Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz had some pointed praise for Ohio State’s defense this week, and the focus of his comments landed on a name he never actually said.
With No. 5 Ohio State set to visit No.
14 Iowa in Week 5, Ferentz singled out Florida State transfer Earl Little Jr. for the way he’s played at strong safety/rover. He also took note of how many elite defenders the Buckeyes lost to the NFL, without listing them by name.
“Defensively, a little bit different. They lost a handful of guys.
I think three of them were in the top 11 picks in the draft. Just really outstanding players, and two more guys second-round off their defense.
Some really good talent last year, and they've replaced those guys without any hesitation. They're a big, physical group.
Front seven especially is really big and physical. Very aggressive in the back end.
They picked up a transfer safety, and he's an impressive player, too,” Ferentz said this week.
Little has been one of Ohio State’s more noticeable pieces in the secondary so far. Against Texas, he put together the best outing of anyone back there, finishing with 11 tackles and a pass deflection against Arch Manning and company.
The unit as a whole ran into trouble in the second half of that 24-23 loss at DKR Stadium, when Manning led the comeback. The problems showed up again in Week 4 against Illinois, which rolled up 263 passing yards and 462 total yards.
Even so, Little was again one of the brighter spots against the Fighting Illini. The one blemish came on a pre-snap motion sequence where he bit too hard, opening the door for a 22-yard Jordan Anderson rushing touchdown. Outside of that, he stood out.
Saturday afternoon on CBS, Ohio State should need him to handle a lot of different responsibilities. Tim Lester’s play-calling has been balanced, and that means Little could be asked to do plenty of everything against Iowa.
The matchup in the back end gets even more interesting because of what Iowa is bringing to the table at quarterback. Hank Brown, a former Auburn quarterback, has finally gotten a real shot this season and hasn’t been exposed in black and gold yet.
Through four games, he has not thrown an interception and just helped engineer the game-winning drive against TTUN last week. That looks nothing like the quarterback who threw three interceptions in one half against Arkansas in 2024.
Iowa is off to its best start since October 2021, when the Hawkeyes climbed as high as No. 2. Now the question is whether Ohio State can be the team that slows Brown down.
The Buckeyes’ pass rush hasn’t been as disruptive as it needs to be, while Iowa’s offensive line has been elite in pass protection. The vulnerable spot for the Hawkeyes is in the run game, and that’s where Ohio State will have to see if it can create pressure.
All of it sets up a compelling test for the Buckeyes’ defense against a Hawkeyes offense that could keep Brown efficient - or run into trouble - inside Kinnick Stadium. It’s also a chance to see how Brown handles Ohio State’s athletes in the biggest game the stadium has hosted in 20 years, since the last time College GameDay was there for an Iowa-Ohio State showdown.
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 🡒]