Should you’re a Hawkeye fan, you clearly know the stakes by now: win on Black Friday and win the Large Ten West. Handle enterprise in a sport the place the DraftKings Sportsbook has Iowa favored by 10.5 factors and the Hawkeyes are headed to Indianapolis for a second straight time.

It’s a wild turnaround from the place this staff was a month in the past. Almost as wild has been the flip in fan sentiment over that span. A month in the past, the overall consensus amongst Hawkeye followers was that this Iowa staff was poised to complete the 12 months beneath .500 for the primary time since 2014.

Coincidentally, that was the final time the Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Hawkeyes. Now, those self same Cornhuskers, with a 3-8 file and on their second head coach of the season and fourth since that final win over Iowa, are headed to Iowa Metropolis as the one factor between the Hawkeyes and a division title.

Iowa followers are feeling good about their possibilities headed into Friday, regardless of these emotions of despair a number of brief weeks in the past. Of respondents to this week’s SB Nation Reacts ballot, 93% count on Iowa to defeat the Huskers on Friday.

That’s a rise from the 86% of followers who predicted Iowa would beat Nebraska when requested earlier than the season started.

Some uptick is probably to be anticipated given the massive unfold for this matchup and the totally different instructions the 2 groups are headed at this level within the 12 months. Nebraska was anticipated to be within the 8-win space on the outset of the season, much like the place Vegas had projected the Hawkeyes. Now at 3-8 and 7-4 respectively, the maths is a bit totally different.

Nonetheless, it’s considerably stunning followers are so assured even with the robust month of November. Regardless of the latest success, the overwhelming majority of Iowa followers polled this week say they’re nonetheless not proud of this season.

This regardless of Iowa being largely anticipated to win extra video games than Vegas predicted (7.5) and proper in keeping with preseason fan expectations (roughly half the fan base predicted Iowa to complete 8-4). Extra importantly, Iowa followers did not count on the Hawkeyes to win the West when requested within the preseason. Now with only one common season sport left, practically all Hawekeye followers are saying they do count on to complete atop the division.

Notably, Iowa enters the week with just one really dangerous loss on their resume. No one within the faculty soccer world was stunned the Hawkeyes fell to #3 Michigan or on the street at #2 Ohio State. Even the loss to Illinois is nothing to be terribly annoyed by given how effectively the Illini performed this season, leaping into the top-20 down the stretch.

However we’ve been educated to count on wins over our neighbors to the east during the last eight years. Equally, we’ve grown accustomed to heading to our Thanksgiving gatherings with out the dread of listening to our Cyclone relations gloating over a Cy-Hawk win. And given their abysmal season, that loss actually does sting.

It’s additionally the seemingly perpetrator for the results of our query on rankings. Simply over half the fanbase believes Iowa ought to be ranked in the event that they win on Friday, whereas the opposite half sees these losses to Iowa State and/or Illinois as deal-breakers (effectively, these and the offense if we’re being sincere).

Nonetheless, it’s not an unreasonable expectation. At 7-4 at present, there are 5 groups between Iowa and a rating. It’s not unthinkable a number of of them will go down this weekend and even a few of the 3-loss groups hanging across the 20-25 vary might fall within the last common season ballot.

Regardless, Hawkeye followers appear to expire of optimism in relation to a return to Indianapolis. After being blown out a 12 months in the past by a Michigan staff taking part in for Faculty Soccer Playoff seeding, Iowa followers appear to have some PTSD serious about a go to to Lucas Oil Stadium for a rematch with both Michigan or Ohio State.

The overwhelming majority of these polled stated they’ll NOT be headed to Indianapolis beneath any circumstances this season.

Nevertheless, that’s a better assertion to make in principle than if the Hawkeyes certainly win on Friday. Issues would get very attention-grabbing if it’s the Michigan Wolverines who win The Sport on Saturday.

Whereas Michigan beat Iowa in Iowa Metropolis already this season, the sport was a lot nearer than the matchup in Columbus (albeit with out the six Hawkeye turnovers). And that was with none semblance of an offense. Granted, the Hawkeyes are removed from a juggernaut now, nevertheless it’s arduous to argue issues haven’t been barely improved during the last month.

It could all be moot if the Hawkeyes can’t prolong their streak over the Huskers to eight straight wins. Iowa and Nebraska are set to kick off at 3pm CT on Black Friday. The sport will probably be televised on BTN.

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