Thanks to the wonders of Twitter, the questions in the aftermath of Iowa’s stunning loss to Central Michigan came fast and furious, and can essentially be summed up with the following question: how in the hell does Kirk Ferentz still have a job?
Answer? An eight-figure buyout. With that answered and out of the way, there’s still big trouble in Iowa City.
Holding a 31-23 lead with just over two minutes remaining, the Hawkeyes allowed a Chips touchdown with :45 left to pull the MAC school to within two. After an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt, the Chips recovered an onside kick and, with a mere three ticks left on the Kinnick Stadium clock, kicked a game-winning field goal.
The 32-31 final stunned those in attendance, but not enough that they couldn’t shower the home team -- and its head coach -- with a steady stream of boos that likely included a healthy dose of expletives.
The loss dropped the Hawkeyes to 2-2 on the season, with the other loss coming to in-state rival Iowa State at home. Even in the two wins -- both at home as well -- the Hawkeyes were far from impressive -- a one-point win over MAC-member Northern Illinois in the opener, and an 11-point win over FCS-level Northern Iowa.
In the two-plus years since Iowa’s 11-win season led to an Orange Bowl win, the Hawkeyes have stumbled to just 17 wins against 13 losses. In his 14th season and with a hefty buyout, there’s little doubt that Ferentz’s seat, barring a collapse of epic proportions, won’t even remotely approach warm, let alone hot.
The question is, especially after the start to the 2012 season, should it?