After Iowa’s 17-12 loss on Oct. 12, I made the trip to a friend’s apartment to watch the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.

It was my first time ever watching Formula 1, and as I took a bite out of the pepperoni pizza from Domino’s that my friend so generously provided, it dawned on me: I was watching the Hawkeyes’ offense again, only in the form of a different sport.

Cars raced around the track at incredible speeds before running into the wall out of nowhere and retiring from the race. 

That’s exactly what Iowa did against Penn State. 

The Hawkeyes had no problem moving the ball against the Nittany Lions — Iowa outgained Penn State, 356-294 — but they couldn’t find a way to put the ball in the end zone until it was too late.

Iowa made its way inside Penn State’s 30-yard line three times but had to settle for two field goals and a missed attempt.

At this point, worrying about the offense is warranted. It hasn’t found a way to put points on the board consistently for two straight weeks in two winnable games, wasting two stellar defensive performances in the process. 

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has long preached the importance of playing complementary football, and right now, it looks as if his team has never heard the phrase. 

The most disappointing thing for the Hawkeyes has to be the fact that all of the outside factors surrounding the game on Saturday pointed to an Iowa victory. 

If Iowa can’t win in its home stadium at night — one of the most difficult places for opponents to play in the conference — then how’s it going to fate in another hostile environment when it takes on Wisconsin in Madison?

When the Hawkeyes visit Camp Randall Stadium, they won’t be wearing new gold uniforms, the crowd won’t be striped with black and gold, and it won’t be under the lights on a familiar field.

Something needs to be done. At this rate, Iowa won’t have the chance to control its own destiny, which it really doesn’t control in the first place. 

Meanwhile, players who are proven threats — such as Oliver Martin, who hauled in a touchdown on his first reception as a Hawkeye — sit on the bench as if the offense is humming along without any problems. 

Tyler Goodson, who posted 97 rushing yards on 12 carries against Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 28, has also attempted only 14 runs in the past two poor offensive performances.

The Hawkeyes can’t keep relying on their defense to put the rest of the team on its back for the next two months. 

Iowa ranks in the bottom third of teams in scoring offense this season, scoring 24.8 points per game. Its defense sits in the top third in scoring defense, giving up 10.2 points a game.

The Hawkeye offense has combined for 15 points the past two weeks, while the defense has never surrendered more than 17 points in a game. 

Iowa’s Big Ten season, excluding its 30-0 win over Rutgers in Week 2, has been a tale of two phases. 

The bluebloods of the Big Ten — Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Penn State — all rank in the top three in both scoring offense and scoring defense. 

That’s the recipe for success, and right now, the Hawkeyes can’t seem to get it right. Iowa won’t have the season it wants if it’s forced to continue to rely on its defense. 

We’ve seen proof two weeks in a row. The Hawkeyes can’t afford to make it three.