Urban Meyer is eager to put last week's thrilling win against Penn State in the rear view mirror. With a big trip to Iowa on deck, Meyer wants to avoid a letdown that would follow because the Buckeyes couldn't look past a big win the previous week.
In other words, Meyer wants to avoid what happened to No. 6 Iowa in 1990 when the Buckeyes stunned the Hawkeyes with a last-second score from Bobby Olive. That loss followed a big win for Iowa the previous week when it routed No. 5 Illinois, 54-28, in Champaign the week before.
Younger fans may not remember that 1990 was a peculiar season. This was the height of Miami's dominance, but the preseason No. 1 Hurricanes had two losses before the end of October. The Hurricanes were never ranked lower than No. 10 in 1990 and even finished as the AP No. 3. However, a national championship seemed out of the question for what was ostensibly the best team in the country that year.
The national championship picture was even murkier down the table. Notre Dame, the preseason No. 2, lost to an eventual 5-6 Stanford team in South Bend in the first week of October. Michigan was an AP No. 1 in 1990 before it lost to Michigan State on Oct. 13.
Virginia had a three-week run at No. 1 before it lost to eventual national co-champion Georgia Tech the same week Iowa routed No. 5 Illinois in Champaign. At No. 6 in the country and just the one loss to Miami (48-21) in the Orange Bowl on its record, Iowa had real national championship hopes.
Ohio State, meanwhile, was floundering in John Cooper's third year. It started well enough with wins over Texas Tech and at Boston College. However, it lost an abbreviated rain-soaked contest to USC and lost by 11 at home to Illinois. It tied a decent Indiana team. The wins it accrued thereafter (42-2 over Purdue, 52-23 over Minnesota, and 48-7 over Northwestern) came against the dregs of the conference.
Ohio State wasn't that good in 1990. By contrast, Iowa was a potential national champion.
The box score largely told that contrast in most metrics. It's any wonder Ohio State won this game. Iowa was the better team, and certainly the sharper unit. Greg Frey's erratic passes should've resulted in at least seven interceptions, and yet he threw just one because Iowa defenders missed their chances.
These missed opportunities were on full display in the final seconds of the second quarter. Iowa was trying to hold onto a 17-7 lead in the final seconds before intermission. Greg Frey heaved a ball with 10 seconds remaining that should've been intercepted. It bounced off an Iowa defender and to Jeff Graham for a touchdown to cut Iowa's lead to three points.
Iowa's offense, which annihilated Illinois the previous week, still churned out yards against Ohio State. Quarterback Matt Rogers had just 137 passing yards, albeit on a solid 13/21 passing. Iowa did most of its damage on the ground, outrushing the Buckeyes 199 to 55.
However, Iowa couldn't capitalize on the yards it got. Here, Iowa's third-down conversation rate (3/13) punctuates a game of missed opportunities for Iowa on both sides of the ball.
Still, Iowa led for the entire game before a wild fourth-quarter finish resulted in what might have been John Cooper's best overall win to that point in his stint at Ohio State.
The madness begins midway through the fourth quarter with Iowa held to a three and out deep on its end of the field. Foster Paulk blocked a Jim Hujsak punt to give Ohio State the ball at the 24-yard line. Three plays later, Greg Frey found Bobby Olive for a 21-yard score to cut the Iowa lead to 26-21 with 6:34 remaining.
The two teams traded interceptions on the next two drives. Ohio State's momentum continued four plays later when Lance Price intercepted a Matt Rodgers pass intended for Alan Cross. That was Matt Rodgers' first interception in 88 throws.
Ohio State took over on Iowa's 44-yard line and advanced to the 34. However, Ohio State needed a touchdown with time dwindling. Rather than kick a field goal and pursue an onside kick, Ohio State went for the ball game on 4th and 15 from Iowa's 34-yard line but a Greg Frey heave to the end zone was intercepted by Jason Olejniczak with 2:31 remaining.
Iowa's offense went three-and-out and even shanked the punt to Ohio State. A 27-yard punt set up Ohio State on Iowa's 48-yard line with 59 seconds remaining.
The ensuing drive was swift. Greg Frey connected with Bobby Olive for 23 yards on the first play from scrimmage. He found Jeff Graham for another 7. After an incompletion, he found Jeff Graham again for a gain of 15 yards.
This set up Ohio State on Iowa's 3-yard line and, with seven seconds remaining, Greg Frey found Bobby Olive for his second score of the game and what would become the defining win for Ohio State in 1990.
Iowa had one second remaining but the ensuing squib kick forced an 11-yard return to give Ohio State a stunning 27-26 win.
The win did not preclude Iowa from eventually securing the Rose Bowl berth, but it was devastating nonetheless. It ended Iowa's perfect Big Ten season. It cost Iowa any chance at a national championship in a bizarre season in which Colorado and Georgia Tech shared those honors. It may have even resulted in Iowa losing again at Minnesota to end the regular season.
Ohio State will try to avoid that same letdown Iowa had in 1990 the week after a big win when it returns to the scene of that classic game from the John Cooper era.
