The worst 'bad beat' of the year to gamblers? The Indiana-Iowa football game

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In this column by Ben Burns, we get a list at some of the toughest losses sports-bettors endured in 2009. The Matt Holliday drop of a fly ball in a painful St. Louis Cardinals playoff loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. A half-court shot at the final buzzer that was made by the New Jersey Nets' Devin Harris.

But Burns said the worst of the bad-beats was this Halloween Day game:

On Oct. 31, the Indiana-Iowa game made Hoosier backers feel like they were passing a golf ball-sized kidney stone. Call it the Midwestern Moose of the Year.

It began with the undefeated Hawkeyes favored by 17.5 points. It ended with unfathomable 42-24 Iowa victory. Nowhere in between did that outcome seem possible.

Indiana failed to cover despite benefitting from a six-pack of Iowa turnovers, including five interceptions by quarterback Ricky Stanzi. The Hoosiers turned those six turnovers into a measly 10 points. Way to take advantage. 

Indiana failed to cover despite having the ball at the Iowa four, leading 21-7 in the third quarter. That possession resulted in a fluky interception that bounced off a Hawkeye lineman and a Hoosier lineman and right into the waiting arms of Tyler Sash, who raced 86 yards for a touchdown.

And Indiana failed to cover despite taking a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter and pinning Iowa at its own eight-yard line to begin the quarter. Stanzi promptly connected with Marvin McNutt for a 92-yard touchdown, the first of 28 unanswered points in the quarter. The last came on a 27-yard touchdown run with just 1:12 to play on a third-and-2.

But there was more for Hoosier backers to bitch about, specifically a controversial replay reversal of a play that was ruled

a touchdown on the field. ...

One play after the overturned touchdown, kicker Nick Freeland missed a 28-yard field goal with 5:58 to play in the third quarter.

That field goal and overturned touchdown would haunt Indiana backers throughout the fourth quarter, which saw the Hawkeyes pull off the miracle cover.

You've got to admit, it was a crazy game and a crazy cover.

Had Iowa not rallied for the win, it would be no better than 9-3 today, and its bowl game would probably be held tomorrow in Orlando.