So, um, yeah. Just your run of the mill 18-point win against the dregs of the conference? Right? RIGHT?
Or not. Aside from a quick-strike touchdown drive in the fourth quarter and one of the most insane pick-sixes you'll ever see, Iowa absolutely sleep-walked through the first three quarters--and Ricky Stanzi's four 3rd quarter interceptions had us all wondering if maybe James Vandenberg was a better option for the fourth quarter.
Yeah, no. All that dominance exercised by Indiana in the first three quarters in building a 24-14 lead quickly evaporated; Stanzi went off in the fourth, giving Iowa the lead on two first-play touchdowns, then sealing the game with multiple first downs on the ground as Iowa put the game away.
We'll talk about the calls in greater detail later, but of the three, two were correct calls on good plays (and were rendered moot immediately afterward anyway), and the last was a horrible overturn of a touchdown. Indiana reacted equally horribly to the call and let Iowa right back in the game for the 4th quarter curb-stomping that ensued.
Suffice it to say, there were a lot of people around the country watching and hoping Iowa would lose. That's understandable. So what does Iowa do? Get their hopes up, then malevolently crush those hopes. Hey, better the fans of other teams than us, right? Go ahead and hate the Big Ten, people. See where it gets you.
Anyway, all mere details of the one central fact: 9-0. We may as well savor the insanity.
Open thread for the rest of the day here.