Iowa’s win at the Big House did more than put another mark in the victory column. It sent the Hawkeyes climbing to No. 14 in this week’s AP Poll, one of the biggest jumps in college football after a 20-19 escape over Michigan.
Now the spotlight shifts to Iowa City, where the Hawkeyes will host No. 5 Ohio State on Saturday in a matchup that puts two ranked Big Ten teams on the same field with plenty of attention around it.
Other league teams in the poll include No. 6 Indiana, No.
15 Oregon, No. 18 USC and No.
23 UCLA.
For Iowa, the win over Michigan fit the identity the program has been leaning on all season: "the hardest, the longest.' That was the story on Saturday. The Hawkeyes had a hard time getting the offense going for much of the day, but they stayed in it and finished with the one-point victory.
"I think our guys have belief in that, I really do. It's kind of in the history of the program," Ferentz said.
"When we're doing it well, our guys go hard, they play hard. You go as long as you have to go.
Sometimes, 60 minutes and a second, you never know. So it's just about staying in the game and playing the game as hard as you can.
Coolest part about it was players recognized Tom [Moore] in the locker room. That was pretty cool.
So that was not the best part of the day, but it's up there in the top three."
"Really proud of our guys, the effort that they put in. It really got down to mental toughness for us, our guys.
Staying the course and just go in there and go back to the top more. Hardest and longest, and that really, if you're doing it right, you give yourself a chance to make that true.
That's really what we got done. So obviously happy, we'll leave here at some point and go back to Iowa.
Ohio State, meanwhile, comes in after a 42-19 win over Illinois. Jeremiah Smith was the headline there, turning in a monster day with 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns, all career highs.
"He played a great game," Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said of Smith. "There were shots down the field and some things underneath.
But it all goes back to his work ethic. A lot of these guys look up to him.
He is a great example, not only for the young guys in our program but just a whole generation of kids who watch this guy here. He's special.
Iowa’s secondary already got tested last weekend against Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan, but Smith is a different kind of problem. Phil Parker has spent his career preparing for receivers like this, so the chess match on Saturday should be a good one.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 CT, and CBS will carry the game nationally.
In Other News...
DJ Vonnahme Just Tapped Into A Feeling Iowa Fans Know Well
Iowas week four win over Michigan had the familiar grind-it-out feel that tends to travel well in September, especially against a defense that made the Hawkeyes earn every inch. The breakthrough came late through the passing game, turning a tight road test into a victory that carried more weight than a single mark in the standings. For a program built on patience and toughness, it also stood out as Iowas first road win over a ranked Big Ten opponent since 2015.
DJ Vonnahme saw enough of that finish to connect it with a memory Hawkeye fans still recognize, comparing the moment to Iowas notable 2009 win over Michigan State. It was the kind of reference that says as much about the mood around the program as the box score does, because when Iowa finds a way in that setting, it tends to stick with the team and its supporters for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Exposed A Michigan Problem Fans Still Cant Ignore
Michigans early season has already turned into a test of nerve, and the margins have been razor thin. Two of its first four games have come down to the final play, with the win over Western Michigan arriving amid plenty of controversy and the loss to Iowa following a last-second touchdown that left the Wolverines looking for answers.
Kyle Whittingham acknowledged the penalty issues that have followed the team and offered some context for the defensive approach on Iowas final snap, a sequence that will keep drawing scrutiny as the season goes on. For Michigan, the frustration is not just the result in the standings, but the sense that the same problems keep showing up when the game is hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Gave Fans A Reason To Believe This Team Is Different
Iowas win over Michigan offered a familiar script in one sense, with the defense carrying a heavy load, but the feel of the night was different. Even without much help on the ground, the Hawkeyes found enough timely plays to stay in control of the games most important moments, and that mattered against a program with Michigans roster talent and recruiting edge.
The broader takeaway is what will keep Iowa fans talking. The matchup still exposed some unevenness, from special teams issues to the passing games stretches of inconsistency, but it also showed a team that could absorb pressure and keep answering. Hank Browns performance and the defensive standouts gave the Hawkeyes evidence that this group may have more staying power than past versions, even if there are still parts of the operation that need cleaning up. [Read more 🡒]