ESPN.com · Jan 2, 2016
Its 2015 legacy untarnished, Iowa still faces uphill climb as program
PASADENA, Calif. -- A temptation exists after Stanford dispatched Iowa 45-16 in the Hawkeyes’ first Rose Bowl appearance in a quarter-century to write off this season as an illusion.
That would suggest, basically, that Iowa got lucky. That it played a soft schedule, reinforced by the poor bowl performances this week of Michigan State and Northwestern. That it never belonged near the College Football Playoff. That Iowa provides the best argument available against expansion of the four-team field -- because, you know, it would have made an eight-team playoff, and after this Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual, nobody needs to see that.
So, anyone tempted to dismiss Iowa?