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Ohio State vs. Iowa: Complete preview and prediction

mark russell
·4 min read
9

We’ve reached the halfway point of the college football season and our Ohio State Buckeyes are sitting in a very nice position. Ryan Day’s club is ranked No. 2 in both the USA Today Coaches Poll and the AP, the offense is working like a well-oiled machine, and the defense has been vastly improved from last season.

After a bye week and some much-needed rest, Ohio State welcomes Iowa to the Horseshoe. The Hawkeyes come into the matchup after a bye week as well and are looking for some way to get the offense moving. The defense has been stout, but Iowa struggles to put points on the board. In three of six games played, the Hawkeyes have scored less than 10 points.

Will the Iowa defense be enough to slow the high-powered Buckeye offense? Will the OSU defense keep taking strides in the right direction? Does Ryan Day have revenge on his mind after an upset in Iowa City the last time these two met on the gridiron?

We’ll talk about this and more in our game preview and prediction. Let’s get ready for some Buckeye football!

Records and Broadcast Information

Records

Ohio State (6-0), Iowa (3-3)

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Saturday, Oct. 22
Game Time: Noon EDT
Network: Fox
Venue: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) Capacity: 104,944
All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 46-15-3
Last Meeting: Iowa defeated Ohio State 55-24 in 2017

Ohio State Potential Game Plan for Victory

A bye week is just what Ohio State needed. Time to heal some bumps and bruises and get the team back to full strength. Most notably, the Buckeyes are hoping to get Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TreVeyon Henderson back on the field full-time. But even without them, does Ohio State need to be full strength to take care of the Hawkeyes?

The answer is no. OSU hasn’t missed a beat even missing some of their best talent through the first six games. On the offensive side of the ball, this will be the best defense that Ohio State has seen thus far. Iowa has been stingy for the most part this season. We just saw Michigan run all over Penn State and the Hawkeyes held the Wolverines to just 172 rushing yards.

Michigan doesn’t have the passing attack the Buckeyes boast, so it should be a different story. If Iowa stacks the box, C.J. Stroud will have a field day, but if the black and gold decide to focus on the pass, Ohio State has more than capable runners to break the game open.

On the other side of the ball, Iowa just can’t score. Twice this season, the Hawkeyes have been unable to find the endzone, once against South Dakota State and again against Illinois. The Iowa offense is bland and doesn’t do much well at all. Of course, crazier things have happened (look no further than 2017), but we don’t see this being a huge test for the revamped Jim Knowles defense.

Two Key Players for Ohio State

Cade Stover – Tight End

As we’ve been saying, Iowa has a pretty good defense. While the Hawkeye defense might be able to cover some of the Ohio State weapons, it just doesn’t feel like they can cover all of the weapons. Enter Cade Stover. It seems like the Buckeyes have finally started figuring out how to use the tight end consistently and Stover has been the main beneficiary. If Iowa is able to successfully slow the talented wide receivers and running backs, Stover could be in for a big game.

Lathan Ransom – Free Safety

Lathan Ransom makes the most of his opportunities when he’s called on. He has the skill of a polished corner in pass coverage and closes quickly on the run. Ransom seems to have a high I.Q. for the game. He’ll be needed in both aspects, especially with Iowa’s biggest threat, tight end Sam LaPorta looking to make an impact.

The Prediction

This will be the best defense that Ohio State has seen to date. Iowa plays fundamentally sound football… at least on the defensive side. However, Iowa hasn’t seen a team with this kind of offensive firepower.

The Hawkeyes may be able to get a stop here or there, but they won’t be able to shut down the Buckeye offense for the entire game. Even if Iowa is able to slow the OSU attack, there is just no evidence that the Hawkeyes have figured out how to find the end zone on a regular basis.

Ohio State rolls to an easy win.

Final Score

Ohio State 49, Iowa 10

TIPICO Line

Ohio State -29.5

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Story originally appeared on Buckeye Wire