Last year Iowa was 5-4 and up against an undefeated Penn State squad looking for a shot at a national championship. The Hawkeyes had just come off an embarassing loss to a less talented team and were decided underdogs. No one gave Iowa much of a chance.
Anyone remember how that game turned out? Anyone? Anyone?
(It was good)
Admittedly, the stakes are a bit higher this year, but the similarities are definitely there. Embarassing loss to a less talented team? Check. Big underdogs? Check. Sumo-themed Photoshop describing what we're up against?
Check.
And yet....
I have a weird feeling about this game. The same type of feeling I had before Penn State last year. There isn't any evidence that we should win. We shouldn't. But there's this.......feeling.......in the far reaches of my soul. It could be a deep hatred for Ohio State that is clouding my thought process, or possibly just gas. But I feel like the Hawks have a legitimate chance.
Allow yourself to fantasize for a moment:
What if our defense plays out of their minds and they make Pryor look like a compilation of Arnaud, Scott, Clark, Forcier and Tolzien? What if they force turnovers and consistently give our offense a short enough field where they can score points? What if Vandenberg plays mistake-free football?
Alright, hands out of your pants.
Like I said before, there isn't much real-world evidence to support that any of this will happen.
But.......it just might.
Or, fuck, maybe it won't.
Keep the whiskey at arm's length either way.