Ohio State heads to Iowa City this weekend for the first time in seven years.
The Buckeyes take on Iowa in front of a blacked-out crowd (yes, and yes) in a stadium where weird things are known to happen, on the road as 17-point favorites, after an emotionally taxing comeback victory in perhaps the biggest game of the season.
It sounds like a trap. Is it a trap?
We brought in our friends Patrick Vint and Ross Binder from GoIowaAwesome.com to answer this question and more ahead of Saturday's game.
Urban Meyer has been quite vocally displeased about the number of road night games Ohio State has played this year. Were you expecting and/or hoping for a night game? Do you think Meyer’s comments had anything to do with afternoon start
Patrick: Funny you mention it. I have a friend at another Big Ten athletic department who was telling me two weeks ago that both Ohio State and Penn State were objecting to night games this week. It wasn't solid enough to run, by any means, but it played out looking precisely like that's what happened. That's how you end up with Minnesota-Michigan in prime time.
Everyone wants OSU in prime time for full effect, and that has to be annoying (perhaps if Meyer lost every once in a while this wouldn't be a problem). Do I think Ohio State quasi-vetoed a night kickoff in Kinnick? I'm guessing they tried. And frankly, with Iowa's athletic director on a medical leave of absence and Kirk Ferentz's notorious crankiness about night kickoffs, I'm not sure Iowa would fight it that much. Again, this is how you end up with Minnesota-Michigan on prime time television.
Ross: I was expecting it to be a night game as of a few weeks ago, although I thought the odds for that happening went down significantly after Iowa crashed and burned in the Place Where Football Goes to Die, aka, Evanston, Illinois. That loss certainly hurt the marketability of Iowa-Ohio State and scuppered whatever faint hopes Iowa had of winning the Big Ten West. That said, I also think Meyer's comments also played a factor; he's one of the most powerful coaches in the conference (if not the sport as a whole), so I'm sure his words have some influence with the league office and its television partners. But I think Iowa's collapse against Northwestern (and generally uninspired play over the last month) played a bigger role in this game not being at night. That said, I was hoping it would be a night game and I still wish it was; Iowa has a really good track record in primetime home games and the atmosphere at Kinnick Stadium is always kicked up a few notches for evening games.
We’ve seen the blackout uniforms Iowa is going to wear this weekend. What are your thoughts? How do they compare to Ohio State’s alternates from last week?
Patrick: A few years back, Iowa rolled out with some of the worst alternate uniforms ever created, a black-and-silver scheme with gold numbers that were too narrow and looked as if they were sewed on by Ferentz. Other past Iowa alternates were usually based on uniforms from the 1930s or 1950s, and while they were fun in a historical context, they certainly weren't stylish. It feels like they turned a corner with the 2015 Blackout uniforms, and these clearly built on that. Anything that looks like Nike actually made it is good; these are great, and I would take them over those OSU monstrosities any week.
Ross: I like them a lot. We've known since summer that Iowa would be wearing alternate uniforms this year and we had a hunch that it would be for the Ohio State game, but we didn't know what they would look like until this week. Ideally, of course, they'd be used for a night game, but at least half (if not two-thirds) of this game will still be played under lights anyway, given the 3:30 PM Eastern kick-off and the time the sun sets. I think they're a sharp take on Iowa's traditional uniforms. I'm generally anti-gray uniforms, but in this case the gray is only an accent color rather than the main color, so it looks much better. I like the revised striping on the legs and sleeves and the chain mail-ish block-I pattern on the helmet and inside the numbers is fun. The helmets overall look really good, with the modified tigerhawk on one side and the player number on the other. All in all, thumbs up.
As far as how they compare to Ohio State's alternates... I like them a lot more, personally. As I said, I'm not a fan of gray uniforms, so I didn't really care for Ohio State's all-gray look last week. The best parts about those uniforms were the red shoes and the red buckeye leaf stickers on the helmets; those really popped against the gray of the uniforms.
