Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will beat Iowa
By Alec Hartman
The Ohio State Buckeyes look to stay hot on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Ohio State will have to clear their memory as they have another challenge to tend to this weekend. The Hawkeyes will be more than fired up to host the Bucks and having the game broadcast on ESPN further supports their cause. This goes without saying that the Buckeyes also clearly enjoy the limelight just as much as anyone else.
Business was taken care of last weekend as the Bucks managed a one point stunner over Penn State. J.T. Barrett showed everyone how great of a player he really is and the defense played well in every situation where it counted most.
Having let-down games aren’t exactly Ohio State’s cup of tea but this would be a situation where it may apply. After such an emotional victory, the Buckeyes could very well be in a tough situation against Iowa this weekend. T
his will be a mid-day game in Iowa City where the Hawkeyes play some of their best football.
The Hawkeyes have played tough against big opponents at home. Last season, the Hawkeyes beat undefeated TTUN at home and lost to Big Ten West division champion Wisconsin by just eight points. They’re back at it again this season starting with a mere two point loss to Penn State who won on a last second buzzer beater.
Playing against ranked teams in general has been a task that the Hawkeyes have done well in. The Hawkeyes beat Iowa State on the road and came within a touchdown of beating Michigan State.
The Bucks currently own a four game win streak over the Hawkeyes. In the all-time series, the Bucks have won nearly four times as many games in this match up than the Hawkeyes.
The road to postseason glory continues this weekend as Ohio State hope to stretch their win streak to seven. Each game proves more important than the last as they are in the midst of the toughest stretch on the schedule. If the Bucks are to make it to their first conference championship in three seasons and return to the playoffs, they’ll have to play every game like it’s their last.