When I first walked into Michigan Stadium’s press box on Oct. 5, I was impressed. On my first visit to Ann Arbor, The Big House already made a favorable impression from the second I saw it, and the atmosphere was electric. 

I turned my attention to the game ahead, excited for a battle between two teams that had championship aspirations in August. That excitement quickly turned to something between disgust and pain.

The game became hard to watch with the sloppiness that appeared at every corner. The Hawkeyes simply didn’t look like they did in their previous four games, and Michigan didn’t look like it truly wanted to win. 

Nate Stanley played the game from the turf, with his white road jersey plastered to The Big House’s green turf. The Hawkeyes ran for a single rushing yard. Yellow flags were ubiquitous.

But after all of that, Iowa still has the chance to control the rest of its season, and a trip to Indianapolis isn’t out of the question at all. There’s still plenty of football left. 

It’s not like the Hawkeyes didn’t have any bright spots. 

Tyler Goodson put on a show in the backfield through the air, catching five passes for a team-high 62 yards to go along with 15 rushing yards. His performance, which proved to be Akrum Wadley-esque, only solidified the coaching staff’s trust in him.

The defense also could not have played much better. The Hawkeyes held the Wolverines scoreless for three and a half quarters and kept Michigan’s air attack in check.

Wolverine quarterback Shea Patterson finished 14-of-26 for 147 yards and an interception. 

Geno Stone, who collected the interception from Patterson, looked like a legitimate NFL safety, making tackles in open space and contributing in the passing defense when the Hawkeyes needed him most.

A.J. Epenesa also appeared to be the NFL player he’s expected to be by sacking Patterson to avenge his own team’s deficiencies in pass protection.

Even though the offense couldn’t get anything rolling, Brandon Smith and Ihmir Smith-Marsette played like the receivers they need to be, making key plays along the way.

Still, the offense’s overall performance — including Stanley and the offensive line — was abysmal, and it needs help.

With Penn State coming to Iowa City next week for a battle under the Kinnick lights, the Hawkeyes don’t have time to sulk. 

That matchup is followed by a home date with Purdue and two road games against Northwestern and Wisconsin. 

The Nittany Lions have only allowed a combined 17 points in their last three games. Northwestern held a potent Wisconsin offense to 24 points, its lowest scoring output of the season. The Badger defense has pitched three shutouts in five games.

Things aren’t going to get easier for Iowa anytime soon. Michigan begged the Hawkeyes to score a touchdown all game, but they couldn’t come through. If Iowa wants to compete for a Big Ten title, that can’t happen again when it faces some of the conference’s top defenses.

An appearance at Lucas Oil Stadium in December is still an attainable goal but not with the effort Iowa gave in Ann Arbor. 

There’s obvious room for improvement, and Iowa needs to address it before it can take the next step. 

But the season hasn’t unraveled yet. There’s still plenty of football left.