Personal expectations for my favorite sports teams usually sit somewhere between “middling” and “low.” This is a rather pitiful mechanism of self-protection: When they do well, I’m surprised; when they do poorly, that’s what I thought would happen.

Accordingly, you can imagine how thrilled I’ve been with the recent success of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Our 5-0 football team is ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll and has a tenacious defense capable of putting any team in the cellar for four quarters. With a massive matchup against No. 4 Penn State in Iowa City on Saturday, all eyes are on the Hawks.

The final...