Iowa Football: 3 takeaways from ugly road win at Wisconsin

1. What’s next for Iowa football?

The Hawkeyes are in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West. Associated Press writer Steve Megagree put it best: Iowa’s throwback style may not bring many viewers to television sets and certainly doesn’t put many points on the scoreboard. But it just might get the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten championship game.

The college football world knows about the “Drive for 325.” Let’s be honest: Kirk Ferentz wants to win this way, so how they win doesn’t matter. New Athletic Director Beth Goetz will rip up the old contract and give Brian Ferentz a new one. The west is not very good, and Iowa will likely find itself in Indianapolis again.

The rest of the schedule is manageable for the Hawkeyes. None of the teams on the schedule have an offense that can threaten Iowa. Ferentz, incorporated, will be satisfied winning games 13-6 the rest of the season.

What’s next for Wisconsin?

Today was a tough loss for the Badgers. Not only did they lose at home, but they also lost their starting quarterback. Unlike the Hawkeyes, Wisconsin has a challenging game left on the schedule. No. 3 Ohio State comes to Madison on Oct. 28.

That’s a tough enough game at full strength. It’s a tough road to hoe with a backup. The rest of the season will be tough with a backup quarterback.