Incredibly, the Iowa Hawkeyes are just 60 minutes from Indy
Unbelievable. Incredible. Turnaround. Belief. Hope.
All of those can describe the Iowa Hawkeyes program this season, specifically down the stretch. Amidst a rollercoaster year of national criticism, the brunt of jokes, and so much more, few teams in America have the opportunity that the Hawkeyes have.
The Hawkeyes are just 60 minutes away from winning the Big Ten West championship and returning to Indianapolis for a second straight year. They need no one’s help and no scenarios to play out. They just have 60 minutes of football between them and the Big Ten West title.
When Iowa suits up on Friday, it will be a fully charged up Kinnick Stadium. It is Senior Day at a program known for its rich tradition of upperclassmen. It is the day after Thanksgiving. It is a sellout. It is a win-and-in game for the Hawkeyes.
But what got us here? How did this happen? What made this possible?
I could go into all of the X’s and O’s involving how offensive performance stayed afloat and scored just enough. There is the defense that is arguably the best Iowa defense we have ever seen. There is the special teams unit that continues to flip games and do their part week in and week out.
That said, there is one man that got us here. Head coach Kirk Ferentz made this happen. After being under fire for more than half the season, he didn’t flinch. He brought the Hawkeyes team closer together. He has them believing and turned that belief into tangible success up to this point.
Raw emotion.
Say what you may about Iowa, but there is no coach in America who has rallied his team together as much and as tightly down the stretch as Kirk Ferentz has.
The criticism, the noise, the pressure. Unphased.
Kirk Ferentz is a top coach in America. https://t.co/bJaLREocy4
— Riley Donald (@rileydonald7) November 20, 2022
At this point, enjoying the ride is all we can do. This Hawkeyes team has stuck together through so much adversity and has put themselves in a position where they need one more win to achieve a goal they set out for at the beginning of the season.
This Iowa team refused to give up at any point this year. Don’t give up on them, yet, either. Get on board for next week. Get behind this team. Don’t worry about who they may play or anything down the road.
This Friday’s game is everything. It has the Iowa Hawkeyes just 60 minutes away from Indy.
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