If Iowa fans were told they'd be able to root for a team that finished 12-2 and played in the Rose Bowl, they likely would have taken it before the 2015 season. But, knowing what we know now, it's those final two losses that will stick in the craw of the fan base for some time.
Those losses also fueled Iowa's players during the offseason. They reached the cusp of the College Football Playoff, only to watch that dream fall short in the Big Ten title game against Michigan State. Four weeks later, they hardly showed up in a blowout Rose Bowl loss to Stanford.