On paper, Ohio State’s seventh game of the season against Iowa looks like it should be lopsided in the Buckeyes’ favor. But that’s not how Ryan Day is approaching it.
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| IOWA HAWKEYES |
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3-3 ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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NOON – SATURDAY, OCT. 22 OHIO STADIUM COLUMBUS, OHIO |
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FOX FOX SPORTS |
The Buckeyes are averaging 34 more points per game this season than Iowa, but Day remembers what happened the last time Ohio State faced the Hawkeyes. The Buckeyes lost 55-24 to Iowa at Kinnick Stadium even though they were favored to win the game by 21 points. So Day doesn’t want the Buckeyes entering Saturday’s game with any mindset other than that they can be beaten again if they aren’t prepared to play at their best.
“This team is always difficult to beat,” Day said. “Doesn't matter what year it was or what year it is, and that year was no different than it is this year.”
Based on what Ohio State’s players said when they met with the media this week, it seems Day’s message has been taken to heart.
“We treat every game the same. It don't matter if they're struggling, if they're not,” said Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom. “Iowa’s a good team. We're excited for the challenge.”
Both teams are coming off a bye week, giving Iowa a chance to improve on the offensive issues that plagued it throughout its 3-3 start to the season and potentially slowing the momentum Ohio State built up through its 6-0 start. All indications from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center this week, though, have been that the Buckeyes stayed focused during their week off and will begin the second half of the season hungry to continue their march toward a Big Ten title.
“I think we're preparing well coming off this bye week, and I think yesterday was probably one of the best practices we've had in my time here off a bye week,” Ohio State center Luke Wypler said. “I think we're doing a great job preparing for them, and they're a great team. So we got to bring our best game.”
The Headlines
Top Offense vs. Top Defense
This week’s game at Ohio Stadium will feature a matchup between one of college football’s best offenses – when Ohio State has the ball – and one of the nation’s best defenses. Ohio State ranks first in the FBS in points scored per game (48.8) and second in both yards per game (543.7) and yards per play (8.07), while Iowa ranks second in yards allowed per play (3.83), third in points allowed per game (9.8) and seventh in yards allowed per game (264.7).
Ohio State has scored at least 45 points in all of its last five games and gained more than 500 yards in four of its previous five games, but Iowa hasn’t allowed more than 27 points or 361 yards in any game all year. The Buckeyes rank in the top five nationally in both passing and rushing yards per attempt, but the Hawkeyes have allowed the fewest yards per pass and 13th-fewest yards per rush. Ohio State leads the nation in red zone touchdown percentage (93.1%) and plays of 30-plus yards (24), but Iowa has allowed the fewest 30-yard plays (three) and ranks in the top five nationally in defensive red zone touchdown percentage (33.3%).
Saturday’s game will serve as a measuring stick of how good both units actually are, and the Buckeyes are embracing the challenge.
“They play really, really, really good fundamental football, they know all their jobs well, they have very, very, very little mistakes. So we're gonna have to capitalize on every opportunity we have,” said Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming. “We're gonna go in very confident, but obviously we're not overlooking anybody.”
Iowa’s Offense One of Nation’s Worst
While Ohio State’s offense vs. Iowa’s defense will be the more appealing matchup to watch, the Buckeyes should have a massive advantage on the other side of the ball. While Ohio State’s defense has met its high expectations so far, ranking fifth nationally in total defense (253.5 yards allowed per game) and 10th in scoring defense (15.7 points allowed per game), Iowa ranks dead last in the FBS in total offense (238.8 yards per game) and in the bottom five in scoring offense (14.7 points per game).
The Hawkeyes haven’t scored more than 27 points in any game all year, and they’ve been held to single digits in half of their games. They’ve mustered 300 yards of offense in a game only once. Spencer Petras has the worst passing efficiency of any FBS starting quarterback this season (103.4), while the Hawkeyes rank fourth-to-last in the nation in rushing average (2.62 yards per attempt).
Iowa’s offense has been one of the worst in the country by just about every measure, and the Hawkeyes will need to play their best offensive game of the season if they’re going to have a realistic chance of keeping up with the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes will look to stop that from happening and continue playing up to the high standard they’ve set for themselves.
“Defense is an attitude. It's a mentality,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said this week. “We maintain that level and that attitude no matter what the score is.”
Spencer Petras has completed only 54 percent of his passes this season for 940 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. (Photo: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen/USA TODAY Network)
Return of JSN?
