Iowa’s performance against the #2 ranked Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Championship game was nothing short of disastrous. Not only did the Hawkeyes fail to win the program’s first conference title since 2004, but Iowa was obliterated by the Wolverines in a primetime defeat watched by millions of viewers. The 42-3 final score was the program’s most lopsided margin of defeat since Kirk Ferentz lost 49-3 to Michigan State in 1999, a loss which came during his first season in Iowa City when the program was very much in rebuilding mode.
Frustrated Iowa fans can be forgiven for experiencing a sense of déjà vu.