Here is the nightmare scenario for Iowa in the Orange Bowl

The most time-consuming drive in college football history was made by a team coached by current Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson.

It happened in a bowl game.

How does that grab you, Iowa fans.

In Navy's 34-19 win over New Mexico in the 2004 Emerald Bowl, Johnson's Midshipmen had a 26-play drive that consumed 14:26 of game clock, resulted in the final three points of the game, and left Navy with virtually no time left to work with in the fourth quarter.

The drive began with Navy inside its own 1-yard line. It ended with New Mexico beaten down by Johnson's triple-option offense.

An interesting Wall Street Journal story about that drive can be found here.

This, obviously, is a fate Iowa must avoid Tuesday night in the Orange Bowl. It will require a total team effort. Of course, the Hawkeyes' defense must do something to not allow Georgia Tech some of its typical long scoring drives.

Tech has six touchdown drives this season that lasted six minutes or more, with the longest consuming 18 plays and 10:47 against Virginia.

If the Yellow Jackets have a similar drive or two against Iowa, it could be ballgame.

Of course, it's also up to Iowa's offense to get in front and pressure Johnson's offense to come from behind and divert a little from its run-pass ratio that's heavily tilted to the run. Georgia got in front of Tech in November, and controlled the game's tempo. LSU got a big first-half lead on the Jackets in last season's Chick-fil-A Bowl, and Johnson virtually had to abandon his offense.

That didn't work so well for Tech, since its 28-3 halftime deficit evolved into a 38-3 loss.

But if Iowa's offense sputters in the first half? Hey defense, you'll have to act like your salaried instead of hourly.