The biggest question surrounding Ohio State entering this week’s game is a question that’s been lingering for most of the season: When will Jaxon Smith-Njigba return? While his status for this week’s game remains unconfirmed, there has been optimism that Smith-Njigba will be back from his hamstring injury soon, so it’s very possible he could be back on the field as the Buckeyes begin their second half of the season Saturday.
Whether JSN plays or not, Ohio State is expected to be much closer to full strength after the bye week than it was before the bye week. Ryan Day said Thursday that running backs Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson are both expected to be available for Saturday’s game. At the same time, defensive tackle Mike Hall should be available to play as many snaps as needed after playing only seven snaps against Michigan State.
“We're gonna get some guys back, which is great,” Day said. “There will always be things that come up, and I think that our depth’s gotten stronger because of that, but always good to heal up and get everybody back on the field.”
One Buckeye who will be unavailable for Saturday’s game is backup safety Kourt Williams, who was seen with a sling on his shoulder on Wednesday and is dealing with “a long-term injury,” per Day. Ohio State will release its complete list of unavailable players for the Iowa game at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Keep An Eye on These Guys
TE Sam LaPorta
While there haven’t been many players to watch on Iowa’s offense this season, LaPorta is one player who will be circled on Ohio State’s scouting report.
The senior tight end has caught 30 passes (more than twice as many as any other Hawkeye) for a team-high 279 yards, following up a 2021 season in which he led Iowa with 53 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns. A third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2021, LaPorta is regarded as one of the best tight ends in the country, and the 6-foot-4, 249-pounder is a key player for Iowa as both a pass-catcher and run blocker.
Iowa frequently uses two-tight end sets, which means Ohio State should also see plenty of Luke Lachey, a Columbus native whose father is former Ohio State offensive lineman and current Ohio State radio broadcaster Jim Lachey. Lachey is Iowa’s second-leading receiver this season with 157 receiving yards and a touchdown on just nine catches.
Knowles said LaPorta and Lachey will be the best tight ends Ohio State has faced since the Buckeyes faced Michael Mayer in the season opener against Notre Dame.
“Definitely need to be aware of it,” Knowles said of Iowa’s tight ends. “If you give those guys too much space, they kind of body you up and make catches. So you got to have tight coverage. I think that's the key. Whether you're in zone or in man, you have to get your hands on them.”
LB Jack Campbell
A first-team All-Big Ten linebacker and second-team All-American in 2021, Campbell has the highest Pro Football Focus grade (84.1) of any Power 5 linebacker who has played at least 100 snaps this season. After leading the nation with 143 total tackles a year ago, Campbell leads the Big Ten again this year with 63 total tackles.
Named this week as a midseason All-American by CBS Sports, Campbell is a prototypical middle linebacker at 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds who is strong in pass coverage and his run-stopping abilities. His reliability in the middle of Iowa’s defense is a big reason why the Hawkeyes’ defense has been one of the best in the country.
CB Cooper DeJean
Iowa’s starting cornerback tandem still includes Riley Moss, who was an All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year last season, but the Hawkeyes’ top cornerback so far this season has been DeJean.
DeJean – who also sometimes plays the nickelback spot Iowa calls its “cash” position – leads the Hawkeyes with three interceptions, including one he returned for a 45-yard touchdown against Rutgers, and eight total passes defended. And DeJean has been as consistent as he’s been opportunistic; per PFF, DeJean has allowed only 16 catches for 139 yards on 34 targets.
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— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 24, 2022
While C.J. Stroud has picked apart most defenses Ohio State has played, DeJean and Moss might be the best pair of cornerbacks he’s faced this year, and he’ll need to be mindful of their big-play ability, as Moss had four interceptions with two returns for touchdowns in 2021.
“They do a great job of tipping balls and get their hands in lanes and stuff like that to get interceptions,” Stroud said. “I'm just gonna read the defense and take what's there and try to be smart with the ball and just make sure we don't turn the ball over.”
Game Week Talk
“We know some coaches still have that bad taste in their mouth, so for us, we're trying to brush our teeth and kind of get it out of there.”– Luke Wypler on Ohio State’s 2017 loss to Iowa
Even though there are only three players (Jerron Cage, Mitch Rossi and Bradley Robinson) still on Ohio State’s roster who were on the team when the Buckeyes last played the Hawkeyes, Wypler said that 55-24 defeat still serves as motivation for the Buckeyes to exact revenge on Iowa because some of their coaches – like Day, who was in his first year on Ohio State’s staff as the Buckeyes’ co-offensive coordinator at the time – were a part of that game.
