Nov. 4, 2017 is truly one of the most unexpectedly-fun days in the history of Iowa athletics. 

That's the day that the unranked and 5-3 Iowa football team upset the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes at Kinnick Stadium by a ridiculous score of 55-24. 

This game easily remains the lasting memory everyone has of the 2017 season, and like so many of you, I have a fun story to tell from this game.

I don't often share personal stories on HawkeyeRoundtable.com, but what happened before and after this game is something that perfectly captures just how much control an Iowa Hawkeye football game has over a state's emotions.

While most of the terrific human beings on the Hawkeye beat were in the press box covering this memorable game that day, I was just a mere eighth-grader back in 201`7, so I was simply watching this game as a fan. 

I always looked forward to watching Iowa games as a kid, but if I remember correctly, I wasn't very optimistic about watching this one. Ohio State was a 20.5-point favorite over the Hawkeyes, and my friends, all of whom are Iowa State fans, did nothing but brag about the success of their upstart and 15th-ranked Cyclones all week. 

That wasn't the only reason I dreaded Nov. 4, either. That Saturday marked one of my least-favorite weekends of the year - family picture day with the extended family. It's stupid to hate having your picture taken, but there was something about smiling for hours in different poses that made my blood boil. 

We would always take our family photos at the same photography chain, but the closing of this store forced us to go to a different location across town (the names of the stores are irrelevant). 

In short, this studio didn't even let our family take our photos because not all of us were present at our scheduled time. This forced us to scramble for options, which eventually resulted in us taking a hurried shot against the wall of the store's building. 

The portrait turned out well considering the circumstances, but it did result in my family and I not making it home in time for Iowa's 2:30 kickoff. We did record the game, though, so we simply watched from the start like we normally would've anyway. 

All of you know what happened next. Instead of riding the roller coaster that was the 2017 Hawkeyes, we were treated to one of the best offensive performances of the Kirk Ferentz era. It was truly a special night for Iowa fans, but the best part of the story was yet to come.

My teacher was late getting to school the following Monday, which meant the principal - an Iowa fan - taught the first few minutes of our Monday morning English class. 

Everyone always dreaded the principal's presence, but like most Hawkeye fans, he was still caught up in the excitement of the Ohio State win, so he decided to have a little fun with the Hawkeye fans in his classroom. 

Before he gave us our assignment, he took a few minutes (it resembled a moment of silence) to acknowledge Iowa's beatdown of Ohio State and poke fun at Iowa State, which lost its top 15 ranking after being upset by West Virginia. 

Teachers don't often do these kinds of things very often, and it was just another subtle reminder of how special "Woodshed" was. 

The Hawkeyes went 8-5 in 2017, but not everything was lost. 

Six years later, I covered my first-ever Iowa football game at Kinnick Stadium as a writer for The Daily Iowan, and I've covered all but three home games since then. 

The 2026 season will be my first season as the publisher of HawkeyeRoundtable.com, and it's safe to say we've got a lot of great things planned this year. 

28 days until kickoff, folks. 

HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5! 

This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium. 

Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too! 

HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]