Iowa Football reaches low 1972 season

Iowa's offense flops in Citrus Bowl, shut out by Tennessee. Fans demand big changes for next season. #IowaFootball #EmbarrassingPerformance

Yesterday's Citrus Bowl was a tough one for Iowa fans to watch. There was a small hope that the Iowa offense would really shine in Brian Ferentz's last game as the Iowa offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, what we saw was another disappointing performance on national television.

I won't list out all the historically bad numbers this Iowa offense has put up this season. If you watched the Hawkeyes play against Tennessee, you saw just how bad this unit has been. When Iowa fell behind 7-0 in the first quarter, fans thought they were in trouble. When they fell behind 14-0, they knew the game was over.

It's worth noting that Tennessee was playing without their usual starters, including their quarterback and running backs. But when you're a powerhouse program, your backups are five-star recruits. Iowa's starters, on the other hand, may not even be backups on most SEC teams. Iowa was simply outplayed, outcoached, and outclassed on Monday.

As Kirk Ferentz looks to make a crucial hire for the offensive coordinator position, it's important to note just how bad this Iowa offense has been in 2023. According to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Iowa hadn't been shut out in a football game since 2000. But in 2023, they were shut out by all three ranked teams they played. Penn State? Zero. Michigan? Zip. Tennessee? Zilch. This marks the first time since 1972 that Iowa has been shut out three times in a single season.

Looking ahead to next season, the competition will only get tougher as the Big Ten adds teams like USC and Washington. There's no room for excuses, injuries, or losses. Iowa needs to make a big move with their offensive coordinator hire, as fans are tired of shutouts.