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.