2015 Big Ten Championship loss
Would you believe me if I told you the Hawkeye football team was 10 minutes away from a College Football Playoff appearance?
While this may seem far-fetched even for the most optimistic Iowa fans, this was nothing but total reality back in 2015.
The 2015 Big Ten Championship was set to be the battle of the ages between field general quarterback Connor Cook of the Michigan State Spartans and C.J. Beathard manning the helm of the powerful Iowa offense.
As we all know, the Spartans ended up defeating the Hawkeyes, 16-13, by scoring a crucial touchdown in the final moments of the fourth quarter.
The heartbreaking loss brought the hopes and dreams that every Iowa alum, student, and future Hawkeye to come has dreamt of at one point or another to a screeching halt.
Beathard threw for over 216 yards this game with one touchdown and one interception. Standout receiver Tevaun Smith led the Hawkeyes in receiving with five receptions while up 110 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, the Hawkeyes were led by middle linebacker Josey Jewell and cornerback Desmond King. Both Jewell and King continued their talents that they forged at Iowa on to the NFL.
While the 12-team playoff expansion seems to have increased the Hawkeyes’ chances of winning a national title in football, it is still an extremely difficult feat to meet. In fact, the NIL era seems to have made such odds even worse, as money is now the motivation.
One could argue that, with more teams in the playoffs, there’s even more competition, making the race for a national title even harder than years past.
The 16-13 loss to Michigan State marks possibly the last, most realistic chance Hawkeye fans will have of achieving ultimate glory and witnessing Hawkeyes swarm to the National Championship trophy.
However, this was not the case, making this loss to Michigan State the most scarring loss for generations to come.
NCAA National Championship losses
Two back-to-back Iowa women’s basketball NCAA National Championship losses sucked the air out of Iowa City.
We all bore witness to Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes reshaping the boundaries of women’s collegiate athletics. Indeed, that was unforgettable. And that transcends any piece of hardware Iowa could’ve possibly won.
But the goal at the end of the day is still to win championships. History would’ve been so much sweeter with two rings — or even one.
Yet the Hawkeyes came home empty-handed. Twice. And nothing can truly soften that pain.
It’s the principle of a national championship. The team dedicates dozens of games and hundreds of hours behind the scenes toward beating out every other program across the country. The fans tune in, spend their hard-earned money on tickets and merchandise, and really invest in what’s before them.
It’s taxing, and it’s especially heartbreaking when the first loss ignites a rivalry the sporting world can’t seem to let go of — even if Clark and Angel Reese have themselves.
It’s even worse when you do it all again and come up short. I can’t imagine the pit in the Hawkeyes’ stomachs, but it’s honest to say we all felt something similar when Iowa City — and even the least suspecting of its fans — drudged home in utter exhaustion the second time around.
Add in the fact that this team did it all, and it hurts that much more. It ran to the final game of the season after conference championships, all sorts of records, and millions of Americans paying attention throughout — twice.
That’s unforgettable, transcending history, but so is losing when it’s all said and done.
In any other book, you enjoy the story you just read and move on. Here, the book didn’t quite end. The story was as perfect as it can get, but there will always be a blank page in Iowa athletics history — and it’s this one.