Hlas: Cruel tease, crushing elimination for Hawkeyes

INDIANAPOLIS — This one's going to hurt for about forever.

To get this near to an outright Big Ten championship, to get this close to a 13-0 record, to get this close to entering the College Football Playoff without any debate … chances like this feel like once-in-a-lifetime for programs like Iowa's.

But close is all this 16-13 loss to Michigan Stadium in Lucas Oil Stadium was Saturday night. In the moments of truth down the stretch, it was time-tested winner MSU hoisting the league's championship trophy and being able to pursue a national-title.

Iowa's offense lost its swagger somewhere between the end of the first half and the start of the second, which led to the wearing-down of the Hawkeye defense.

With just seven third-quarter plays that totaled a paltry three yards, Iowa's offense stopped resembling the unit that at least moved the ball with some success in the first half.

But then came a wild and wicked bolt of lightning on the first play of the fourth quarter when C.J. Beathard threw a pass worthy of many of the NFL greats who have played in this building.

It was a bomb to Tevaun Smith, it covered 85 yards for a touchdown, and the Hawkeyes set off an explosion of sound from their huge following here.

However, Cook didn't become the first-team All-Big Ten quarterback by lacking resilience. With 9:31 left, he and his mates got the ball at their 25, trailing 13-9. What followed was a punishing, effective drive highlighted by big plays by Cook and determined rushing by tailback LJ Scott.

A 16-yard pass from Cook to Aaron Burbridge on 3rd-and-8 at the 50. It was a perfect throw, threading a needle between two Iowa defensive backs. That was the game-changer.

Cook ran for just enough on 4th-and-2 at the Iowa. That was the game-extender.

The game-winner was LJ Scott's 1-yard run with: 27 left, a play the back wouldn't give up on when it looked like it would be unsuccessful, 9:04 after the drive began. It was a 22-play drive. When do you ever see such a thing?

It's not that Iowa's defense didn't do enough to win in a normal game. Who else has held Cook touchdown-less through three quarters of a game this season? Nobody.

'I would say we played pretty good, limiting an explosive offense to 16 points and one touchdown,' said Iowa cornerback Greg Mabin.

'But ultimately, our goal was to win the game. We weren't able to accomplish that.'

Though the Hawkeyes nursed a 6-3 lead into halftime, the specter of missed opportunities followed them into the dressing room.

Iowa had a pair of first-and-goals inside the MSU 10 and were in the red zone twice in the half, but got just two field goals and a fluky interception at the end of them. The pick was earned on the Spartans' part, though, because Iowa tight end George Kittle had the ball jarred from him before Demetrious Cox picked it off the back of teammate Riley Bullough.

The botched chances would loom larger as the game grew later.

So, the Hawkeyes hit the reset button Sunday afternoon. It will be a New Year's Six bowl, a prestigious game against a very serious opponent, maybe the Rose Bowl and Stanford, maybe the Fiesta and Notre Dame.

Either would be a ladder-full of rungs above Iowa's last four bowl trips. But obviously, these weren't the discussions the team or its fans wanted to have before Saturday night. The Hawkeyes had their shot at leaping onto college football's largest platform, and weren't quite Michigan State's equal. In the immortal words of Tony Soprano, whaddaya gonna do?

It wouldn't be a revenue sport at Iowa if the biggest seasons didn't have at least one slice of enduring heartache in the biggest games of the last 35 years.

Ronnie Lester's injury at the 1980 Final Four. The then-No. 1 football team's loss at Ohio State in '85. The '87 men's basketball team letting UNLV off the hook in the Elite Eight.

The '02 football team getting whipped by USC at the Orange Bowl. The '09 team's unbeaten season getting waylaid by Ricky Stanzi's ankle injury against Northwestern. Now this.

Every Hawkeye player you saw after the game, be it starter or reserve, had pain in their facial expression and body language.

'This one's probably going to hurt for a while,' said Iowa linebacker Cole Fisher.

This one will hurt for about forever.