Ohio State vs Iowa Facts and Numbers Guide

Everything Ohio State vs Iowa Football Predictions

Iowa has one path to pulling off the upset against Ohio State but the Buckeyes are built to make that path impossible Iowa can drag Ohio State into the kind of ugly low-scoring game it doesn’t want to play, but this Buckeyes team has too much talent and explosiveness to stay there for four quarters. By: Tegan Randolph The Ohio State Buckeyes are traveling to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes, and while the setting might scream trap game to some (and something ESPN is likely banking on), the reality of this matchup tells a very different story. What Iowa needs to do to potentially pull off an upset Let’s live in la-la land with fairy tales, butterflies, and unicorns for a second. What does Iowa have to do to win this game? They have to play Iowa football. The Hawkeyes have to drag Ohio State into the mud, get the Buckeyes to their level, limit the explosives, and try to stop the best player on the face of the planet in Jeremiah Smith. They need to run the football effectively, not make mistakes, and keep this a low-scoring affair. And you may say, Tegan, that sounds like it could work. Sure, in theory. Iowa is going to need maybe one, probably two plays on special teams to swing the game. And on top of that, they’re going to need a disaster class from Ohio State. Maybe force quarterback Julian Sayin into some really tough predicaments, which I think Iowa has the capabilities of doing. Their defense is built for that kind of disruption. But, there’s a problem with that logic actually coming to fruition for the Hawkeyes. Ohio State is immune to this kind of game Here’s where I stand on this matchup and the way Iowa is going to approach it. I think this iteration of Ohio State football is immune to this kind of game. Outside of what we saw with Purdue, and you can look at examples way far into the past, this Buckeyes team has been built to avoid the mud fight. They are too talented, too deep, and too explosive for Iowa to contain them for four quarters. Jeremiah Smith alone is a matchup nightmare that the Hawkeyes simply don’t have an answer for, and when you pair him with the rest of that Ohio State roster, it gets ugly fast. The only thing I’ve seen talked about online is Iowa covering the 14.5-point spread. Sure, I think they could backdoor into that. But if the basis of a bet is a backdoor cover, it’s not a good bet. That tells you everything you need to know about where this game is headed. I think Ohio State rolls past Iowa in this game. And I’m putting my confidence where my mouth is. If I’m wrong on this, I’ll wear a clown nose. I’ll put up the same wager I had with Florida and Ole Miss. And frankly, I’m more confident about this game being an Ohio State dominant victory than I was about either of those. I believe the Buckeyes win big, and College GameDay picked the wrong game of the week to travel to. Ohio State vs. Iowa prediction, pick, odds, spread: Buckeyes face another road test at Hawkeyes No. 5 Ohio State travels to Iowa City for a Big Ten showdown with the No. 14 Hawkeyes By David Cobb Iowa and Ohio State are squaring off as top-15 foes for the first time since 2006 on Saturday, when the No. 14 Hawkeyes host the No. 5 Buckeyes on CBS. The Big Ten showdown brings a moment of tension for Ohio State, which suffered a 55-24 loss during its last visit to Kinnick Stadium in 2017. With one loss already, the Buckeyes can ill-afford a stumble as they enter a month that also includes trips to No. 6 Indiana and No. 18 USC. For Iowa, this represents a breakthrough opportunity on the heels of a last-second win at Michigan in Week 4. That victory propelled Iowa to 4-0 for the first time since 2021, when the Hawkeyes rose all the way to No. 2 in the AP poll on their way to an appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game. Beating the Buckeyes would put Iowa on a similar trajectory and send its playoff chances skyrocketing. Ohio State won the last two meetings by 28 (2024) and 44 (2022), but there are signs that these Hawkeyes are better equipped to stage a competitive battle as these Big Ten stalwarts square off in Iowa City for the first time in nearly a decade. Ohio State vs. Iowa: Need to know Iowa's offensive punch: Iowa ranks No. 48 nationally in total offense entering this