Because Penn State fans are making a simplistic analysis of Clifford's injury and its impact on the game.
Iowa always plays a safe script in the 1st half before they make adjustments, and they always make adjustments and tighten up the D in the 2nd half. They've done this for what, all of Ferentz's tenure, and especially so the last 3-4 years where they haven't given up more than 24 points.
It was 14-3 (before FG) when Clifford threw 3 consecutive incompletes and then got his bell rung by LB Jack Campbell with a clean hit. In essence, Iowa's D is responsible for Clifford's injury, but somehow this doesn't factor into the equation when we're talking about which team is better?
Iowa marches down the field on the next drive and makes it 17-10. That's one possession midway through the 2nd quarter at home, in one of the loudest stadiums in America.
Clifford also had 2 interceptions in one quarter. Isn't it possible he throws more?
I watch a ton of college football and have seen Iowa countless times. PSU's last two losses are against Iowa, including a blowout in Happy Valley, but that never seems to matter. They stopped Clifford last year with 2 INTs as well.
Anyway, any who has seen a Phil Parker-coached defense knows that defense would've made adjustments and the outcome would've been a coin flip, not a convincing PSU victory.
America is infatuated with sexy teams and high powered offenses. That's not Iowa, but they're something like 31-8 over the last 4 seasons with no loss in double digits.