In a season full of worsts, this game was simply the worst.
The worst called game by Brian Ferentz? Check. The worst quarterback play we’ve seen all season by both quarterbacks? You guessed it, yup. The worst discipline we’ve seen all season on both sides of the football? Mm-hmm.
The worst loss in the Kirk Ferentz era? Well, this certainly has an argument given the situation and the performance given.
Going into Friday’s matchup, it was simple. Win and you’re in. Iowa‘s goal every year is to make it to the Big Ten Championship game, a goal that looked out of reach midway through the season due to a mediocre offense. Despite a three-game stretch with gut-wrenching losses to then-No. 4 Michigan, Illinois, and then-No. 2 Ohio State, Iowa would rattle off four big wins against West division opponents to put themselves in the driver’s seat in the division.
To make it back to the Big Ten Championship game, all they had to do was beat Nebraska at home.
Now, winning games in the Big Ten is not easy. No matter your opponent’s record, you can receive a tough game from pretty much anyone. Nebraska, despite their 3-8 record, were never going to be a walk in the park, but if you cannot beat them at home, then you simply do not deserve to make it to the Big Ten Championship game. It’s as simple as that. You can’t beat Nebraska, you deserve for your season to end.
What happened today was an absolute embarrassment. An embarrassment! Every single problem that was evident all season long was there against Nebraska.
The offense played their greatest hits of ineptitude. There was the classic Brian Ferentz play calling, pulling up to a chess match with a deck of cards. Despite facing one of the worst rush defenses in the nation, Ferentz decided to come out firing with Spencer Petras. Petras couldn’t make an open throw to save his life, then coughed up the football before leaving the game with an injury.
I guess Ferentz was right a few weeks ago about the upside of switching quarterbacks, because Alex Padilla might have been even worse. He fumbled as well, leading to points on the other end for Nebraska.
Everything was a mess for the Iowa offense. They couldn’t reliably throw the ball when they needed to. What a shock, right? It created the conundrum. Do you bring everyone in with heavy sets, hoping to gain some rushing yards as they stack the box? Or, do you try and spread out the defense and have Padilla sacked within a few seconds? Hey, why not throw in the occasional penalty as well?!
The defense just wasn’t on their same level either, and you could just feel the absence of Cooper DeJean, who left the game with an injury. They killed Iowa through the air, and when they didn’t, Iowa aided them with some penalties. Nebraska didn’t do anything special, but it just shows what happens to this Iowa team when the defense can’t bail them out. Everything just falls apart.
This game was simply laughable. It is just hilarious how inept this offense is. There’s no creativity, no quality quarterback play, no offensive line play to speak of. You gotta love watching the play clock dwindle down to five seconds when you’re down by three scores midway through the fourth quarter. Great design there, Brian!
Sure, they showed some life down the stretch, but you can’t just have one good drive a game to hang your hat on. Nebraska gave them every chance to come back. Every chance to stay in this game. But, as we’ve seen all season, the offense just was not up to the task. This team does not deserve to go to the Big Ten Championship game.
Changes need to be made this offseason, things cannot continue this way.
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