showdown, which is hardly remarkable on the surface. But after ranking 117th or worse in total offense for the past five seasons, it's a marked improvement. The Hawkeyes struggled to run the football against Michigan last week, but quarterback Hank Brown led a game-winning drive capped by a touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee on the game's final play. Considering the hostility of Michigan Stadium and the quality of the opponent, it was the sort of clutch, late-game execution that would have been unfathomable for the Iowa offense at any point over the past several years. Ohio State's defensive questions: Ohio State ranks just 27th in total defense through four games, down from finishing the 2025 season at No. 1 in that metric. Considering seven players from last season's defense were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, it's not shocking that the Buckeyes have dropped off a bit. But the slide came with a cost in a Week 2 loss at Texas, when Ohio State's defense couldn't get off the field over the final 20 minutes as the Longhorns rallied from a 23-3 deficit to win 24-23. Illinois racked up 462 yards and 25 first downs on Ohio State last week. Though the Buckeyes won 42-19, it wasn't a banner day for coordinator Matt Patricia's defense, which comes into this game with some questions to answer. Jeremiah Smith making history: Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith is on a blistering pace with 33 receptions for 617 yards and seven touchdowns through four games. The junior star is one touchdown away from tying Chris Olave for most receiving touchdowns in program history and just five away from matching ex-Michigan star Braylon Edwards for most receiving touchdowns in Big Ten history at 39. Smith is on track to become the first player to ever lead the Big Ten in receiving yards three times. He's also likely to surpass K.J. Hill and Emeka Egbuka for most receptions in Ohio State history in the near future. Where to watch Ohio State vs. Iowa live Date: Saturday, Oct. 3 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET Location: Kinnick Stadium -- Iowa City, Iowa Ohio State vs. Iowa prediction, picks Ohio State's defense is suspect enough that Iowa's offense -- on track to be the program's best in years -- may actually put up some points. However, the Hawkeyes aren't quite as stingy on defense as usual, which means slowing the Buckeyes down enough to keep the game within two touchdowns could be hard. Look for Iowa to make this a competitive game until Ohio State's superior skill talent (see: Jeremiah Smith) creates separation down the stretch. But it's close enough of a call that bettors seeing Ohio State -14.5 should consider the Iowa side. Pick: Ohio State -13.5

By Josh Poloha For the first time this season, and for the first time ever with the Buckeye Stripes, Ohio State will wear alternate jerseys in Iowa City on Saturday. The Buckeyes are set to wear their all-white, “Sub Zero” uniforms against Iowa, a source told Eleven Warriors. It marks the first time since 2024 that Ohio State will wear its all-white uniforms. It also marks the third time ever that OSU will wear the "Sub Zero" whites, as the Buckeyes wore the all-white uniforms with the old shoulder stripes against Oregon in 2024 and Michigan State in 2020. Ohio State wore another all-white uniform – affectionately known as its “Cocaine Whites” – for road games at Michigan in 2013 and Penn State in 2014. Photos: Ohio State’s New Scarlet Rush and Sub Zero Uniforms with Buckeye Stripes RELATED PHOTOS: OHIO STATE’S NEW SCARLET RUSH AND SUB ZERO UNIFORMS WITH BUCKEYE STRIPES Ohio State dropped over 90 photos of the program's updated Scarlet Rush and Sub Zero uniforms from every angle. Read More The Buckeyes showcased all-white cleats with a scarlet Nike swoosh leading up to their top-four showdown at Texas two weeks ago. Expect them to return on Saturday to pair with Ohio State's all-white uniforms against Iowa. OSU will reveal its full uniform for the Iowa game at 3:30 p.m. Friday, 24 hours before kickoff. The Hawkeyes are expected to wear either all-black uniforms or their traditional home uniform, which features black jerseys with gold pants. Ohio State and Iowa are set to kick off in Iowa City at 3:30 p.m. ET. The top-14 matchup will be televised on CBS. ESPN's College GameDay will be on site Saturday morning.

