Hang in there with me on this please. This is my first real post. I've been a voyeur of sorts on this site for a long time. It's truly entertaining to sit back and read the majority of the posts on this board. You all are great. With that out of the way I just wanted to take a quick second and share my experience from this weekend.
My wife got us tickets to the Championship game for my bday on Thanksgiving and I will always be grateful for being able to witness this moment in Hawkeye history. I don't want to get too deep here; I know it was just a football game. That being said, it was truly special. If you were there you know what I'm talking about.
The trip down on Saturday morning was unreal. I-74 was an Iowa expressway to Indy. It seemed every car had an Iowa lic. plate. We kept track of the different counties. 70 miles outside of Champagne/Urbana we saw two Iowa fans draping a Hawkeye flag over a random overpass yelling and waiving as cars honked while passing underneath. Unreal.
Walking the streets of Indy you would have thought it was 20 to 1 Iowa to MSU fans. I don't know what the actual numbers turned out to be but Hawkeye Nation truly invaded Indianapolis. The bar we were in cheered at a Florida TD while watching the SEC title game on tv. Random chants of Let's Go Hawks! broke out. Special.
Entering Lucas Oil(which is amazing)and seeing a sea of black and gold was instant goose bumps. There was an energy and buzz that can't be described. Both bands took the field and merged together to play the national anthem followed by chants of USA!USA!... Again, goosebumps.
Back in Black played and the place erupted. MSU fans nearby told us they were "truly impressed" by the sheer number of Iowa fans in attendance. When they took the field you could feel the place shake. Impressive.
Obviously everyone witnessed what the game was about. Two great teams playing tough football with everything they had. We were way up there in the upper deck and even from there you knew it was physical. Pads were poppin for sure. Intense.
The moment I will always remember and always be grateful for is the break before the start of the 4th quarter. We all know how rough the 3rd quarter was and the feeling was the same in the stadium. During that break though, Iowa fans lit their cellphone lights just like the Minnesota game. It was awesome. Again, I know it's just a football game but it was like Iowa fans were trying to will this team. It felt like a show of solidarity and support. Then of course we know what followed. CJB to T.Smith for 85 yards, a touchdown, and the lead. Explosion doesn't quite cover the moment inside the stadium. Again, it's something that I will always remember and cherish. Euphoria.
The drama that unfolded from MSU's final drive was painfully unreal. They made some special plays and deserved the win because of it. Even to the last moment I kept thinking "this team finds a way, the Hawks will find a way". The MSU TD was right below us and it was a gut punch. I honestly felt it when I saw that arm stick out and land in the endzone. Heartbreak.
In the end there was frustration but it quickly passed, for me anyway. I think it was pride. I was proud to be from Iowa. It came from knowing what the kids on that team went through to get there. There isn't really a word to show what this team meant to me or the thousands of Iowa fans there and at home. Nothing seems to really fit but I'll try. Thankful.
Thanks for listening Hawkeyenation.
Sincerely,
Thankful Iowan
My wife got us tickets to the Championship game for my bday on Thanksgiving and I will always be grateful for being able to witness this moment in Hawkeye history. I don't want to get too deep here; I know it was just a football game. That being said, it was truly special. If you were there you know what I'm talking about.
The trip down on Saturday morning was unreal. I-74 was an Iowa expressway to Indy. It seemed every car had an Iowa lic. plate. We kept track of the different counties. 70 miles outside of Champagne/Urbana we saw two Iowa fans draping a Hawkeye flag over a random overpass yelling and waiving as cars honked while passing underneath. Unreal.
Walking the streets of Indy you would have thought it was 20 to 1 Iowa to MSU fans. I don't know what the actual numbers turned out to be but Hawkeye Nation truly invaded Indianapolis. The bar we were in cheered at a Florida TD while watching the SEC title game on tv. Random chants of Let's Go Hawks! broke out. Special.
Entering Lucas Oil(which is amazing)and seeing a sea of black and gold was instant goose bumps. There was an energy and buzz that can't be described. Both bands took the field and merged together to play the national anthem followed by chants of USA!USA!... Again, goosebumps.
Back in Black played and the place erupted. MSU fans nearby told us they were "truly impressed" by the sheer number of Iowa fans in attendance. When they took the field you could feel the place shake. Impressive.
Obviously everyone witnessed what the game was about. Two great teams playing tough football with everything they had. We were way up there in the upper deck and even from there you knew it was physical. Pads were poppin for sure. Intense.
The moment I will always remember and always be grateful for is the break before the start of the 4th quarter. We all know how rough the 3rd quarter was and the feeling was the same in the stadium. During that break though, Iowa fans lit their cellphone lights just like the Minnesota game. It was awesome. Again, I know it's just a football game but it was like Iowa fans were trying to will this team. It felt like a show of solidarity and support. Then of course we know what followed. CJB to T.Smith for 85 yards, a touchdown, and the lead. Explosion doesn't quite cover the moment inside the stadium. Again, it's something that I will always remember and cherish. Euphoria.
The drama that unfolded from MSU's final drive was painfully unreal. They made some special plays and deserved the win because of it. Even to the last moment I kept thinking "this team finds a way, the Hawks will find a way". The MSU TD was right below us and it was a gut punch. I honestly felt it when I saw that arm stick out and land in the endzone. Heartbreak.
In the end there was frustration but it quickly passed, for me anyway. I think it was pride. I was proud to be from Iowa. It came from knowing what the kids on that team went through to get there. There isn't really a word to show what this team meant to me or the thousands of Iowa fans there and at home. Nothing seems to really fit but I'll try. Thankful.
Thanks for listening Hawkeyenation.
Sincerely,
Thankful Iowan
