For the first time this season Ohio State’s high powered offense will be tested against an elite defense on Saturday in Columbus. The Iowa Hawkeyes have historically been known for their exceptional defensive play under future hall of fame head coach in Kirk Ferentz. This marks the 26th season for Coach Ferentz at Iowa. His record speaks for itself as he brings a record of 199-120 to the table. Just one win shy of the impressive 200 win total makes Ferentz the 2nd winningest active coach in power five football. Consistency on defense has been the identity for Iowa under the Kirk Ferentz regime. Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly issued his endorsement, “it’ll be the best coached defense I think we’ll face all season. They make you earn everything you get.”
Despite Iowa being a defensive juggernaut, over the past several years the Hawkeye offense had been getting progressively worse leading up to this season. The old school scheme of playing field position games at a high level defensive rate just won’t cut it anymore in today’s world of college football. Former Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the son of the head coach was let go this past offseason after several seasons of not delivering on his play calling. Definitely not an easy thing to accept for Kirk to see your son let go but he knows the show must go on. Iowa desperately wanted to upgrade their offense and improve on that side of the ball. Improving slowly, the Hawkeyes have reached the top 100 in offensive play with a current rank of 77th in the country through four games. So what has lead to the better offensive production so far this year? Two key factors for Iowa this season have been the addition of new offensive coordinator Tim Lester along with a upgraded offensive line that has a talented running duo behind them. Ohio native Kaleb Johnson has completely transformed into a star running back for the Hawkeyes this season. In fact Johnson notched the second 200 yard plus game of his career most recently against Minnesota on September 21st. Running for 685 yards and nine touchdowns already makes Kaleb Johnson an immediate threat for the Buckeye defense to contain. The Hamilton, Ohio product talked about this upcoming matchup in the Horshoe, “Even if they offered me, I wouldn’t have went, I want to beat them. That’s my goal.” Sounds like Kaleb Johnson plans to play with a giant chip on his shoulder this Saturday as he returns to his home state.
Another piece of the Iowa offense that’s important to point out is the consistent play of Senior transfer graduate quarterback Cade McNamara. The former Wolverine from Ann Arbor has experience against the Buckeyes with a 1-0 record as the starting quarterback back in 2021. What makes McNamara so reliable is his ability to facilitate the ball to his teammates and limit mistakes on offense. Iowa’s quarterback has thrown for 588 yards and three touchdowns most of which has been on crucial third down plays on the play action which makes him such an asset for the Hawkeyes.
When you talk about Iowa’s defense it starts with their talented secondary lead by graduate defensive back Jermari Harris. Definitely an NFL prospect, Harris is dangerous against the pass as he’s collected two interceptions, one of which was a pick six. Leading the Hawkeyes in tackles this season is Senior Linebacker Jay Higgins. The 2023 All-American currently has 33 total tackles and two interceptions. On defense Iowa is currently ranked 23rd overall in points given up. Ohio State will have to start fast in this game with some tempo on offense to wear down the Hawkeye defense early.
Defensively the Buckeyes need to put pressure on McNamara by slowing down the run game first and then forcing quick three and outs. Last week against the Spartans, Ohio State was fortunate that three long Michigan State drives ended with turnovers and no points. It will be interesting to see how the Ohio State defense reacts against a future NFL running back in Johnson.
Overall Ohio State leads the series 48-15-3 against Iowa. The most recent meeting came in 2022 when Ohio State got off to a fast start and wore down the Hawkeye defense in the 54-10 route in Columbus. Iowa’s last win over the Buckeyes was in 2017 when they defeated the Urban Meyer lead team 55-24 at Kinnick Stadium. Ohio State (4-0) hosts Iowa (3-1) this Saturday at 3:30 pm on CBS.