Kirk Ferentz didn’t need much time after Ohio State’s 31-14 win over Iowa to make the point: the Buckeyes were too much, and Jeremiah Smith was the kind of player you’d rather not see again.
Ferentz had been complimentary of Ryan Day’s team all week, and that tone carried right through Saturday in Iowa City. After the game, the Iowa coach made it clear that Smith forced the Hawkeyes into survival mode from start to finish.
Smith piled up 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, breaking two more Ohio State records in the process. He also became the first player in Ohio State history to post back-to-back 200-yard receiving games.
Iowa tried everything it could to keep Smith in check. Phil Parker and Ferentz mixed coverages, threw extra attention his way and still couldn’t keep the receiver from finding space. Ferentz even reached back to another elite player he’s coached against, comparing Smith to former Penn State star Saquon Barkley.
“Barkley, whatever year it was out there, We gave him everything we had, and he was still pretty effective. and the same thing today. He's got great size, great competitiveness, and just great ability for a receiver.
All you can do is do your best and try to be as smart as you can playing him, but he's a great player. With a little bit of luck, we won't see him again during my career, so that'd be okay.”
Ferentz also didn’t dance around the bigger picture. Iowa knew it needed a near-perfect performance to beat Ohio State, and it didn’t come close to getting one.
“just congratulate, give credit to Ohio State. They have a good football team and played a really good game.
We knew it was going to be a challenge going in, and unfortunately, we couldn’t meet that challenge. If you're going to beat a team like that, you've got to play clean and really be smart in terms of that.
If you're going to give yourself a chance to win, you have to do that, and we came up short today.”
The result fit the larger standard Ohio State has set for itself. Iowa has been a steady winner under Ferentz, with at least eight victories every season since 2015 aside from the 6-2 mark in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. But the Buckeyes operate at another level, having won at least 11 games in every season since 2012, not including their 7-1 run in 2020.
“(Ohio State is) a good team, and they've been that way for a long time.“
In Other News...
Ohio State Just Delivered The Kind Of Road Win Fans Needed
Ohio State went into Kinnick Stadium and delivered the sort of response win its fans had been waiting for, beating Iowa 31-14 and handing the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. The Buckeyes controlled the game on both sides of the ball, piling up 484 total yards while keeping Iowa to 238 and a paltry 39 rushing yards, which made this feel less like a tense road test and more like a statement about the gap between the two teams.
Jeremiah Smith was at the center of it, turning the trip into one of those performances that travels well beyond the box score. He finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, giving Ohio State a dynamic edge whenever it needed one and helping offset a couple of turnovers forced by the defense. For a team that needed a clean, convincing road result, this was exactly the kind of night it was looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Just Put Ohio State Fans On Notice Again
Jeremiah Smith kept the Buckeyes moving in Iowa City, turning a road test against the Hawkeyes into another showcase for Ohio States passing game. The freshman wideout tied the Ohio State touchdown record while finishing with 11 catches for 206 yards and two scores, a performance that helped push the Buckeyes to a 4-1 start and add another layer to what has already become a must-watch season in Columbus.
Smiths latest breakout only raises the stakes for what comes next, because Ohio State now heads back home to face Maryland with its young star drawing even more attention. For a team that has spent the early part of the season trying to establish its identity, his ability to create production anywhere on the field has become one of the biggest reasons the Buckeyes keep looking like a contender. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Earned The Big Ten Spot Fans Wanted Most
Week 5 brought a clearer picture of the Big Ten race, and Ohio State came out of it looking like the conference team fans expected to see at the top. The Buckeyes handled Iowa in a game that carried more weight than a typical early-season road test, adding a quality win to a rsum that is starting to separate from the pack as the league standings and the national picture begin to take shape.
The rankings around them still have plenty of movement left, with Indiana continuing to push forward, Oregon and UCLA drawing attention for different reasons, and Michigan still trying to sort out its own path. But Ohio States recent momentum is the kind that can hold up as October approaches, especially if the Buckeyes keep matching style points with results in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]