Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. – Ellis “Red” Redding, Shawshank Prison It’s been the familiar frustrating refrain for the past several seasons: if the Iowa Hawkeye football team had even an average – hell, slightly below average offense – it would be a potential playoff contender. Even with an abysmal and embarrassing offense, the Hawkeyes have been regular Big 10 title contenders, playing in two of the past three conference championship games and missing a third by one late season loss. After last Saturday’s second-half offensive …