Entering last weekend, things felt somewhat ominous for the Iowa Hawkeyes. While they were fresh off a dominant performance against the Northern Iowa Panthers in their non-conference finale, they were staring at an absolute gauntlet of a schedule: at Michigan, return home to face Ohio State and then hit the road to travel two time zones west of the Rockies on a short week to play Washington. The risk of falling from unbeaten to .500 was legitimate.
Things weren’t pretty in Ann Arbor for 58 minutes and 14 seconds, but the Hawkeyes found something on offense for the final 1:46 and marched 91 yards on 11 plays to absolutely stun the Michigan Wolverines on a walk-off back shoulder throw from Hank Brown to Reece Vander Zee.
It was an all-time drive for the Hawkeyes, who won in perhaps the most new-age Iowa way possible. They were totally dominated in the offensive statistics for almost the entire game, but were able to hang around thanks to a 99-yard kickoff return from walk-on Braeden Jackson, stellar redzone defense and a redzone pick by Michigan man Deshaun Lee. Inclusive of the special teams yardage, the two teams were much closer with the Wolverines gaining just 46 more total yards than Iowa. The Hawkeyes won the turnover battle and most importantly, they scored one more point.
But doing it with such an impressive 91-yard final drive in under two minutes sheds light on where this Iowa group is different than the national narrative the last few years. Yes, they were in a rock fight all day on Saturday and it looked like they were losing it. But the point isn’t to look good, it’s to win. And when the game was on the line, Iowa flipped from the rock fight to an aerial attack and Hank Brown absolutely delivered in a way we haven’t seen a Hawkeye QB do since Nate Stanley.
That fourth quarter and that final drive have flipped the narrative on this season. The Hawkeyes are no longer staring at a potential 3-3 start to the year and an 0-3 start to conference play. Instead, they are legitimately in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.
It doesn’t make the road there any easier, however. The path is simply open.
The next obstacle is perhaps the biggest of the year as #5 Ohio State comes to Kinnick. When they do, they’ll be looking for some redemption. Saturday will mark the first time the Buckeyes have been to Iowa City since the 55-24 beatdown unranked Iowa put on the then-#6 team in the nation in 2017.
Since that game, these two teams have squared off twice and OSU has certainly clawed back their dignity, winning in 2022 and 2024 (both in Columbus) by a combined score of 89-17. But there’s no doubt they’ll be well aware of the outcome the last time they left the pink locker room in Kinnick.
Notably, this will mark just the third time in 20 years that the Buckeyes have had to come to Iowa City. With the 20-17 victory in 2010 officially vacated, Ohio State hasn’t won in Kinnick since 2006. That 2006 meeting? Also the last time ESPN’s College GameDay came to town for then #1 Ohio State at #13 Iowa.
The Hawkeyes have waited 20 years for their own redemption in the spotlight. That 2006 showdown was billed as a massive moment for Iowa and they fell completely flat. After the Hawkeyes went 3-and-out on their opening drive, OSU went 54 yards on 7 plays to take a 7-0 lead. They never trailed again, taking a 21-10 lead into halftime before opening things up to 31-10 to start the fourth quarter. Ohio State ultimately won 38-17.
Now, 20 years later with GameDay back in town, can the #14 Hawkeyes get their redemption? Or will it be the #5 Buckeyes who redeem their woodshed moment from the last time they came to Kinnick?
Vegas certainly thinks it will be Ohio State that emerges victorious. FanDuel Sportsbook opened with Ohio State favored by 14.5 points with an over/under of 44.5 total points. That gives us an implied final score of OSU 29.5, Iowa 14.5.
As bleak as that may sound with the evil empire coming to town, it’s worth also calling out the Hawkeyes actually have a winning record in this series when played at home over the last quarter century. Iowa is 2-1 in Kinnick against Ohio State dating back to 2001 and 2-2 in the Ferentz era.
The task is tall on Saturday, but we learned last week that when the task is tall, this group of Hawkeyes can rise up. There’s no quit and no specific recipe for a win. They’re built for a rock fight, but finally have an offense that can answer the call when the game is on the line.
Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride.
Here’s a look at the details for Saturday’s matchup.
Date: Saturday, October 3rd
Time: 2:30 pm CT
Matchup: #5 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0) at #14 Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0)
Location: Kinnick Stadium – Iowa City, Iowa
TV: CBS
Updated Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny with temps in the upper 60s, light winds
FanDuel Opening Line: Ohio State -14.5, O/U 44.5
