For a great game, all you have to do is ask

AMES -- I caught some flack from Iowa Hawkeyes football fans Saturday afternoon.

See, I wrote this column for Saturday's Gazette asking the musical question, "Can we get a great game for a change?" regarding the Iowa-Iowa State series.

Some of the responses via Twitter on Saturday as Iowa State's eventual 44-41 three-overtime win over Iowa in Ames progressed:

u asked for this in ur article!!!

It's YOUR fault!

Is it too late to ask for a boring Hawkeyes victory?

IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED

Actually, yes, it was what I wanted. I want compelling. I want dramatic. I want games where people will want to read more about them hours and days and even years after they've ended. I've been around enough teams at all levels to know all of them (almost) have good people I respect.

The 2009 Iowa football team was great copy. It won 11 games. The 2010 Hawkeyes were great copy, too. They disappointed.

I don't know if the 2011 Iowa squad will be great copy over the entire season. Which is good, too, because the unknown is fun. I don't want to know the endings to novels or movies or TV shows ahead of time. I do know Saturday's game here was great copy. Here's hoping next week's Pittsburgh-Iowa game will be, too. And I think it will even if one team wins handily.

The thing about a football is, it isn't round. It takes strange bounces, wouldn't you say?