Week 5 College Football TV Schedule - October 2-October 3, 2026

Week 5 schedule Friday, Oct. 2 FBS Pitt at Virginia Tech | 7 p.m. | ESPN Liberty at Delaware | 7 p.m. | CBSSN Penn State at Northwestern | 8 p.m. | FOX Saturday, Oct. 3 No. 3 Notre Dame at North Carolina | 12 p.m. | ESPN No. 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State | 12 p.m. | ABC UCF at No. 20 Houston | 12 p.m. | ESPN2 Boston College at No. 21 SMU | 12 p.m. | CW Michigan at Minnesota | 12 p.m. | FOX Middle Tennessee at Kansas | 12 p.m. | ESPNU West Virginia at Iowa State | 12 p.m. | TNT Stanford at Wake Forest | 12 p.m. | ACC Network Syracuse at UConn | 12 p.m. | CBSSN Navy at Air Force | 12 p.m. | CBS Michigan State at Wisconsin | 12:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network Vanderbilt at No. 2 Georgia | 12:45 p.m. | SEC Network Western Michigan at Buffalo | 1 p.m. | ESPN+ Toledo at Ball State | 2 p.m. | ESPN+ No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa | 3:30 p.m. | CBS No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri | 3:30 p.m. | ABC Auburn at No. 17 Tennessee | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN Louisville at NC State | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network Cal at UNLV | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN Virginia at Florida State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 Memphis at Charlotte | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ Samford at UAB | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ Wyoming at North Dakota State | 3:30 p.m. | CW Akron at Central Michigan | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ Eastern Michigan at UMass | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ Ohio at Kent State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ Bowling Green at Miami (Ohio) | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ Old Dominion at Georgia State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ Marshall at James Madison | 3:45 p.m. | ESPNU Maryland at Nebraska | 4 p.m. | FS1 UTEP at New Mexico | 4 p.m. | MW+ No. 24 Kentucky at South Carolina | 4:15 p.m. | SEC Network Purdue at Illinois | 4:15 p.m. | Big Ten Network Oregon State at Colorado State | 6 p.m. | USA Network Texas Southern at Florida Atlantic | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ No. 10 BYU at TCU | 7 p.m. | ESPN Arkansas at Texas A&M | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 UTSA at Rice | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ Georgia Southern at Costal Carolina | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ UL Monroe at South Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ No. 4 Miami (Fla.) at Clemson | 7:30 p.m. | ABC No. 12 Texas Tech at Colorado | 7:30 p.m. | FOX Washington at No. 18 USC | 7:30 p.m. | NBC Utah State at No. 22 Boise State | 7:30 p.m. | CBSSN Temple at South Florida | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU Army at Louisiana Tech | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+ McNeese at No. 11 LSU | 7:45 p.m. | SEC Network No. 6 Indiana at Rutgers | 8 p.m. | Big Ten Network Arkansas State at Louisiana | 8 p.m. | ESPN+ Fresno State at Washington State | 9:30 p.m. | USA Network Baylor at Arizona State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN Texas State at San Diego State | 10:30 p.m. | CW Cincinnati at Arizona | 11 p.m. | FOX San Jose State at Hawai'i | 11:59 p.m. | MW+

Week 4 College Football Top 25 and Power Rankings September 28-October 3, 2026

Week 4 College Football Top 25 and Power Rankings September 28-October 3, 2026 1 Texas 4-0 1 2 Georgia 4-0 2 3 Miami 4-0 4 4 Notre Dame 4-0 5 5 Ohio State 3-1 7 6 Indiana 4-0 6 7 Alabama 4-0 8 8 Florida 4-0 16 9 BYU 3-0 9 10 Ole Miss 3-1 3 11 LSU 3-1 10 12 Texas Tech 4-0 12 13 Iowa 4-0 18 14 Utah 4-0 15 15 Oregon 3-1 20 16 Mississippi State 4-0 21 17 UCLA 4-0 29 18 Tennessee 3-1 13 19 USC 4-1 11 20 Oklahoma State 3-1 34 21 Houston 3-1 24 22 Duke 4-0 35 23 Wake Forest 3-1 46 24 Missouri 3-1 19 25 Pittsburgh 4-0 32 Biggest movers No. 23 Wake Forest (+23): A road win against a top team sets up Wake Forest's big splash inside the top 25 of the CBS Sports 138. The Demon Deacons are 3-1 on the year, with the only loss coming to Miami, and even that 13-point loss marks the toughest game the