Ohio State is coming off a ridiculous, emotional, comeback win in what was likely the biggest game of its regular season. Now the Buckeyes are headed into Kinnick, against a good Iowa team looking for a statement win in front of a blackout crowd. Is this the perfect recipe for a hangover game? Are weird things going to happen on Saturday?
Patrick: Iowa hasn't lost in Kinnick in November since the last game of 2014. To be fair, there haven't been that many elite teams to come through on those very specific terms, but the one who did was in something like Ohio State's position and came out a loser. Throw in the potential OSU hangover and this year's Iowa-Penn State game, where the Hawkeyes gave the world a new definition of bend-don't-break defense and damn near stole a win, and it's safe to say weird stuff could happen.
Will it? I'm not wild about this matchup, and that's the only reason why I don't think it's probable. But it's certainly possible.
Ross: My heart says yes, but my head says no. I hope Ohio State will be a bit hungover from their thrilling game against Penn State and that Iowa will be motivated to claim a Top-5 scalp under the lights, but I don't have great faith in that happening. Ohio State has looked like an absolute juggernaut for several weeks now while Iowa has sputtered to losses against Michigan State and Northwestern and had to grind out an ugly win over a not-that-good Minnesota team. I think we'll know if weirdness is in the air within the first quarter or so, though. If Iowa's offense (inexplicably) comes out clicking and can sustain a few drives or Iowa is able to force a few turnovers or get a few odd/big plays to go their way... then maybe it's going to be one of those nights. If Iowa struggles out of the gate, though, I think you can put a fork in them; this Iowa team isn't built for big comebacks, especially against a steamroller like Ohio State.
Why should Ohio State be afraid of this Iowa team? Give us a player or a particular unit that you think will give the Buckeyes fits on Saturday.
Patrick: Iowa's defense, particularly the corners and interior linebackers, are built to stop the things that Ohio State wants to do. Iowa uses its cornerbacks as an outside supplement to the defensive ends and outside linebackers to hold the edge, and all three primary Iowa cornerbacks are sure tacklers that aren't easily taken out by the screen game. If Iowa doesn't have to spread itself too wide because the secondary holds up, the defense could play base coverage, keep seven or eight up front, let Josey Jewell focus on stopping the run, and hold its own against the OSU running game. Whether Iowa's secondary can hold up on the edge could decide whether Iowa can keep it close, and I like their chances.
Ross: I guess the main reason to be afraid of them is that a lot of these very same players were on the Iowa team that stunned Michigan last November and that gave Penn State a run for their money a few months ago. So they've done it before and they should have some confidence that they can punch Ohio State in the mouth and stun them, too. I think the main players to be wary of are probably Iowa's two best players this year, Akrum Wadley and Josh Jackson. Wadley is Iowa's starting running back and main offensive weapon; he was virtually the entire offense in Iowa's win over Michigan last year and their near-miss against Penn State. He's lethal in the open field and dangerous as a runner and a receiver; if he gets some daylight, he can wreak havoc on a defense. Jackson is Iowa's top cornerback and he's been having a spectacular season in pass coverage with a pair of interceptions and 15 passes broken up; throw on him at your own peril. Iowa will likely need some turnovers to pull off the upset in this one and Jackson is one of the most likely players on Iowa's defense to force a turnover.
Along those same lines, give us one aspect about this Buckeye team that should scare Hawkeye fans the most. Maybe it’s a particular unit or player.
Patrick: Iowa's offensive line has lost both tackles to injury, and while the two freshmen -- redshirt freshman left tackle Alaric Jackson and true freshman right tackle Tristan Wirfs -- are beastly bookends that are going to make Iowa great in 2019, they have struggled some with pass protection and sealing the edge on Iowa's standard outside zone. And that's against Northwestern and Minnesota. And Ohio State's defensive line is definitely not as limited as Northwestern or Minnesota. I'm waking up every night with terrors of Buckeyes in the backfield all day long, and I'm not sure Iowa can do much about it short of going full-on misdirection. And full-on misdirection hasn't been Iowa's game since the late 1950s.
