On Perfection
In case you've been in a hole for the past two months, you might have missed the current Iowa Hawkeyes season. The record-breaking, national championship hope-inspiring, perfect season. It has not been without its scares (every game). And I guarantee I've aged five years as a result of the turnovers and unnecessarily close games.
However, here we stand. This team is 9-0 and currently ranked fourth in the BCS poll. We have never opened a season by winning nine games. The next three, which will conclude the regular season, include only one in which the Hawkeyes are questionable - a November visit to OSU at the 'shoe. We're listed as Rose Bowl contenders in every bowl prediction list available. Most Iowa fans have no idea what to do with this success or this team.
They were the dark horse among pre-season Big Ten championship talk. Now they're the dark horse in the National Championship game talk. This team wasn't supposed to be great. Early season injuries on offense made them even less so, but what they have done is great. They have taken control of games when it mattered, turned the odds in their favor, and consistently come out on top... much to pollster and analyst chagrin.
Every Saturday through November 21st, I will continue to watch my Hawkeyes plan, and hold my breath everytime Stanzi drops back to pass. I'll still probably be highly pessimistic and take no game for granted. I never thought we would be here, though, and so I will soak up every moment of this season.
You may not respect this team. Many don't. We don't care. We'll continue to fight through all four quarters and leave it on the field. This record speaks for itself. Respect us or not, we are Hawkeyes. And this.is.awesome.