Hurricanes have played all year. Beating Louisville has put the Deans on the map, and now they get to defend this new status with a stretch of winnable ACC games. No. 20 Oklahoma State (+14): The season-opening loss to Tulsa may be a bit of a weight on the Cowboys' ranking for now, but with an Oregon win on the resume and now a solid conference road victory at West Virginia, the voters have changed their tune. No. 22 Duke (+13): We are not projecting that a win against William & Mary was what sparked the upward ranking movement, instead acknowledging that the Blue Devils stand out as a 4-0 team with multiple power conference wins. Duke has been buzzing around the top 35 ever since its win at Illinois in Week 2, and now some space has opened up for a move as other teams have taken losses. No. 17 UCLA (+12): Saturday's 54-3 blowout win at Maryland got our voters' attention in a big way for its margin and also the quality of play from the Bruins in a cross-country road spot. Bob Chesney's group out-gained the Terps 475-to-180 and allowed just one third-down conversion all game. No. 33 Louisville (-16): Just like with Wake Forest's rise, there is a predictable drop for the Cards, who now have two close defeats on a resume that's mostly hurt by its 2-2 record. For Louisville, it's frustrating to note that the team is just a few plays away from being 4-0 and near the top of the rankings if things had gone differently against Ole Miss and Wake Forest, but coming up short on those tight margins doesn't help win debates in this stretch of the rankings. No. 39 Texas A&M (-16): The Aggies just haven't looked like the top 10 team that many expected coming into the year. The presence of Marcel Reed and respect for Mike Elko kept Texas A&M in a respectable position in the rankings for a couple of weeks, but back-to-back conference losses have spiked their top-30 status. No. 48 Oklahoma (-17): It is truly striking to see Oklahoma down here near the edge of the top 50, keeping pace with some of the lower-rated teams in the SEC. This excellent defense needs to be celebrated even as the offensive execution craters, but in order to win games and move up in the rankings, you have to score points, and that's not happening easily with this group. No. 32 Penn State (-18): A fitting tumble for a disappointing collapse after Penn State blew a double-digit lead at home to Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions can bounce back up inside the top 30 and even top 20 by stacking conference wins in the coming weeks, but this was a big opportunity lost to remain at the top of the pack for the Big Ten standings. We enter October with six new teams in the CBS Sports Power Rankings. BIGGEST MOVERS 14 UCLA 13 USC CHG RCRD 1 team logo TEXAS Colin Simmons tied a program record with five sacks, and Texas escaped Tennessee 20-17, its first road win as the AP No. 1 team since 1984. Arch Manning was sacked six times. The defense carried him. -- 4-0 2 team logo GEORGIA Georgia buried Oklahoma 41-13, becoming the third SEC team to win its first four games by 28-plus points. The Bulldogs have beaten 52 straight unranked opponents, the nation's longest active streak. -- 4-0 3 team logo OHIO STATE Jeremiah Smith caught four touchdowns, tying a school record, in a 42-19 win over Illinois. He's two TD catches from passing Chris Olave for the program record. Next: a trip to unbeaten Iowa on CBS. -- 3-1 4 team logo MIAMI (FLA.) Darian Mensah has more touchdown passes (14) than incompletions (12) through four games, a first for an FBS quarterback in 30 years. Miami's 42.8-point average margin is a program best through four games. Next: a road game at Clemson. -- 4-0 5 team logo NOTRE DAME Notre Dame rolled 49-10 at Purdue, its 19th straight win over an unranked team, all by 14-plus points. CJ Carr tied a career high with four total touchdowns. Marcus Freeman has never started 5-0. 1 4-0 6 team logo ALABAMA Keelon Russell is on Heisman Watch after accounting for 400 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-18 rout of South Carolina. Alabama has won its first four by 14-plus for the first time since its 2020 title run. The cowbells beckon. 