General Information
Ohio State Buckeyes (-14.5) @ Iowa Hawkeyes
Saturday, Oct. 3
3:30 p.m on CBS
Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City, Iowa)
The eyes of the college football world will be on the Ohio State Buckeyes when they travel to Iowa City for a ranked match-up with the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes. College Gameday has announced that they are headed to the Hawkeyes’ campus for the game, meaning this is considered the biggest game of the week. We’ve got you covered with a full game preview below!
Quick Look at the Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes have started their season 4-0, with wins over Northern Illinois, Iowa State, Northern Iowa and Michigan. They are led by long-time head coach Kirk Ferentz, who is now in his 28th year with Iowa. At home, the Hawkeyes are a dominant force. They have upset numerous top ten teams over the years, and boast an impressive 28-10 record at home over the past five seasons.
Iowa is led by senior quarterback Hank Brown on offense. Brown is an accurate quarterback, boasting a 68% completion rate and throwing no interceptions through four games. He showcased his clutch ability last weekend when he threw the game-winning touchdown against Michigan as time expired. The Hawkeyes running back room is quite versatile, as they have four major options. They are senior Kamari Moulton, sophomore Braeden Jackson, junior Xavier Williams and sophomore Nathan McNeil. All four have consistently been handed the ball so far this year. Iowa’s best wide receiver is junior Tony Diaz, who has caught 20 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown this year. Overall, they are a run-heavy football team who will aim to wear down opposing defenses over time.
Defensively, Iowa is led by a strong linebacker room made up of the senior duo Landyn Van Kekerix and Jayden Montgomery, plus junior Cam Buffington. The three have combined for 71 total tackles so far this season. Senior cornerback Deshaun Lee has emerged as the leader in the secondary, putting up two interceptions and three pass deflections through four games. Furthermore, Junior Rashad Godfrey Jr. and sophomore Jacob Wallace each have an interception as well. Junior defensive end Joseph Anderson leads the Hawkeyes in sacks with two. They have a total of nine as a team on the year.
Essentially, Iowa is a gritty team who can beat you on both sides of the ball. The Buckeyes must come into Kinnick Stadium with a sense of caution.
Keys to the Game
Stay on the Gas: We said this exact thing last week, as it remains a massive point of emphasis for Ohio State. The Buckeyes cannot afford to have the Texas game all over again. They will start out hot, everyone knows that. However, they can’t back off and let Iowa back in the game. They must keep their foot on the gas pedal and shut the Hawkeyes out of the game before they find an opportunity to claw back. This key relies mainly on the coaching staff, as they must remain aggressive with their play-calling on both sides of the ball.
Establish the Run Game: Iowa will run the ball heavily throughout the game, attempting to exhaust OSU’s defensive units. The Buckeyes must do the same on offense. They must get sophomore Bo Jackson and senior Ja’Kobi Jackson moving early. By doing this, it will take some pressure off junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and allow him more space to produce. OSU must force the Hawkeyes to place some of their focus on the Buckeye run game.
Protect the Ball: Iowa is a team that will take a massive advantage off of any mistakes made by their opponents. The Buckeyes cannot afford to give them extra chances with the ball, or they will capitalize. Take good care of the football, and Ohio State’s offensive firepower will do the rest of the work.
Wrap-up and Prediction
The Iowa Hawkeyes are extremely tough to beat at home and will give OSU a serious run for their money this week. However, the pure talent of the Buckeyes will carry them to a hard-earned road victory.
Ohio State wins 31-27
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