It was perfect fall weather for the final regular season game of the Iowa’s 2022 campaign and everything was set up perfectly for the home team. We already know the story: the Hawks suffered a bumpy start to the year and eventually hit what seemed like rock bottom after a blowout loss to Ohio State on October 22. Nearly a month later, Iowa had rattled off four straight wins and, thanks to a gritty win at Minnesota and an Illinois loss, sat comfortably in the drivers seat for the Big Ten West division title.
One more win and Iowa would return to Indianapolis for the second straight year.