(Photo: YouTube)
Saturday Spotlight
(5) Ohio State Buckeyes at (14) Iowa Hawkeyes
Ohio State (3-1):
They have gotten themselves back on track since the collapse in Austin against the Texas Longhorns in Week 2. Just the other day on social media, I shared my thoughts saying that Jeremiah Smith is hands down the best player in the country, and I don’t even think it’s close, nor is it a debate at this point. If there is someone else, please tell me who it is and bring your facts! I’ve watched him for a few years now, and each season, he has gradually climbed the ladder, but this year, he’s on a completely different level of dominance. In their last game against the Illinois Fighting Illini, Jeremiah had the game of his life with 12 receptions for 217 receiving yards and four touchdowns. That performance also put him at 3,000 career receiving yards with the program, something no other Buckeyes receiver has accomplished. I knew the Ohio State offense would be one of the best in the nation again, and they also have one of the best quarterbacks in America in Julian Sayin, who’s completing 72 percent of his passes on the season. The offense is creating explosive plays, and they’re very efficient on third down and in the red zone, meaning they finish drives with six points. Most importantly, they’ve been great at avoiding catastrophic mistakes, and Julian has thrown only one interception. As a defense, this is still a good unit, but it’s not what they were last season. I remember after the Texas game all those weeks ago, I said they miss the veterans on that side of the ball, and this year, they have eight new starters on defense. Today, they make their way to Iowa City for a Big Ten showdown.
Iowa (4-0):
Saturday in Ann Arbor last week is exactly why we love this game so much. Now, let’s be realistic: nobody gave this team a chance to even compete against the Michigan Wolverines, especially in the Big House, as we know that can be a tough place to play for the opponent. They won that game at the buzzer, and if you haven’t seen the video of the student section’s reaction, I highly recommend you check that out if you need a laugh! One thing I’ve always come to know about this program is that they will remain true to their identity and stay within their box. That’s a football team that wants to run the football, dominate the trenches on both sides of the ball, control the line of scrimmage and slow the game down as much as possible. Or, in other words, as I commonly say, they turn games into that “street fight” and ugly the contest up as much as possible. This has been Kirk Ferentz’s bread and butter, and he’s stuck to it. This year, the Iowa Hawkeyes have been far more explosive than what I’ve been accustomed to seeing, and they’re attacking defenses with a dashing rushing attack. As I was watching that game against Michigan last weekend, I finally got to see quarterback Hank Brown play, and on that last drive, I saw the ice in his veins and how clutch he was when his team called upon him. On the year, Hank has completed 68 percent of his passes and has thrown only one interception. One thing that has remained the same with this Hawkeyes group is the defense, and they’ve been one of the best units in the country. In their first four games, they’ve allowed 32 total points, three total touchdowns altogether, and are only allowing eight points per game, which is leading the country. They have been one of the more interesting teams in college football, for sure. They welcome Ryan Day and the fifth-ranked Buckeyes to town today.
Ohio State X-Factor: Bo Jackson
He enters this game today as the Buckeyes’ leading rusher, and I feel he will be key for them in this game. When you’re named after a legend, you can’t be a slouch, and he’s been solid for them. Iowa has been much better defensively against the pass than the run, and this is where I believe Bo can make his presence felt today. If the Buckeyes can produce anything between three to five yards per carry, this will give Sayin and Jeremiah a heads-up that the run game is working and force Iowa to respect it. Iowa will more than likely play a single-high look with a safety up top and a cornerback playing man coverage underneath. The only thing that concerns me is the consistency of the Buckeyes’ ground attack, as they’ve struggled to produce a run longer than 17 yards in their last three games.
Iowa X-Factor: Kamari Moulton
The bread and butter of Iowa Hawkeyes football is running the football, and they will always be one of the best teams in the country at pounding the rock. This year has been no different for them, and they are averaging 215 rushing yards per game. Kamari has been Iowa’s lead back, he’s averaging seven yards per carry, and he’s more than capable of pulling off an explosive run at any time in the game. Just last week, the Fighting Illini rushed for 199 yards against this Ohio State defense, which leads me to ask this: If they can do it, why can’t Iowa? They also don’t need Kamari to carry the entire rushing attack because they have other backs capable of running the ball consistently.
Final Thoughts:
What a scene this should be in Iowa City today with the fifth-ranked team in the country coming to town. Ohio State has regrouped nicely since the Week 2 loss to the Texas Longhorns, and Iowa enters this game after escaping Ann Arbor with a win last week. Again, we have a game of contrasting styles of football, where one team likes turning the game into a track meet while the other wants to establish the run, slow the game down, win the time of possession battle and do it with ball control. Here’s what I’ll be watching with Ohio State: One, can they get Jackson going against one of the best run defenses in the country? To me, this is the biggest offensive key for the Buckeyes. They don’t necessarily need him to have a monster game; they need him to pull off some big runs and force Iowa to overcommit to stopping the run. Next, they must make the Hawkeyes a passing team. Iowa will want to establish the run and allow Hank Brown to play in manageable situations. If the Buckeyes can bottle up the running game and force Iowa into long-yardage situations, this works in their favor. And the last key is preventing Moulton from making his mark. This will be the best offense Iowa may see all year long, and the first order of business is to make Jeremiah Smith work for everything. Eliminating him completely is the goal, but the second the ball hits his hands, bring him down! They must protect Brown and not ask him to win the game by himself. That means they don’t need him throwing the ball 30 times in this game for them to have a shot. And they need to hit Julian Sayin and force him off the spot. If it’s up to me, he’s throwing on the run.
