fourth quarter victories over Michigan State and, most recently, Indiana.
Yet here we are, three weeks remaining, and the Hawkeyes find themselves just 3 wins from a possible National Championship bid. 9-0, 4th in the polls. Do they not know they’re supposed to suck? That teams that ’survive’ division 2 foes aren’t supposed to sit in the top 5? It would appear that they do not; any more than those ‘02 Buckeyes did.
Ironically, the Hawkeyes will have to go through Tressel’s Buckeyes in Columbus on November 14th to make it happen, and will need some help as well. But sometimes a team just develops that feel… the feel of a team of destiny. And Coach Ferentz’s kids are starting to have that feel.
Will it happen? Probably not. But they said the same thing in ‘02. You know the saying; that’s why they play the games.
5 Comments
This team is a great team I hope they end up playing for the national championship. I am a U of A fan and our team has been pretty solid this year our only two losses where a fluke loss on a play where the quarterback was thowing the ball away and it bounced off someones foot and the loss at Iowa. Iowa dominated us in the game. It was early in the season so it didnt really catch any national attention but now that we have seen how this team has fared I think it is time to get excited. A lot of people say that this weeks game proves that the Hawkeys arent that good. That getting behind 14 points proves they dont have the skills to be considered a national championship team. I say baloney They overcame 5 interceptions and a god awful first half and came back and trounced their opponent in the fourth quarter. That is the mark of a great team. Look at what happened to USC this weekend. If Iowa had met the same fate I would say yes they are overrated but since they came back in that fashion I say they warrant a look as a possible contender for the national title. Sure it may turn out like Hawaii did in their bowl last year but these kids are earning their shot if they are still undefeated at the end of the year it would be hard to not give them the invitation.
Iowa has had more than one come from behind victory this year. The victory over Penn St. was a good win but lets see how they do against Ohio St. Iowa needs Texas to lose, and I don’t see that happening condsidering the way they steamrolled Ok. St.
Cool.
As a Hawkeye fan I have to say that the Hawks are a solid but shaky team. They could lose any or all of their last 3 games or win them all by 20. In the end I really don’t think it will matter because the remaining games for Texas are a joke and the SEC champ will get to the NC game. I think, like many Iowa fans, I’d be thrilled with the Rose Bowl vs. whoever (Oregon?) and that exceeds my expectations for this season. You know, if it weren’t for the BCS, that Rose Bowl might be considered the #2 game or even result in a split National Champion this year. Go Hawks! P.S. – don’t go thinking we’ve won in Columbus yet.
The Hawkguy are actually really really bad. They have slopped out almost all of their wins and sont deserve to be ranked in the top 25. If they played in a real conference they would struggle to have a winning record.