Michigan State won the Big Ten Championship on Dec. 5, 16-13.
By Ryan Rodriguez
[email protected]
INDIANAPOLIS — Iowa’s bid for 13-0 fell a few inches short Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium after Michigan State running back LJ Scott punched in a touchdown to give the Spartans a 16-13 lead in the game’s final moments.
Despite numerous predictions of a blowout, the Hawkeyes hung tough for four quarters and almost added another incredible chapter to an already incredible year.
Iowa proves its worth
Talking about moral victories after a heartbreaking last-second loss may sound like an making an excuse, but for this particular version of the Hawks, it couldn’t ring more true.
Yes, a win would have cemented Iowa’s spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time in history. Yes, the Hawks didn’t get it. Nevertheless, Iowa impressed just about everyone who watched the game on Dec. 5.
“I feel like we proved a lot of the doubters wrong tonight,” cornerback Greg Mabin said. “They had us written off, said we were phonies, said we were fakes, and I feel like we proved to everyone that we’re a legitimate team in the country.”
Now, Iowa must prepare and do something it hasn’t done in almost 13 months: bounce back after a loss.
The Hawkeyes are going to feel the sting of this one for a while, but they’ve still got a bowl game left to prep for.
“Granted, this one might be a little bit harder to forget about, but whomever we play and whatever bowl we get, we just have to flush it and go out and play,” Mabin said.
A game of inches
In classic Big Ten fashion, this game was as physical and defensive as it gets.
And while you can expect it and prepare for it, it’s a whole different ball of wax to live through it on a huge stage.
“We played a physical game, no one can deny that,” Henry Krieger Coble said. “So did Michigan State.”
Two teams that love to beat people up in the trenches and attack the running game did just that. After Iowa running back Jordan Canzeri left the game with an ankle injury in the first half, the Hawks turned to Akrum Wadley on the ground.
And while Wadley was solid, Scott stole the show, running the ball on 14 of Michigan State’s 22 plays on its final drive. He ended the game with just 73 total yards, none bigger than the 1 yard he stretched to give the Spartans the win.
“We were confident right up to the last play that we were going to make a stop down there, I think everybody on our team was,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We’ve been there before and done that. It’s how close this game was.”
Looking ahead
Again, this one is going to sting a while for the Hawks. The game was there for the taking, until it wasn’t.
Nevertheless, a possible trip to the Rose Bowl and a shot at redemption it still on the table for Iowa. It’s a significant moment, but one the Hawkeyes couldn’t care less about right now.
“At this point, [playing in the Rose Bowl] is the last thing on my mind,” center Austin Blythe said.
Iowa’s mental fortitude and strength is going to be tested and strained this week more than ever. A gut-punch loss in the championship game at the end of a historic season could deflate any team in the country.
But make no mistake, the Hawks still believe they’re good enough, and after Dec. 5, they’re certainly not alone in that belief.
“I think this is the best team that I’ve been a part of,” cornerback Desmond King said. “In all the years I’ve played football, this team is like a family to me, and we’re all invested in each other.”
Follow @ryanarod on Twitter for Iowa football news, updates, and analysis.
