No. 5 Ohio State left Kinnick Stadium with a 31-14 win over No. 14 Iowa, and the Buckeyes did it with the kind of explosive plays that can flip a road game in a hurry.
The opening sequence set the tone. Less than a minute into the game, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. blasted Hank Brown for a 13-yard sack, knocked the ball loose and helped create the kind of early chaos Ohio State wanted.
Christian Alliegro scooped up the fumble at Iowa’s 14-yard line, and two snaps later Julian Sayin hit Devin McCuin for a 15-yard touchdown. Jackson later left near the end of the first quarter after getting twisted with Iowa tight end Addison Ostrenga, then returned on the first drive of the second quarter.
That early strike mattered because Iowa stayed within reach for much of the first half. But Ohio State still managed to land the biggest blows at the biggest moments, and Jeremiah Smith kept rewriting the record book while doing it.
Smith had 111 yards and a touchdown on six catches by halftime, matching Marvin Harrison’s school mark for most games with 100-plus receiving yards at 15. By the end of the game, he had turned that into something even bigger. Smith finished with 206 yards and two touchdowns on 11 receptions, breaking Chris Olave’s school record for career touchdowns and surpassing Emeka Egbuka for the school record in career receptions.
His first score came on Ohio State’s final drive of the first half, a critical answer after the Buckeyes had missed a field goal and then punted on the next possession. With the lead sitting at 10-6 and Iowa threatening to swing the momentum, Smith made an impressive 12-yard catch-and-stretch play, reaching the ball across the plane before landing to push Ohio State ahead 17-6 at the break.
Then he blew the game open in the third quarter. On 2nd and four, Sayin launched a 57-yard touchdown pass to Smith, who was wide open to make it 24-6. That was the kind of shot that ended any real suspense.
Sayin was sharp all afternoon, finishing 20-for-27 for 324 yards and three touchdowns. It was the sort of clean, productive performance that answered a few of the questions hanging over Ohio State’s identity this season.
The defense kept delivering too. After Smith’s second touchdown, Iowa tried to answer on a key third-quarter drive, but Jaylen McClain jumped a 27-yard throw for an interception with 2:52 left in the third quarter.
John Walker helped force the issue by hurrying Brown on the play. The pick gave Ohio State the ball at its own 30 and preserved the 24-6 cushion heading into the final quarter.
Ja’Kobi Jackson added the finishing touch in the fourth. Ohio State’s run game had been uneven at times, but Jackson handled Iowa’s top-20 rushing defense well enough to matter, finishing with 72 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. His seven-yard scoring run made it 31-6 early in the fourth quarter and put the game away for good.
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 🡒]