And the game ball goes to...Jake Long?

Well, that was fun. I'm really glad that I made the trip out, even if I had to pay a buttload for a ticket. I don't have much to say about detailed analysis, as I didn't take notes, but perhaps after I watch the tape later in the week I'll have a little more to chip in. Some preliminary thoughts though:

-Jake Long was huge. Its no coincidence that the game winning run in OT went off tackle to the right.

-The Michigan Defense, porous though it was, only gave up 3 points in the second half.

-Iowa lost this game far more than Michigan won it. They had a ton of key penalties and dropped way to many balls.

-Jason Avant never ceases to amaze me. He had several amazing catches in key situations.

That's all I've got for now about the game on the field. I know that I'm supposed to go into opposing stadiums and hate the fans and all, but in this case I have to give a ton of credit to Iowa, who had the best fans that I've ever met. If the Michigan Old Farts were even half as loud as the Iowa Old Farts, the Big House would have the best atmosphere of any stadium in the country. All throughout the game, I had meaningful discussions with the fans around me and after the game there were handshakes all around on a great game played, even though Iowa had lost. I'm willing say that Iowa has, in general, the classiest, most spirited fan base in the Big Ten. Of course the same cannot be said about the Iowa student section. They lost any respect I had for them when they threw stuff at the refs as they exited for half.

Finally, on the way home, we passed the Michigan equipment truck and got him to give us a victory honk. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm definitely looking forward to heading over to Evanston this weekend.