Even though the Hawkeyes’ first-half Big Ten championship over/under couldn’t drop any lower, they were still unable to score enough points to land on one of the most surprising betting lines in college football history.
To hit the over, Kirk Ferentz’s team only needed to force a field goal through the uprights or even secure a defensive score after DraftKings had set Iowa’s over/under total for both halves at 0.5 points. The most offensively challenged teams in the country could not handle the challenge
Iowa managed just 61 offensive yards and two first downs in the first half, failing to muster any points. Only once did the Hawkeyes cross into Michigan territory, and that was after the Wolverines’ brief punt. Iowa began that drive at Michigan’s 38-yard line, but on the third play, they fumbled and the ball was immediately recovered. With ten points at the half, the Wolverines went into halftime leading.
With an average of 247.3 yards per game, the Hawkeyes were ranked 133rd out of 133 FBS teams as of Saturday. The only other Power Five team averaging fewer than 300 yards per game this season is Michigan State (288.5).
Just one week has passed since Iowa’s game against Nebraska had the lowest over/under in college football history, with the total coming in at 24.5 points. The two teams combined for just 23 points, falling short of the total, despite scoring 17 points in the first half.
Throughout the season, only two Iowa games—the Hawkeyes’ victories over Michigan State and Western Michigan—have gone over the pregame over/under. In the Big Ten championship, which was set at 35.5, Iowa is contributing to the fact that no over has hit since the beginning of October.
