Iowa’s upset of Michigan has completely changed the feel of Week 5, and now Ohio State walks into Iowa City with a very different kind of test waiting. The Buckeyes are suddenly facing a top 15 opponent after the Hawkeyes stunned then-No. 18 Michigan 20-19 on a touchdown at the final second in the Big House.
That result pushed Iowa into the spotlight and turned Saturday’s matchup into one with major College Football Playoff and Big Ten championship implications. For Ohio State, the margin for error is already thin after an early loss to Texas, and the road only gets rougher with No.
6 Indiana, No. 18 USC and No.
15 Oregon still ahead before Nov. 8.
On “Josh Pate’s College Football Show” Tuesday, Josh Pate made his call on the game, and he wasn’t shy about it. He took Ohio State not just to win, but to win comfortably, backing the Buckeyes as a 14-point favorite.
His concern for Iowa starts with the secondary. The Hawkeyes gave up big numbers to Michigan’s passing game, including 130 receiving yards and two touchdowns to JJ Buchanan and seven catches for 106 yards to Andrew Marsh. That’s a dangerous setup against an Ohio State offense that brings a much bigger problem to Iowa City: Jeremiah Smith.
Iowa’s defense has earned respect through four weeks. The Hawkeyes rank No. 10 nationally and have already posted two shutouts.
They also showed they could hang with Michigan, even if that offense has been underwhelming this season. But holding one struggling unit together is a different task from dealing with what Ohio State can put on the field.
Hank Brown has given Iowa some production at quarterback, throwing for 700 yards and five touchdowns, with 227 yards and two scores coming against Michigan. Still, the Buckeyes present a far tougher assignment.
The Hawkeyes do have a clear path to making this a massive night. Their schedule is far friendlier than Ohio State’s, with Oregon, USC and Indiana absent from the slate. If Iowa knocks off the Buckeyes, there would be no other ranked teams left on its schedule, giving the Hawkeyes a strong lane toward the Big Ten title game and a College Football Playoff push.
That’s the backdrop for Saturday: Iowa has the home crowd, the momentum and plenty to play for, but Ohio State has the firepower and the pressure that comes with no room left to stumble.
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In Daniels absence, Gabe VanSickle has held up well at right guard and helped the front continue to play at a high level. That leaves Ohio State with a familiar kind of dilemma: if Daniels is close to returning, the staff has to balance the value of getting a veteran back in the mix against the way the current group has been performing, and that decision is still very much open. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Has A Real Shot To Shake Up The Big Ten Again
Iowa arrives in Columbus with a little more belief than most visiting teams carry into a top-five matchup. The No. 14 Hawkeyes just jolted the Big Ten race with an upset of Michigan, and now they get another chance to test themselves against No. 5 Ohio State. Hank Brown has given Iowa a steady hand at quarterback, showing enough poise under pressure to make the Hawkeyes a real threat if the game tightens up late.
For Ohio State, the timing makes this one feel bigger than a routine conference showdown. Ryan Day has already acknowledged the challenge, and the Buckeyes know how much a win would matter for momentum as the season moves deeper into the stretch. The bigger question is whether Ohio States defense can settle in quickly enough to keep Iowa from turning this into another statement night for a program that has already shaken up the league once. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Is Giving Ohio State Fans Even Bigger Expectations
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His latest eruption only sharpened that feeling, even before the stat sheet fully settled in. Smith put together a performance that pushed his season ceiling in a major way and had the Buckeyes thinking bigger about what his role can become as the schedule grows tougher, with his recent production now setting a bar that will be hard to miss for the rest of the fall. [Read more 🡒]