IOWA CITY — Iowa football ’s five-point loss to Indiana in September provided a blueprint for how the Hawkeyes could knock off an elite team.

The Hawkeyes made it a physical, low-scoring and ugly game against the Hoosiers. Iowa ’s failures also showed what needed to be improved in order to achieve a different outcome. There were a few plays that swung the game in Indiana’s favor. If one or two of those had gone in the opposite direction, the Hawkeyes might’ve knocked off the Hoosiers.

That provided a pathway to victory against No. 9 Oregon on Nov. 8: Put together a performance similar to Indiana, but just make fewer mistakes.

Iowa was not able to make that happen.

The Hawkeyes did not play a bad game. They fought their way back from a deficit and took the lead with less than two

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