Nothing could have prepared Iowa fans for the 2002 season. Following a non-conference loss to Iowa State, Iowa won nine consecutive games. Iowa finished the regular season 11–1 and clinched a berth in the Orange Bowl, where the #5 USC Trojans defeated the #3 Hawkeyes, 38–17. The Hawkeyes had an 8–0 record in the Big Ten and won a share of the league title for the first time since 1990. The 2002 team set the school record for overall wins and Big Ten wins in a season, and numerous Hawkeye players won major national awards. In 2003, the Hawkeyes went 9–3, earning a trip to the Outback Bowl. The Hawks defeated Florida, 37–17, to give Iowa back-to-back ten win seasons for the first time in school history.