Three Iowa football games among the best 100 of 2011 season

I guess Iowa's 2011 football season was more interesting than I thought, and I covered every one of its 13 games.

SB Nation ranks the top 100 games of the year, and three that involved the Hawkeyes made the list. Two leaped to my mind immediately: Iowa's 44-41 three-overtime loss at Iowa State, and the Hawkeyes' rally from a 21-point hole to beat Pittsburgh.

The first was a mere No. 87 on SB Nation's list. The Pitt game was No. 29.

The third? That was Minnesota's 22-21 victory over Iowa in Minneapolis. It is No. 97.

Iowa State had just two games listed, but they were two that will keep Cycloneland warm through the winter. The Iowa game, and a certain Friday night double-overtime contest with Oklahoma State that SB Nation tabbed the second-best game of the year.

The Cyclones went 6-7 this year, but nobody in America came up bigger in overtime.

This week, Sports Illustrated came out with its pre-preseason college football Top 25 for 2012.

The Big Ten's Legends Division has three representatives. They are:

6. Michigan State (who's the quarterback?), 11. Michigan (we know the quarterback, Denard Robinson), and 16. Nebraska (the quarterback is Taylor Martinez).

Wisconsin is the league's other ranked team, at No. 12. And like Michigan State, with a senior quarterback of quality to replace.

Six Big 12 teams are listed (if you count West Virginia, which supposedly will start play in that conference this year). Iowa State isn't among them. They are 8. Oklahoma, 10. TCU, 13. West Virginia, 15. Kansas State, 21. Texas, 24. Baylor.

The best account of the New Orleans experience in the days leading up to the BCS title game can be found right here.

For Iowa fans in Pittsburgh tonight (Friday night, Jan. 13), the Hawkeyes are performing tonight at Club Cafe. Velcro Shoes is also on the bill.

From Reverbnation.com:

THE HAWKEYES of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania play a raw and driving brand of Americana-flavored rock'n roll. Drawing upon the storytelling traditions of roots and country music, they write songs with an anarchic sensibility, biting humor, and phrases that turn on a dime, while their live performances are marked by a lot of sweat, a little blood, and an occasional busted guitar.