Rece Davis has wanted College GameDay in Iowa City for a while, and this week he finally got his wish.
The ESPN pregame show is back on the Hawkeyes’ campus for the first time in 20 years, and the timing fits Saturday’s top-15 showdown at Kinnick Stadium: No. 5 Ohio State at No.
14 Iowa, a matchup that carries real weight for both teams. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on CBS, with the Buckeyes listed as 14.5-point favorites.
For Davis, the appeal of Iowa is easy to explain. He pointed to the atmosphere, the program’s history of pulling off big upsets and the way the fan base leans into the game.
“The passion here, the history of great upsets, the way people love football, the way they have a style of football that they embrace,” said Davis on Friday morning, excited. “One of the finest coaches ever to coach in college football has been running the show here for a long time. To be able to experience all of that and take it to the nation … There’s a genuine enthusiasm that is tough to duplicate.”
“Stanford” Steve Coughlin echoed that feeling, saying the setting itself makes the stop special.
“The established foundation here is what I love and appreciate so much about it,” “Stanford” Steve Coughlin said. “There’s nothing like it. I’ve said no matter where we go, the energy of a college campus is unmatched, and it keeps me feeling a hell of a lot younger, I’ll tell you that.”
The show’s last trip to Iowa City came in 2006, also before a game against Ohio State and also for a top-15 matchup. That meeting had the Buckeyes at No. 1 and Iowa at No. 13.
This time, the timing got a boost from Iowa’s dramatic win at Michigan last week, but the stakes were already there. The Hawkeyes are 4-0 and off to their first 4-0 start since 2021.
They also snapped through with a road win at Michigan for the first time since 2010. Ohio State comes in at 3-1, having started the year at No. 1 before losing its only road game so far at Texas.
Davis said the matchup works because both teams have something on the line.
“Let’s not forget about Ohio State in all of this,” Davis said. “You've got yet another road test for Ohio State, and they have another big one coming in a couple of weeks (against defending national champion Indiana).
Huge implications for them. I mentioned Iowa’s implications - it's not just them.
The Buckeyes have a lot at stake in this game and in the game in two weeks as well … everything sort of fit together nicely.”
The GameDay crew sees postseason consequences attached to Saturday, and Coughlin said Iowa’s path isn’t necessarily closed if it takes a loss.
“I know no one wants to talk about losses, but a 10-2 at the end of the season with this record and the challenges that it faced and the teams you're going to play, that's playoff worthy to me,” Coughlin said. “It's about taking care of business and moving on.”
However the game plays out, Davis said the show is happy to bring the spotlight back to the Hawkeyes.
“I root for the show and the storylines,” Davis said, “and this is a really, really good storyline.”
In Other News...
Iowa Got One Encouraging Development After A Brutal Night At Ohio State
A rough night in Columbus left Iowa with plenty to sort through after a 31-14 loss to Ohio State, and the Hawkeyes did not escape it cleanly. The offense never found much rhythm, the defense had its hands full, and three starters went down with injuries along the way, turning an already difficult result into the kind of game that can linger well beyond the final whistle.
There was at least a small bit of good news afterward: Kirk Ferentz said those injuries are not expected to be serious. Iowa also got a look at backup quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski, who came on in relief and helped guide the Hawkeyes' lone touchdown drive, offering a modest bright spot in a game that otherwise belonged to Ohio State. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Faces Immediate AP Poll Trouble After Costly Missouri Loss
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For Iowa fans tracking the broader Big Ten and national picture, the interesting part is less about any one upset and more about how crowded the middle of the poll has become. Several teams are on the cusp of moving in or sliding out after the latest results, and the ripple effects could leave a familiar group feeling uneasy once the rankings are revealed. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's First Loss Changed The Polls Not The Bigger Goal
Iowas first loss of the season did not knock the Hawkeyes out of the national conversation, even if it did change their place in it. After falling to Ohio State, Iowa sits at 4-1 and slid to No. 18 in the Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the AP Top 25, a reminder that the margin for error gets much thinner once the unbeaten start is gone.
Still, the bigger picture has not changed much for the Hawkeyes. They remain in the top 25 and still control their own destiny in the College Football Playoff race, which keeps the focus on what comes next rather than what just slipped away. For a team that expected the Ohio State game to be a measuring stick, the ranking drop matters, but only so much as Iowa keeps winning from here. [Read more 🡒]