COLUMBUS — Ohio State has already been tested away from home this season, but Saturday is a beast of its own.

The No. 5 Buckeyes head to Kinnick Stadium to face No. 14 Iowa in their first Big Ten road game of the year. Ohio State is 3-1 after beating Illinois, 42-19, while the Hawkeyes are 4-0 after scoring a last-second touchdown to beat Michigan, 20-19, in Ann Arbor.

The matchup is about as Iowa as it gets.

The Hawkeyes are allowing only eight points and 239.8 yards per game, have already posted two shutouts, and rarely beat themselves. Offensively, they are much more dangerous on the ground, which makes the Buckeyes’ defensive performance against Illinois especially worrisome.

Ohio State allowed 199 rushing yards and 6.0 yards per carry last week, its worst performance against the run in years. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. called it “terrible” and “unacceptable,” while Matt Patricia and Larry Johnson spent the week emphasizing gap discipline and eliminating the kind of “hero ball” that allowed Illinois to break several long runs.

That problem needs to be fixed quickly because Iowa has already produced four different 100-yard rushers this season, including three in the same game against Northern Iowa.

Hank Brown gives the Hawkeyes enough balance to punish a defense that sells out against the run. He has completed 68 percent of his passes for 700 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions, and he delivered two big-time fourth-quarter touchdown passes in last week’s comeback at Michigan.

Ohio State should still have the more explosive offense, not to mention more talent, but Iowa is exactly the kind of team that can turn a game into a four-quarter fight if the Buckeyes allow Iowa to control the pace.

In other words, the Buckeyes cannot allow Iowa to Iowa.

Players to Watch

• The Defensive Line — Last week was not good enough, and the defensive line knows it. Illinois rushed for 199 yards, repeatedly found creases, and was far too successful on early-down runs. Iowa’s offense is built to test those same weaknesses. The Buckeyes need to stay disciplined in their gaps, tackle better at the point of attack, and make Brown beat them through the air. When Iowa does throw, this is also the kind of game where Jackson, Eddrick Houston, and the rest of the front need to create pressure without sacrificing containment. If Ohio State shuts down the run early, Iowa’s offense becomes much easier to manage.
• Devin McCuin — Jeremiah Smith changes the geometry of every defense Ohio State faces. Iowa knows where No. 4 is on every snap, and its disciplined secondary will almost certainly shade help in his direction. That creates opportunity for somebody else. McCuin caught four passes for 34 yards against Illinois and has shown flashes throughout the first month, but Ohio State needs a second receiver to consistently punish teams for devoting extra attention to Smith. If McCuin can win one-on-one matchups, find space in the zone when Iowa drops into one, and force Iowa to defend the entire field, the Buckeyes become much harder to contain.
• Julian Sayin — Much has been said about Sayin using his legs more often, and this is exactly the kind of game where it may loom large. Nobody is asking him to become a running quarterback per se, but against a defense as disciplined as Iowa’s, there will be plays when every receiver is covered and six or eight yards are sitting in front of him. Taking off for a first down, extending a drive, or scrambling into the end zone could be the difference in a low-possession, physical game. Sayin ran for a touchdown last week against Illinois, and Ohio State could use that same willingness Saturday.

Game Information

Notes

• Saturday marks Ohio State’s first trip to Kinnick Stadium since the infamous 55-24 loss in 2017.
• Ohio State has won the last two meetings, beating Iowa 54-10 in 2022 and 35-7 in 2024.
• The Buckeyes are 17-7-2 all-time in Iowa City.
• Iowa is allowing only 8.0 points and 239.8 total yards per game through four games.
• The Hawkeyes have allowed only 87.8 rushing yards per game and 152 passing yards per game.
• Saturday is the first meeting between Ohio State and Iowa with both teams ranked in the AP top 15 since 2006.
• Kinnick Stadium is sold out for the game.

Prediction

Iowa is disciplined, physical, and well-coached, and the Hawkeyes have the kind of defense that can make even a talented offense look anemic.

But last week’s showing against Illinois should have Ohio State’s attention.

The Buckeyes were challenged publicly by Kenyatta Jackson Jr., and there is little doubt Patricia and Johnson spent the week hammering home the need to simply do the job within the defense. I expect that unit to respond in a big way.

Iowa will move the ball at times, but I do not think they ever find the end zone.

Offensively, Ohio State has too many weapons to be completely shut down, even against a defense this good. Smith will obviously draw the most attention, which should create chances for McCuin, Inniss, and the rest of the receiving corps, while Sayin’s ability to steal a first down or two with his legs could be especially important.

It will not always be pretty, and Kinnick rarely makes anything easy.

But Ohio State has enough offense to play complementary football to a defense that controls the game.

Ohio State 27, Iowa 9