2 4-0 7 team logo FLORIDA Florida ran for 302 yards, a school record against a top-five foe, in a 52-28 rout of Ole Miss. Are the Gators a sleeping giant? "It's not asleep, but it ain't fully awake yet," Jon Sumrall said. 9 4-0 8 team logo INDIANA Indiana wobbled, but Lee Beebe Jr. ran for 203 yards in a 29-23 escape against Northwestern, the Hoosiers' 20th straight win. RB Turbo Richard suffered a high-ankle sprain. 1 4-0 9 team logo LSU LSU pounded Texas A&M 35-6, snapping a six-game skid against ranked teams. Sam Leavitt threw for 312 yards despite a hamstring injury. Injuries are piling up. LB White Weeks suffered a leg fracture. Good thing McNeese State is next. -- 3-1 10 team logo TENNESSEE Faizon Brandon was sacked 10 times, and Tennessee still had a shot at No. 1 Texas before falling 20-17. Josh Heupel said his freshman QB wasn't good enough. He faces his former OC, Alex Golesh, and Auburn next. 1 3-1 11 team logo MISS. STATE The Bulldogs snapped a 14-game losing streak in ranked-on-ranked matchups, the longest in AP poll history, beating Missouri 31-24 in a thriller. Heisman contender Kamario Taylor threw for 360 yards. Undefeated Alabama comes to Starkville next. 12 4-0 12 team logo UCLA Bob Chesney's Bruins are 4-0 for the first time since 2022 after a 54-3 demolition at Maryland, the program's largest margin in a Big Ten game. Wayne Knight has nine rushing touchdowns. A trip to Oregon in two weeks looms. NR 4-0 13 team logo OREGON Dante Moore was taken to the hospital by ambulance after a targeted hit. Dylan Raiola replaced him and threw for 289 yards in a 41-27 win at USC, Oregon's school-record fifth straight over the Trojans. Are the Ducks quacking back? 4 3-1 14 team logo UTAH Morgan Scalley is 5-0 as a head coach, all by double digits, after a 31-17 road win at Iowa State. The Utes have won 10 straight, their longest streak since 2007-09. 8 4-0 15 team logo OLE MISS Ole Miss misses RB Kewan Lacy, but the defense has serious problems. The Rebels allowed 50-plus points for the first time in 59 games as a top-five team. "That was an old-fashioned butt whooping," Pete Golding said. 10 3-1 16 team logo IOWA Hank Brown hit Reece Vander Zee for 16 yards on the final play, capping a 91-yard drive in a 20-19 stunner at Michigan. It was Iowa's first win in Ann Arbor since 2010. Ohio State visits next on CBS. 2 4-0 17 team logo TEXAS TECH Austin Romaine returned interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive throws, the first FBS player to do it since 2013. But QB Will Hammond threw three first-half picks in a 49-14 win over Sam Houston State. 5 4-0 18 team logo BYU BYU sat at home during a bye. The Cougars averaged 6.7 yards per carry over three games, and LJ Martin sits 131 yards shy of 3,000 for his career. TCU is next. 1 3-0 19 team logo NEBRASKA Matt Rhule's Huskers opened Big Ten play with a 31-13 win at Michigan State. Vincent Genatone scored twice, and the defense forced three turnovers. Downtrodden Maryland comes to Lincoln this week. NR 4-0 20 team logo VIRGINIA TECH James Franklin is 4-0 in Blacksburg, the Hokies' best start since 2017. Jeffrey Overton Jr. ran for 209 yards in a rain-soaked 21-14 comeback at Boston College. Pitt visits Friday in a battle of unbeatens. NR 4-0 21 team logo PITTSBURGH Mason Heintschel threw six touchdowns in a 59-0 rout of Bucknell, becoming the first ACC quarterback with two six-TD games in a season. And yet he has not thrown a TD against a power-conference opponent. NR 4-0 22 team logo DUKE Manny Diaz lost a pile of talent, including quarterback Darian Mensah to Miami, and is 4-0 anyway after a 62-7 romp over William & Mary. Duke's eight-game streak matches its longest since 1940-41. Diaz is coach of the year material. NR 4-0 23 team logo USC Lincoln Riley is 5-14 against ranked teams at USC after a 41-27 home loss to Oregon. Linebacker Desman Stephens II, ejected for targeting Dante Moore, was suspended one game over the hit and his celebration. Trojans need a big win. 13 4-1 24 team logo MISSOURI Missouri led 24-17 in the second half and lost 31-24 at Mississippi State, its ninth straight loss in ranked matchups. Eli Drinkwitz is 0-16 against opponents that finish above .500 in SEC play. Unbeaten Florida visits Saturday. 10 3-1 25 team logo OKLAHOMA STATE Eric Morris has 92 new players and the Cowboys already own wins over Oregon and, now, West Virginia. Drew Mestemaker threw for 389 yards in a 41-24 win in Morgantown after trailing 14-3. NR 3-1