But if Iowa would have made freethrows to ice it (like they normaly would) and won they would have been the better team? Was Iowa the better team last year, even though ISU had the better season?
Winning one close game doesn't decide who is better. Thats why things like the nba playoffs are 7 games and are almost never sweeps.
This is true. That's why one game just tells you who was better on that particular night. ISU fans will continue to think we're better, and Hawks will think the better team didn't win that night. The season and the dance are the only things that can maybe shed some light into who really is a better team.
Not sure what the odds are, but if somehow these two teams could get into the same bracket, I think both fan bases would absolutely love it.