Worst Losses in the Past Decade

WilcoHawk

Active Member
Since I'm feeling negative this morning, I thought I would rank the 10 worst losses since 2002. Here we go:

1) Orange Bowl vs. USC. I'm still ****** we didn't get to play Washington State in the Rose Bowl. Instead, we go to Miami and forget to show up. It isn't even so much that we lost, but the fact that we didn't even make it a game on that stage. We were a way better team then it showed that day.

2) 2010 vs. Wisky: I am convinced that if we had won on Saturday, we would be going to the Rose Bowl. No one can tell me otherwise. Then, to beat ourselves like that? Pathetic. I sure hope we can win out somehow because I don't know when I'll get over this loss. All I want is for Iowa to play in a Rose Bowl again, and everything was lined up for it.

3) 2009 vs. NU: We would have dominated NU with Stanzi. And while JVB played great the next week, wouldn't you have loved to see how Stanzi would have performed in the Shoe with a Big10 title on the line?

4) 2006 vs. Indiana: Started the downward spiral that ruined the season.

5) 2005 vs. Iowa State: Yet another example of how Iowa struggles with high expectations.

6) 2005 vs. Northwestern: I still remember standing in the rain in Evanston waiting for the parking lot shuttle and being taunted by NU fans--I couldn't even respond.

7) 2005 vs. Michigan.

8) 2006 Outback Bowl: Gave up a blocked punt and were screwed by the refs, eliminating any hopes of a comeback.

9) 2007 vs. Western Michigan: By this point, I was expecting Iowa to lose, but to get blown out like that with a bowl game on the line? Pathetic.

10) Any other loss in the 2007 season. Or perhaps the 2006 loss to Minny. At this point, who cares?
 


In terms of the score and not being ready to play, it has to be the debacle down at Arizona State. Was that 2004 or 2005?
 


I can't believe that you have Western Michigan @ #9. What about the the Minnesota game we lost where the infamous 'fat cats' line came from?
 


This one. NW last year was due to injury, although it was an abominable outrage. But this one...there is no excuse. And we got horribly outcoached when it mattered most. USC was disappointing but that was an awesome team. There was no shame in losing to them.

This is the worst one. This probably cost us the Rose Bowl unless we win out and someone shocks Bucky Badger.
 
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This one. NW last year was due to injury, although it was an abominable outrage. But this one...there is no excuse. And we got horribly outcoached when it mattered most.

This is the worst one. This probably cost us the Rose Bowl unless we win out and someone shocks Bucky Badger.

See, I don't even put this in the top 10. As to the Rose Bowl, yeah, we have to win out now. We probably would have had to win out had we won yesterday anyway. And are the odds really that long of someone beating Wisconsin? Have you watched college football this year? I'd say it's 50/50 they lose at worst; probably more like 70/30.

To me, the worst losses are when we don't show up. At Arizona State. Against Western Michigan. At Iowa State when they didn't even score a touchdown but still beat us. A couple of the blowouts in '05-'07 (31-6 at a mediocre Purdue team, for instance). This loss might have hurt emotionally. But to me there's nothing worse than being excited all week to watch a game, buying a ticket or planning to watch with friends, and then seeing three hours of crap. Yesterday was not crap. It was very, very frustrating, but at least it was a game.
 


In my mind the worst loss was the only one that kept us from playing for national championship, 02- ISU. Big lead and lose at home for only loss.
 


Off the top of my head, I can't think of a loss that stings as much as this one. I don't think I've ever been as angry at losing one in my life. Maybe it's the way(s) that the loss occured, maybe it's that (while still attainable) it makes winning the BigTen title more difficult, maybe it's the thought of Bucky taking The Bull back to Madison for 3 years - but most likely it's all three.
 


In my mind the worst loss was the only one that kept us from playing for national championship, 02- ISU. Big lead and lose at home for only loss.

I was going to say as much, to have a list like the original post and not include the 2002 ISU game is a glaring omission.
 


Since I'm feeling negative this morning, I thought I would rank the 10 worst losses since 2002. Here we go:

2) 2010 vs. Wisky: I am convinced that if we had won on Saturday, we would be going to the Rose Bowl. No one can tell me otherwise. Then, to beat ourselves like that? Pathetic. I sure hope we can win out somehow because I don't know when I'll get over this loss. All I want is for Iowa to play in a Rose Bowl again, and everything was lined up for it.

Winning this game was just another step to the Rose Bowl. It wasn't the step to the Rose Bowl. That is all.
 


This one. NW last year was due to injury, although it was an abominable outrage. But this one...there is no excuse. And we got horribly outcoached when it mattered most. USC was disappointing but that was an awesome team. There was no shame in losing to them.

This is the worst one. This probably cost us the Rose Bowl unless we win out and someone shocks Bucky Badger.

I think Michigan can trip them up. The total points in the game will probably be around 100 or so. But I doubt it matters because I don't think we win out anyway. Have you seen our defense the past two games? :mad:
 


The ones that stand out in order:

1. Orange Bowl 2003 USC
2. NW 2009 - Losing to a team named Northwestern is like losing a fight to a girl or a guy who's first name is "Wimp". Cost Iowa the B10
3. OSU 2009 - Cost Iowa the Rose Bowl
4. Wisconsin 2010 - I ranked it behind NW & OSU because the team still has 5 games left. Iowa still has 2 tougher opponents to beat. But make no mistake, this loss was beyond devestating. I hope they can recover.
 


