Off the Cuff: Ohio State’s tough Big Ten schedule really starts on Saturday

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Besides Michigan, what was the toughest environment Julian Sayin played in last year? Washington? The point is, he didn’t play in many tough environments in his first season as the full-time starting quarterback. 

That changes Saturday, when the Buckeyes take on the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes.

Kinnick Stadium is a very tough place to play. Football is a way of life out in Iowa. With no professional sports teams in the state, Iowa football is everything to sports fans in the Hawkeye State.

In October alone, Sayin and the Buckeyes will play at Iowa, Indiana, and USC. It’s a stretch that’s considerably tougher than Ohio State’s Big Ten schedule last year. 

This is what we talked about for months leading up to the season. Now, it gets real. It’s a road Big Ten game against a team rooted in who they are and very good. It’s the first game in a much tougher Big Ten schedule for Ohio State this season.

It can bring out the Buckeyes as the national championship contenders we all think they are, or it can show an alternative the program won’t want to face.

Iowa is 4-0 for multiple reasons. They have handled their business thus far, and they’ve beaten two Power Four teams. The Hawkeyes beat Iowa State 16-13 at home and Michigan 20-19 in a thriller on the road. 

Normally, the Hawkeyes aren’t known for their offense. They didn’t score many points against either Iowa State or Michigan. However, the Hawkeyes are averaging 32.8 points per game. Iowa is also averaging 429 yards of offense per game, with 215.5 rushing yards and 213.5 passing yards. That’s about as balanced as it gets on offense.

Don’t worry, though. Iowa’s defense is still very much the story of their team this year. The Hawkeyes are only allowing eight points per game and 239.8 yards per game. Iowa is also allowing just 87.8 rushing yards per game and just 152 passing yards per game. Teams are converting just 27 percent of third downs against Iowa and are averaging just 11.5 first downs per game. 

One thing Iowa doesn’t do is beat themselves. It’s the ultimate sign of a well-coached team, and Iowa has been that team for a long time under head coach Kirk Ferentz.

Quarterback Hank Brown hasn’t thrown an interception this season. He’s also completing 68 percent of his passes for 700 yards and five touchdowns. 

Iowa is really good at running the football. After watching what Illinois did to the Buckeyes’ defensive front last week, that’s scary.

The Hawkeyes have only lost 36 yards on the ground. Jeremy Hecklinski lost 11 of those yards, and he’s not even the starting quarterback now. Kamari Moulton has 284 rushing yards and 7.3 yards per carry. With 39 carries through four games, Moulton leads Iowa’s backfield.

Braeden Jackson, Xavier Williams, and Nathan McNeil are three other running backs the Hawkeyes can throw at the Buckeyes. All three of them have rushed for over 130 yards and have six combined rushing touchdowns. All three also average over six yards per carry, with Jackson leading Iowa at 9.3 yards per carry.

Reece Vander Zee leads Iowa with two receiving touchdowns. He caught the game-winner against Michigan last week. Tony Diaz leads Iowa with 20 receptions for 247 yards. DJ Vonnahme also averages 11.1 yards per reception. 

The Hawkeyes have two special-teams touchdowns, one via a punt return and the other via a kick return. 

On defense, the Hawkeyes have nine sacks and 18 tackles for loss. Defensive end Drew Campbell leads Iowa with 1.5 sacks, while linebacker Jayden Montgomery leads Iowa with 3.5 tackles for loss. Fellow linebacker Cam Buffington leads Iowa with 38 tackles. Defensive back Deshaun Lee leads the Hawkeyes with two interceptions.

This game will be about patience. Iowa will make the Buckeyes work on both sides of the ball. Can Ohio State grind it out for 60 minutes? Illinois let Ohio State run up and down the field for four quarters last week. Iowa is absolutely not going to allow that to happen on their home turf this week.

At times, it’s going to feel like the Buckeyes are playing this game with their non-dominant hand. At times, it will look grimy. Points could be at a premium. 

Toughness will be paramount in this game. Can Ohio State match Iowa’s physicality? As much as Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith are the engines of the Buckeyes’ offense, this game will require them to have a presence running the ball.

On the other side, the Ohio State defensive line has to contain Iowa’s running game and force Hank Brown to beat them with his arm.

This game will show the Buckeyes’ fortitude. Winning a game on the road against a really good Iowa team would reinforce why Ohio State is still the favorite to win the national championship.

The last time the Buckeyes went on the road was three weeks ago at Texas. Now, it’s a Big Ten game. The stakes are higher. Tougher schedule, same expectations.

This game will reveal Ohio State’s toughness and fortitude.

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