Ok, Hawkeye fans – this is the big one. For real this time. GameDay is in town. THE Ohio State University is in Iowa City, the Big Ten’s Death Star, ready to explode Iowa football, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
But hey, if we’re going to get lasered to death by the Buckeyes, at least the weather will be awesome after what was one of the wettest calendar months in the history of the state in September. You need this dry out that’s coming.
Saturday will start cool with temperatures in the low 50s, but it’s looking sunny all day with temperatures in the low to mid 60s throughout. No chance of rain! Finally! It will truly be a great day start to finish in Iowa City. Couldn’t ask for anything better, really.
As for the game? Ohio State is one of the best two or three teams in the country. Yes, they have a loss, to The University of Texas (Austin, not El Paso.) They led the game by 20 points and had the Longhorns in a head lock for 45 minutes before gagging in the fourth quarter and losing in the dying seconds of the game. This is as good and as talented a team as any in the country. They’ve had a couple of issues on defense so I wonder if they can be had there, but it will take a near-perfect game for Iowa to win. Ohio State enters this contest as a 14.5-point favorite from our friends at FanDuel for a reason. They have a good, accurate quarterback. He has the best weapon in the country in Jeremiah Smith. No big deal, he’s only one of the best college players of the last 20 years and will own every major Ohio State receiving record when his career ends. They can drop points on you fast.
I’d love to pick Iowa. Truly, I would. This just looks daunting. Maybe Iowa can shorten the game some if they can get the run game on track, not turn the ball over, and then you never know. But this looks like a task that’s too much for the Hawks. I take Ohio State to win and cover, 31-14. Stranger things have happened – 55-24, anyone? – but I don’t think we get that again.
Date: Saturday, October 3
Time: 2:30 pm CT
Matchup: Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0) at Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0)
Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
TV: CBS
Updated Weather Forecast: Sunny with a high in the low to mid 60s. NO RAIN. Another perfect day for football.
Updated FanDuel Line: Iowa +14.5, O/U 45.5
