The Good and the Bad: Iowa

Putting a wrap on Indiana's fifth straight loss as bowl eligibility starts to look bleaker and bleaker by the week.

THE GOOD

1. Jordan Howard - The pregame video of wild buffalo roaming the streets of Bloomington to the tune of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" could easily be replaced by video of Howard running roughshod through Big Ten defenders.

The junior picked up his fifth 100-yard game of the season Saturday (remember he missed or was injured for all or most of the October slate while with an ankle injury). He finished with 176 yards on 22 carries Saturday, eclipsing the century mark by halftime. This is against a team that had surrendered 85 yards per game before kickoff.

2. The offensive line - Reference back to point one and give major kudos to the unit in front of him. Both of Howards first-half touchdown runs came running to the left side of the line behind soon to be NFL tackle Jason Spriggs and left guard Wes Martin. Indiana's line at this point has been one of college football's best. Any recognition for them is deserved.

3. Nate Sudfeld - The senior was steady again in a record-breaking day. His fourth-quarter touchdown pass made him Indiana's all-time leader in that category, giving him 49 in his career.

THE BAD

1. Targeting: Any rule implemented to increase player safety isn't bad. The targeting rule in NCAA football is designed for safety. If it was any tougher to understand it would have been written in Latin on the squares of a Rubix cube. Black and white enforcement of the rule is leading to too many players being forced out of games for plays that don't merit that type of consequence.

The Hoosiers lost starting middle linebacker T.J. Simmons late in the first half on Saturday after he drew a targeting penalty on a pass intended for Iowa's Tayvaun Smith. The hit was helmet to helmet so the penalty was warranted, the intent was to make a tackle though and Smith slid to the ground, crossing pass with Simmons as he dove to make a play. Simmons ended up in the locker room for his efforts. Smith was shaken up, but did return.

There's no right or wrong way to go about this rule. Player safety should and does come first. But seeing players disqualified for simple football plays is tough, regardless of what team you’re rooting for as a fan.

2. Drops - Any coach will tell you one drop is too many, but Indiana had several Saturday that were momentum changers.

Mitchell Paige could have set Indiana up in scoring territory. Anthony Corsaro had one that he could have made it to Kirkwood before a defender got within reach. Close games are won or lost on little things. Drops are one of them.

3. Red zone woes - Indiana is getting close too often but not cashing in. Saturday IU made three trips inside the Iowa 20-yard line but could only turn one into a touchdown - and that was on the Hoosiers final drive of the game. Turning field goals into touchdowns has to happen to turn one of these close losses into a mark in the win column.