Ross: Personally, I'm utterly terrified of Ohio State's defensive line after watching last week's game and what they did to Penn State's front five. There was just no running room for Saquon Barkley at all and Trace McSorley seemed to spend much of the game on skates. Iowa's offensive line has been pretty good in pass protection this year, but Ohio State represents a massive new challenge in that department. Iowa's run game has also been largely shut down by most defenses this year, so I'm not feeling a lot of optimism for them against the Buckeye front four.
J.T. Barrett had the game if his life last weekend. He went 33-for-39 for 328 yards and four touchdowns, completing his last 16 passes, and he was also the game’s leading rusher, running for 95 yards on 17 carries. Give us your take on J.T. Barrett. Just how good is he, from your outside perspective? Is he a legitimate Heisman contender at this point? Is he the best Buckeye quarterback you’ve ever seen?
Ross: He looks excellent from my perspective as an outsider; his accuracy is probably the think that stands out the most right now -- it looks like he's throwing darts out there. Every single throw seems to be right on the money, which is uncanny. That level of accuracy with all the other gifts he has is a pretty scary combination. Given how well he played last week in a high-profile national game and the fact that Ohio State certainly seems to be on track to win the Big Ten and (likely) make the College Football Playoff, I'd say he's definitely a legitimate Heisman contender right now. Being the best player on a really good team is always a good way to earn Heisman consideration, especially if you're a quarterback. I don't know if he's the best Ohio State quarterback I've ever seen, though; I still have scars from watching Troy Smith shred Iowa's defense with Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn in 2005 and 2006. Ask me again after Saturday's game, I guess.
If you could choose any current Buckeye player to add to Iowa’s roster, who would it be and why?
Patrick: I'd say Barrett, but we would have long since converted him to safety, so I'll go with Jordan Fuller. Iowa desperately could use some athleticism at safety, I mentioned Iowa's offensive line problems, but safety is the biggest issue on the other side of the ball. Last year's starting free safety, Brandon Snyder, tore his ACL during spring practice; he made a supremely impressive comeback three weeks ago against Illinois, but hasn't been seen since and won't play Saturday. His replacement, Jake Gervase, is a walk-on and has been frequently overmatched when his role expands beyond center field in Cover 2 or Quarters. After watching Fuller against Nebraska (especially that shoestring tackle on Spielman where it looked like Spielman tripped on the turf), I would certainly pair him with Amani Hooker and not worry about safety for the next three years.
Ross: Are you sure I can't add your entire two-deeps? That would really help us a lot. Obviously Iowa could use J.T. Barrett (who couldn't?) and any of OSU's receivers would instantly be the best receiving threat on Iowa's team, but I'm going to go with Jamarco Jones, your senior left tackle. Thanks to injuries, Iowa has been starting two freshmen (one true, one redshirt) at tackle lately and there have been fairly predictable struggles as a result. Both freshmen have a lot of upside, but they've been taking their lumps as first-time starters. Having an elite, experienced left tackle would likely make a lot of things much easier for Iowa's struggling offense.
There will undoubtedly be some Buckeye fans making the trip to Iowa City. Give them your best recommendations for what to do when they get there – where to go, what to eat, what to see, where to drink, etc.
Patrick: I'm eleven years removed from Iowa City and make one or two games a year, so I'm probably not your best source, but the downtown pedestrian mall has everything you'd ever want for pre- or post-game revelry: Good food, cheap food, pricey bars, dance clubs, dives, and some combination of all three. Ask a local, and there's only a 34% chance they steer you wrong. My plan? Early morning tailgating south of Melrose Avenue (the main street running south of the stadium), followed by the game, followed by burgers at Short's, followed by billiards at one of the two pool halls downtown, followed by wherever the rest of the evening might go. The evening usually goes somewhere toward bourbon.