The ones that stand out in order:

1. Orange Bowl 2003 USC
2. NW 2009 - Losing to a team named Northwestern is like losing a fight to a girl or a guy who's first name is "Wimp". Cost Iowa the B10
3. OSU 2009 - Cost Iowa the Rose Bowl
4. Wisconsin 2010 - I ranked it behind NW & OSU because the team still has 5 games left. Iowa still has 2 tougher opponents to beat. But make no mistake, this loss was beyond devestating. I hope they can recover.

I'm not sure why everyone is picking the '03 USC game as THE worst loss. You do realize that that team would've smoked tOSU or Miami and was by far the best team at the end of that season. This is a good loss in my book. Worst losses, to me, were NW and tOSU last year. I still am wondering why KF took a knee at the end of regulation against tOSU with the Rose Bowl on the line. :confused:
 


How about every loss in '08? That team was REALLY good (same defense, better o-line and running game than '09 team but Stanzi wasn't as mature) and had every opportunity to win every game it lost, but we were just a play away from winning all of those games and we saw some mistakes by the staff like sitting Stanzi in the second half at Pitt, prevent defense in the final drive at Illinois that made Juice Williams look like John Elway and absolutely atrocious play calling inside the 10 yard line at the end of the NU game after Greene went down, not to mention had we gone play action on that late 4th down against MSU instead of running up the gut, we probably would have won that one, too. That team was really close to going 12-0 and the way we played in that bowl game, I think we were very dangerous that year.
 


I think Arizona this year also deserves some mention. But I think this Wisco 10 game really hurts, the ISU 02 was unbelievable, NU and OSU last year.
 


Worst = hardest to stomach?
In chronological order ...
2001 ISU (played in November)
2002 ISU (cost us the NC game) ... USC (especially after the opening kick-off)
2004 ASU (embarrassing)
2005 - 2007 (too many to name them all)
2008 Pitt (at least Stanzi finally got the job) ... Illinois (seriously?, we lost to Zook?)
2009 NW
2010 Wisconsin
 
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I'm not sure why everyone is picking the '03 USC game as THE worst loss. You do realize that that team would've smoked tOSU or Miami and was by far the best team at the end of that season. This is a good loss in my book. Worst losses, to me, were NW and tOSU last year. I still am wondering why KF took a knee at the end of regulation against tOSU with the Rose Bowl on the line. :confused:

Because you are wrong. USC was not some great team that was immensely better than OSU, Miami, or Iowa. It was 10-10 at the half.....and as everyone seems to forget Iowa scored 3 points on TWO first and goals from the 1 yard line in the first half.

With the OLINE we had that year that is unthinkable. We didn't show up period. USC was not some NFL team that was light years better. It ranks as one of the all time let downs because we also had a great team that year but didn't show up.

However, I do agree with your sentiments on the OSU game. I understand people saying he didn't want to put JV in that position to lose the game...but if that was the case why did we try to throw the ball on the first down in OT? Putting the game in a young QB's hands where a sack or turnover is pretty much a garunteed loss.
 


I can't believe that you have Western Michigan @ #9. What about the the Minnesota game we lost where the infamous 'fat cats' line came from?

Yeah, the Minny game was bad, and I thought about it, but ultimately, it really didn't "cost" us anything, as we still played in the Alamo Bowl that year (and almost beat Texas).

Now, losing by multiple scores to an average MAC team at home on Senior Day with a bowl berth on the line? Regardless of the disappointment level, that's just a bad loss that you cannot ignore.
 


I guess it all comes down to your personal criteria of what makes a bad loss. I know a lot of people say the 2002 ISU game cost Iowa the NC game. Sorry, but Ohio State would have gone ahead of Iowa. Just look at Auburn in 2004. They had a much more impressive season than USC and Oklahoma, but the preseason expectations came back to haunt them. I think the same thing would have happened with Iowa had they won the ISU game in 2002. Also, some losses set-up wins later in the season. The loss to ISU may have propelled Iowa to win close games against PSU and Purdue that the team wouldn't have won otherwise. This is why if Iowa comes out and runs the table to end the season I might be inclined to think this past week's loss to Wisconsin motivated the team to win games they might not have won otherwise.
 


I personally think the worst losses are:

1) 2003 Orange Bowl - Iowa was the better team and just didn't show it. The offense and the defense looked pathetic and it was a blow-out. It was a tough way to end a great season.

2) 2006 Indiana - Iowa was 5-1, ranked #13 and still had a chance to have a great season. Iowa led 21-7 in the 2nd quarter and 28-24 in the 4th. This was the beginning of the end for the first Ferentz Era as Iowa lost 5 of the last 6.

3) 2007 Western Michigan - Iowa had turned around the season winning the last 3 and only needed to beat a 4-7 MAC team to go to the Insight Bowl. The team was absolutely embarrassed.

4a) 2005 Michigan - Iowa had a 22 game home win streak, it was the first black out and Iowa was 5-2 and looked like they could run the table. This was a real gut-punch.

4b) 2005 Northwestern - Iowa had the bye week to prepare and a 27-14 4th quarter lead. It hurt even more when combined with the Michigan loss.

5) 2004 ASU - Iowa didn't even show up. This was maybe the most pathetic on the field performance with the 2007 Western Michigan game.

?) 2010 Wisconsin - I really think this could be a positive turning point (like 2004 @ Michigan) or a negative turning point (like 2006 @ Indiana).
 


#1 2001 vs michigan - kyle mccant was our qb and banks was our "change of pace back"
#2 what ever year we lost to michigan in ot when tate was our qb
 




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