“This week, it's going to be as big a challenge as we've had.”– Ryan Day
Considering that Ohio State is favored to win by 30 points, it’s clear that most people don’t expect the Buckeyes to face a substantial challenge on Saturday, but Day has been consistent in his comments all week that he thinks Iowa is a quality opponent that Ohio State can’t afford to overlook.
“Pretty much any year I talk about Ohio State, you're talking about a team that is very talented. They're very well-coached. That's certainly the case this year in both of those areas.”– Kirk Ferentz
While the Hawkeyes earned a 31-point win in their last game against the Buckeyes, Ferentz is just 2-8 against Ohio State in his lengthy tenure as Iowa’s head coach. He knows the Buckeyes are usually tough to beat, and he expects no different this year, describing Saturday’s game as a “big challenge” numerous times during his Tuesday press conference.
| Ohio State | Pos | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| C.J. STROUD | QB | SPENCER PETRAS |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | LESHON WILLIAMS |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | WR | ARLAND BRUCE IV |
| EMEKA EGBUKA | WR | NICO RAGIANI |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | WR/TE | LUKE LACHEY |
| CADE STOVER | TE | SAM LAPORTA |
| PARIS JOHNSON JR. | LT | MASON RICHMAN |
| DONOVAN JACKSON | LG | NICK DEJONG |
| LUKE WYPLER | C | LOGAN JONES |
| MATT JONES | RG | BEAU STEPHENS |
| DAWAND JONES | RT | CONNOR COLBY |
| DEFENSE | ||
| ZACH HARRISON | DE | JOHN WAGGONER |
| J.T. TUIMOLOAU | DE | JOE EVANS |
| TARON VINCENT | DT | LOGAN LEE |
| MIKE HALL | DT | NOAH SHANNON |
| STEELE CHAMBERS | WLB | SETH BENSON |
| TOMMY EICHENBERG | MLB | JACK CAMPBELL |
| TANNER MCCALISTER | NB | SEBASTIAN CASTRO |
| DENZEL BURKE | CB | RILEY MOSS |
| CAMERON BROWN | CB | COOPER DEJEAN |
| RONNIE HICKMAN | FS | QUINN SCHULTE |
| LATHAN RANSOM | SS | KAEVON MERRIWEATHER |
Get Smart
- Ohio State has a 47-15-3 all-time record against Iowa and has won 13 of the last 15 matchups dating back to 1992.
- The Buckeyes are 30-8-1 against Iowa in games played at Ohio Stadium, with Ohio State’s last loss to the Hawkeyes at the Shoe coming in a 16-9 defeat in 1991.
- Ohio State has won its last 27 consecutive Big Ten home games, a conference record dating back to its 2016 Big Ten opener against Rutgers.
- Iowa’s roster includes four players from Ohio: Lachey, running back Kaleb Johnson (Hamilton), linebacker Jestin Jacobs (Englewood) and quarterback Joe Labas (Brecksville).
- Ohio State does not currently have any players from Iowa.
- Saturday’s game will be the first of two consecutive noon games on Fox for the Buckeyes, as next week’s game against Penn State will also be a Big Noon game. Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show will broadcast live from Columbus beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday.
How It Plays Out
Line: Ohio State -30, O/U 50
As poorly as Iowa’s offense has played this season, there’s little reason to expect the Hawkeyes to score more than a couple of times – if they even score that many. Two weeks to prepare may allow Iowa to add some new wrinkles to try to catch Ohio State’s defense off guard, but Knowles and the Buckeyes have done a great job of adjusting all season, and the Hawkeyes haven’t been effective passing or running the ball.
The bigger question is how capable Iowa’s defense will be of slowing down an Ohio State offense that has rarely been stopped in its last five games.
Iowa’s defense will be the best Ohio State has played this year, so logic would suggest the Buckeyes won’t score as many points as they have in most games this year. As well as the Buckeyes have been clicking in both the passing and running game, though, it’s hard to envision the Hawkeyes stopping them too consistently – especially if Ohio State’s offense is operating at full strength with Smith-Njigba back in the receiver rotation.
The Buckeyes sure sound motivated to dominate, especially considering what happened last time they played Iowa, and the Hawkeyes’ offensive woes make even a 30-point cover seem within reach for Ohio State. The under might be the better bet, however, considering an average of only 24.5 total points have been scored in Iowa’s first six games of the season.
| Eleven Warriors Staff Prediction | ||||
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38 | 10 |
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