Ross: Iowa City's a great place to visit, especially for a football game, and it's become an increasingly rare trip for Ohio State fans (and the reverse is true for Iowa fans and Columbus), thanks to Big Ten expansion and the vagaries of league scheduling. The tailgating scene around Kinnick Stadium on gameday is still excellent, so I'd recommend wandering through the parking lots around the stadium, as well as going down Melrose or around Finkbine golf course and soaking up that atmosphere. You can't go wrong with the food vendors on Melrose, either, if you need a bite to eat (and I do recommend eating up before you go into Kinnick; the food options inside are pretty standard and the concession lines can be long and very slow).
The Ped Mall in downtown Iowa City has a bevy of food and drink options, so I'd recommend going there after the game (or the night before, if you're in town for the weekend). Each bar has its own vibe, so it really depends on what you're looking for. The Field House, The Union, Sports Column, and Brothers are the biggest bars and tend to have younger crowds. BoJames, Mickey's, and Joe's Place tend to have older, more laid back crowds. Pancheros is an Iowa City staple for quick eating -- tacos, burritos, and chips and (delicious) queso. The Iowa Chop House is a great spot for a good steak or pork chop. Shorts and Pullman Bar & Diner are also good spots for food and a few drinks downtown. Outside of downtown, I'd recommend Iowa River Power Company for dinner; they also have an excellent Sunday brunch. Bluebird Diner and Hamburg Inn No. 2 are also local staples for breakfast fare and you can't go wrong at either one.
Finally, how does this all play out? Ohio State opened as a 17-point favorite, do the Buckeyes cover that, or does Iowa make it close or even pull off the upset?
Vint: The last three times Iowa was a double-digit underdog at home, they (1) took No. 3 Penn State to the last play of the game with a lead as a 13-point underdog; (2) beat Michigan with a last-second field goal as a 24-point underdog; and (3) turned a late November game with Taylor Martinez-era Nebraska into a rock fight that they probably should have won late despite it being the final game of the worst Iowa season in 13 years. That seventeen points provides all the motivation necessary.
On top of all of that, Iowa saves subtle shifts for games against Ohio State and Michigan. We play for about 12 traveling trophies every year, but Ferentz long since set his eyes on bigger prizes, and the base offense and defense that Iowa usually rides to coin flip results against Northwestern, Michigan State and even Wisconsin gets adjusted (or, in the case of the 2013 Iowa-OSU game where the Hawkeyes had it tied in the 'Shoe before Meyer's offense won the fourth, thrown out entirely). Iowa's offense has looked lethargic and predictable in recent weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if that was in order to keep the next group of wrinkles off Meyer's copy of the game film.
It's a pretty simple script for Iowa against Ohio State's offense. If the corners can handle the quick game, the front seven doesn't buckle against the run, and the safeties don't give up big plays over the top, Iowa can force Ohio State into long drives. And as good as Ohio State has been on offense since mid-September, they haven't really had to be patient. If Iowa makes them be patient and stalls out those 18-play drives for chip shot field goals, I think they can keep the Buckeyes under 24.
The question, though, is whether Iowa's offense can find anything like 24 points on Ohio State. And as much as I believe that Ferentz has been saving his best material, that is still hardly anything more revolutionary than a three tight-end bunch formation and that old Stanford Christian McCaffery clear-out-and-run-the-route-to-the-linebacker thing. And Ohio State is just too athletic.
My head says this ends up at something like 27-13. My heart says it's not the worst schematic matchup ever, and it's in Kinnick, and things get weird. So what the hell: Iowa goes to the half down 17-14 after a late touchdown, holds up against the Buckeyes' onslaught early in the third, and scores two improbable late touchdowns for a 28-27 win.
Ross: I would love to see Iowa pulling off the upset, but having watched this Iowa team all year and seen what Ohio State has been doing to teams over the last several weeks, I just can't picture it happening. Iowa would need to play their best game of the year (by far) and Ohio State would need to play their worst game of the year (by far). The Buckeyes just have too many weapons on offense and their defense looks too stout; I see Ohio State winning by around 20-25; something like 38-14.
They returned the favor with, giving me a short Q&A to help break down the game. Head on over there if you still need to get your pregame fix.
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