Hlas: Nebraska, Iowa resurrected from early-November wreckage

It was less than three weeks ago, and the air had totally left the balloons of the Nebraska and Iowa football teams.

On the night of Nov. 5 in stadiums far from the Corn Belt, the Huskers and Hawkeyes were both coming off losses to Wisconsin in their most-recent games. Penn State then mauled Iowa, 41-14, and Ohio State mugged Nebraska, 62-3.

The first score doesn't look as bad as the second, but the performances by the Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers were equally awful. Ohio State outgained the Huskers, 590 yards to 204. Penn State outgained Iowa, 599-234.

Supporters of Nebraska and Iowa couldn't help but wonder if their seasons were wrecked, if their teams would just play out the string in the final three weeks. Was everything hopeless and forlorn?

Uh, no. The two teams found shelter from the storm and resumed playing football.

On Nov. 12, the Huskers got the best of Minnesota in the second half and defeated the Gophers, 24-17. The Hawkeyes got the best of Michigan in the second half and defeated the Wolverines, 14-13.

Last Saturday, Nebraska faced an outclassed Maryland team and held the Terrapins to 207 yards in posting a 28-7 win. Iowa faced an outclassed Illinois team and held the Illini to 198 yards in posting a 28-0 win.

You might say there are some parallels between the two. Here's another:

The Big Ten is ruling college football, especially if you forget the University of Alabama has a team. But Nebraska (even with its 9-2 record and No. 16 ranking) and Iowa are on the outside looking in.

Wisconsin wasn't supposed to win the West. It will, barring a surprising home loss to Minnesota Saturday.

Penn State wasn't supposed to go 10-2 and share the East title. It will, barring a surprising home loss to Michigan State.

As for Ohio State and Michigan, they are King and Kong to no surprise. One is going to the national playoff, the other to a big-time bowl game.

Iowa, which was so, so close to being a playoff team last year, has settled back into its pre-2015 place in the world. Nebraska, which never misses a chance to tout its five national championships, hasn't won one in 19 years and hasn't been a champion of any conference since 1999.

You can call Friday's Nebraska-Iowa contest the Heroes Game, the Superheroes Game, or any puffy thing you want. But this year it's just a lounge act for Saturday's headliners in Madison and Columbus.

However, it's not like this is Maryland-Rutgers. Nebraska is 9-2. Iowa is 7-4 with a win over Michigan in its hip pocket. And the most-important similarity of the two teams is this:

Both teams have played all the way to this, the 12th and final regular-season game. The victor should and will feel very good about itself. The loser will not.

Everyone can then adjourn to wonder what might have been. What if the Huskers had won that overtime game in Wisconsin? What if the Hawkeyes had defended their home field against North Dakota State, Northwestern and Wisconsin? Which, come to think of it, is a lot of what-ifs for one team.

But everyone remembers the regular-season finish. One of these two teams will go to its bowl with the satisfaction of powering through the end of its schedule with three straight wins. The other just goes to its bowl.

And there's a lot of meaningful games left for the rest of us to watch Saturday, and the Saturday after.

l Comments: (319) 368-8840; mike.hlas@thegazette.com