Ohio State @ Iowa preview
Kinnick Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2009 ) Iowa 24, Ohio State 27
Ohio State can’t afford a stumble this week if it intends to remain in contention for the Big Ten Conference title.
Things got so tight last week that mild-mannered coach Jim Tressel went off on his team at halftime when they trailed Penn State 14-3. It isn’t likely to get to that point this week, as the Buckeyes know they can’t afford to stagger on the road against a good Iowa team that still harbors long-shot hopes of winning the Big Ten.
No. 7 Ohio State (9-1, 5-1 Big Ten) travels to No. 20 Iowa (7-3, 4-2) with a potential Rose Bowl bid still up for grabs. The Buckeyes, who have won the Big Ten for the last five seasons, are tied with Wisconsin and Michigan State for first place.
Ohio State must keep its focus on Iowa and not look ahead to next week’s game with arch-rival Michigan.
The Buckeyes hold a slight edge over Iowa in most statistical categories. They lead in points scored (41.6 to 30.8), rushing yards (222 to 153), defensive points allowed (13.6 to 15), total yards allowed (238 to 307) and passing yards (151 to 220).
Iowa has the edge in passing yards (252.7 to 233.5). The rushing defense is a wash; Ohio State allows 86.9, Iowa allows 86.8.
Much attention will be focused on the quarterbacks. Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi threw for 270 yards against Northwestern to move into fourth place on the career list. He’s thrown for 2,482 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. His counterpart, Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor, ranks second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally in passing efficiency (166.4) and has thrown for 2,136 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Iowa can balance its attack with Adam Robinson, who has rushed for 914 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ohio State’s Dan “Boom” Herron adds some balance with 824 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Herron had a career-high 190 yards rushing against Penn State and has now scored a touchdown in his last nine games.
The best defensive player on the field will likely be Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn, one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award. The senior has 42 tackles, including seven for losses and 3.5 sacks. He blocked a field goal in the win over Michigan and had 10 tackles against Penn State.
Ohio State won last year’s game 27-24 on a 39-yard field goal by Devin Barclay, which earned the Buckeyes a trip to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1996.
Ohio State leads the series 45-14-3 and is 17-6-2 in games played in Iowa City. Iowa’s last win in the series came in 2004.