Buckeye Opponent Preview: Week 5 vs the Iowa Hawkeyes
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Week five is going to be a really fun game for a lot of reasons for Ohio State. While these two programs have shared the Big Ten conference for over 100 years, they have only played each other 66 times.
The first matchup between these two teams was all the way back in 1922 when the Hawkeyes got the best of the Buckeyes by winning 12-9 in Columbus. That would be the first win of a four-year stretch where the Hawkeyes were 3-0-1 against the Buckeyes.
It was a tough start to the matchup before the Buckeyes got on the board in 1926 and never looked back.
Ohio State currently has a 48-15-3 record against Iowa and has been very successful over recent history. Since 2000, the Buckeyes are 8-2 (9-2 if you don't vacate the Tressel year in 2010), and it really hasn't been close.
This year's game will be a fun trip for all of Buckeye Nation, as a game in Kinnick Stadium is one of the most historic stadiums in the country. Not only that, it's been almost 10 years since the game has been played in Iowa, and it's been played here twice since 2010.
For this year's game, the Hawkeyes are going to have that same personality that they have always had under Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz has been the man in Iowa since 1999, when he took over the team.
Since then, his programs have been incredibly tough and hard-nosed but have always lacked an offensive attack. It will be the same in 2026.
The Hawkeyes' offense will be the usual slog it always is. They will be building their offense by getting three yards at a time and winning the field position battle, or trying to at least.
Leading rusher Kamari Moulton is back for the Hawkeyes after rushing for 878 yards and five touchdowns on five yards per carry.
The offensive line is going to be solid as usual. They brought in one transfer portal addition in guard Trent Wilson from James Madison. He joins veterans Trevor Lauck, Kade Piper, and Leighton Jones, who anchor the line.
The quarterback room is going to be a question mark yet again. Mark Gronowski is the leader in the clubhouse in a competition with Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski. None of those guys will strike fear into any opponent.
On defense, the Hawkeyes are scheduled to be elite yet again next year. They were the sixth defense in the nation in 2025 thanks to dominating time of possession and having really good players on the defensive side of the ball.
The secondary is their strength. Zach Lutmer leads the way as one of the best DBs in America, joined by Deshaun Lee, Anthony Hawkins, Tyler Brown, and former Buckeye Cody Haddas.
They choke you out and force offenses into really tough situations. They are incredible on third downs and make it very challenging.
Ohio State's trip to Iowa City is going to be a very tough one. It will be a hard environment against a very unique team. However, that won't mean much. The Buckeyes should roll against a top-30 team in the country, and they should roll through the start of their Big Ten schedule.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos