Ohio State won in Iowa City on Saturday, Oct. 3, against the host and fourteenth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. This was a big game, as evidenced by ESPN College GameDay doing its pregame Saturday show there. Longtime Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz cried after his team upset Michigan last Saturday and was unquestionably dreaming of beating them and Ohio State back-to-back. Ohio State won this game 31-14.
Iowa put up a good fight in this game, but Ohio State was just too talented. The home crowd was raucous. That talent gap was most obvious as Jeremiah Smith, the wide receiver from the Buckeyes, shredded the Iowa secondary for eleven catches, two hundred and three yards, and two more touchdowns. This follows his monster game last Saturday. Do you think Jeremiah Smith has a chance to win the Heisman Trophy?
Ohio State at Iowa Game Summary October 3
Ohio State was hoping its superior talent would make the difference as it traveled to Iowa City to take on Iowa. Buckeye offensive coordinator Author Smith called this matchup a heavyweight battle. The game for the Buckeyes was not as scary as people thought; however, the Buckeyes are far from a perfect team. Here is how this game played out.
In the first quarter, Devin McCuin caught a 15-yard touchdown pass. That score and the successful extra point made the score 7-0. Caden Buhr kicked a 43-yard field goal. Ohio State’s Connor Hawkins then kicked a 28-yard field goal. Then Caden Buhr kicked a 48-yard field goal. At the end of the first quarter, Ohio State led 10-6.
In the second quarter, Jeremiah Smith caught a 12-yard touchdown pass. That was all the scoring in the second quarter. At halftime, the score was 17-6 Buckeyes. In the third quarter, Jeremiah Smith caught his second touchdown of the game, this one a 57-yard bomb, and it was 24-6 Buckeyes.
In the fourth quarter, Ja’Kobi Jackson ran for a 7-yard touchdown. That score made it 31-6. Iowa then scored a touchdown and converted the two-point try. Braeden Jackson ran for a two-yard touchdown, and Reese Vander Zee caught the two-point conversion. The final score of the game was 31-14.
Ohio State Imperfections
The Buckeyes won this game, but they are far from a perfect college football team. In fact, no teams across the country look perfect. That should make for an interesting College Football Playoff. So what are the issues with the Buckeyes? There are several, but we will highlight three here.
First, Ohio State is having problems running the ball. There are two sides to this issue. On the one hand, the running backs are not performing up to expectations. This is the case especially with Bo Jackson and Isiah West, both of whom came into training camp looking great. Performance on the football field is not about how you look. On the other hand, the offensive line is not getting the push it needs to sustain a good running game.
Second, for some reason, quarterback Julian Sayin, who was one of three finalists for the Heisman Trophy last year, is struggling this year so far. He was extremely accurate last season, 77% (a record for college quarterbacks). This year, he is missing wide-open receivers. He is, however, running more. This was a critique of him before this season, so it is good to see. In summary, however, Sayin may now return to school next year. This development is worth watching and would create a quarterback jam at Ohio State.
Third, and on display in this game against Iowa, is the fact that Ohio State special teams have been struggling this season. The punts are short, the punt and kickoff teams are heavily penalized, the team is missing short field goals, and the return teams have looked bad and are far from dangerous. Special Teams are important, as approximately one-third of all football plays happen on them. The Buckeyes have too many star players to struggle here, and this must improve.
News and Notes
- Iowa came into this game with the number one scoring defense in the country.
- Ohio State allowed 199 rushing yards to Illinois. Iowa prefers to run the ball and control the clock.
- The Buckeyes lost their only other game against a ranked opponent.
- Iowa hosted College Game Day for the first time in twenty years
- Ohio State lost 55-24 the last time it played in Kinnick Stadium.
- Ohio State will wear its all-white “Sub Zero” uniforms for the first time this season.
Conclusion: A Rocky Road Foreward for Ohio State
Ohio State plays Maryland next week. Maryland is terrible. Ohio State plays Indiana the week after next. The Hoosiers are not as good as they were last season, when they won the national championship. Nevertheless, this will be a difficult game for the Buckeyes. They then travel to USC and take on Oregon at home. This three-game strech for the Buckeyes has long been circled as the most difficult portion of their schedule.
