Back in September, if you told me the Hawkeyes would be undefeated at the end of the regular season, I would have rolled my eyes and suggested you slow down on the Fireball. And I’m a Hawkeye myself.
Yet here we are: Iowa made history with the program’s first 12-win season as it heads into the Big Ten championship game against Michigan State (7 p.m. Saturday, Fox). Hell yes.
Still, part of me feels guilty for not trusting they could make it this far. Before you hate on me for being a skeptic or call me a bandwagon fan, hear me out.
For as long as I’ve tuned in to the Hawkeyes (nine years and counting), I’ve never seen a season like this. Last year, the team left us hanging with a dismal 7-6 record. And an 8-5 season the year before that.
They’re the lovable team from Iowa City, Iowa, with a fan base that runs deep in Chicago. They’re not flashy or ostentatious. They’re not a predictable powerhouse that everyone bets on like Ohio State. The Hawkeyes are rarely in the spotlight for long—until now.
Yet when I hear people bashing Iowa or calling the team a bunch of “frauds,” it’s kind of like listening to a friend hate on your parents. Sure, you’re allowed to complain about your family, but as soon as a friend weighs in? Better watch your mouth. Whenever someone asks me, “How ’bout those Hawkeyes?” I can almost sense the doubt in their tone. I know it because I’ve felt it myself.
There were games where Iowa creamed its opponents—sorry, North Texas, Northwestern and Purdue—and we looked at those wins as givens.
Then there were games where things got dicey (hello, Pittsburgh, Indiana and Minnesota). We can chalk those wins up to luck or fantastic last-minute plays, or we can give Iowa credit. We can all—myself included—recognize Iowa has had an outstanding season, and luck has nothing to do with it.
No, luck doesn’t strike 12 times in a row. That’s when talent and hard work take over. It’s time to admit that Iowa isn’t just the lovable underdog that fell into a history-making season.
So cheers to you, Hawkeyes, for making everyone believe hard work and consistency really do pay off. And thanks for proving us wrong.
Morgan Olsen is RedEye’s Eat and Drink editor and an Iowa alumna. @morgancolsen
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