If Iowa is going to walk out of Saturday with the kind of result that turns heads, it probably won’t come from the usual script. It’s going to take one of those breakout performances - the kind everyone notices - and there are a few Hawkeyes who look ready for that spotlight.
The setup is about as inviting as Iowa could hope for. The Hawkeyes are 4-0, they’re at home, and they’re entering this one with nothing to lose.
That makes them a dangerous group. They can empty the bag against Ohio State, and they’re likely to do exactly that.
One of the names to watch is DJ Vonnahme. He’s been quiet so far, with just 10 catches for 111 yards, but that could change in a hurry against the Buckeyes.
Iowa is going to need a reliable target in the middle of the field for Hank Brown, especially with Ohio State’s defensive backs bringing speed and talent all over the place. Tim Lester found ways to spring Vonnahme open late in 2025 against Nebraska and Vanderbilt, and Iowa may lean on similar designs to get him running into space downfield.
Braeden Jackson is another player who could end up changing the feel of the game. He flashed two weeks ago against Northern Iowa, then followed that with a game-changing kickoff return against Michigan. That kind of speed has a way of translating, and Iowa may try to use it on offense against Ohio State.
Jackson can give the Hawkeyes a quick burst out of the backfield, and that’s the sort of thing that can matter in a game like this. Sweep action, screen plays, anything that gets him the ball in space - those are the chances Iowa can use to steal chunk yardage and keep the Buckeyes from settling in.
The flip side is just as demanding. Iowa’s secondary is about to face its hardest test of the season, and Ohio State brings a loaded receiver group. Jeremiah Smith is the headline name, but the Buckeyes may also look to Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss, with highly touted freshman Chris Henry Jr. in the mix too.
That puts a lot on Anthony Hawkins. His length gives him the range to get to the sideline and disrupt Ohio State’s passing game, and if Iowa can take away Jeremiah Smith, or even just limit him, the ball has to go somewhere else. Whether Hawkins is working on an island or shadowing receivers, this is the kind of game where he has a chance to make a play or two that really matter.
In Other News...
Iowa Still Has One Big Problem Heading Into Ohio State
Iowas offense has spent much of the first month of the season trying to find traction on the ground, and the issues have shown up most clearly against the tougher fronts on the schedule. The Hawkeyes have not had their top two running backs on the field together much this year because of injury, which has left the rotation unsettled and made it harder to establish the kind of run game Iowa usually leans on.
Ohio State comes in as a different kind of test, even if its defense has given up plenty of rushing yards in recent games. That opens the door a bit for Iowa, but it also puts the focus right back on the Hawkeyes biggest question: whether the backs can finally get healthy and give the offense the balance it has been missing. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa DBs Face Their Biggest Stage Yet At Ohio State
A trip to Ohio State has a way of turning every snap into a test, and for Iowas defensive backs it arrives with a spotlight that can reshape a seasons worth of perception. Deshaun Lee, Tony Diaz and Zach Lutmer are set to be central figures in how the Hawkeyes handle one of the Big Tens most demanding receiving groups, with Jeremiah Smith standing out as the kind of matchup that can expose mistakes and reward discipline in the same breath.
For Iowa, this is about more than surviving the game plan. If those young defensive backs hold up against the Buckeyes, it gives the Hawkeyes a better chance to keep the field manageable for the rest of the defense and stay in position on the offensive side of the ball. If they struggle, the pressure on Iowas whole operation rises quickly, which is why this stage feels bigger than a single Saturday in Columbus. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Gets Its Biggest Kinnick Chance Yet Against Ohio State
Kinnick Stadium is about to get the kind of spotlight Iowa rarely sees, with Ohio State coming in for a Big Ten showdown that has already drawn ESPN College GameDay and a CBS primetime window. For a program that has built its identity on staying steady in big moments, this is the sort of stage that tests whether the home-field edge can still matter when the attention is national and the opponent arrives with the usual heavyweight expectations.
Kirk Ferentz said he has felt nervous about the season and the game ahead, and he framed that feeling as part of caring about the moment rather than backing away from it. There is a case for Iowa to lean into the free-swinging side of the matchup, since the Hawkeyes have little to lose against a national power, but there is also a stronger argument that the nerves themselves are proof of how much this opportunity means. [Read more 🡒]