As per usual, the Ohio State offense is loaded with weapons and future NFL talent -- just like it was the last time Iowa traveled to Columbus to face the Buckeyes in 2022, when they lost, 54-10.
"Needless to say they're balanced and they have good talent at all positions," Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said at his Tuesday media availability. "It's not like you can load up in any one area, you just have to play great team defense. It's probably the only way you have a chance to slow them down."
That, and pray.
The Buckeyes currently rank fifth in total offense in the country (534.8 yards per game), fourth in scoring offense (48.8 points per game) and they're tied for first in red zone offense, scoring on 100% of their red zone appearances so far this season.
"They've had a lot of big plays this year, and they have really good players," Ferentz added. "They're really good up front, as well. Very veteran up there.
"That's their whole team. They've recruited well historically, and now they've done a good job with the portal, as well... So there really is no weakness there, and it's just a matter of trying to compete with them each and every down."
Since the drubbing the Buckeyes handed Iowa two years ago, they no longer have two of their top offensive weapons, as CJ Stroud and Marvin Harrison Jr. have each left for the NFL. But Ohio State still has All-American wide out Emeka Egbuka, and they added the nation's No. 1 recruit in 2024, Jeremiah Smith.
"They've got some really talented receivers. They're just fast, and they make plays," redshirt sophomore cornerback Deshaun Lee added on Tuesday. "But it's the same thing every week-in and week-out no matter who we're facing. We've got to compete our hardest and just be in great positions when the ball is in the air."
Lee will likely draw coverage against either or both of Egbuka and Smith at times this weekend, assuming he holds onto the starting CB position opposite of Jermari Harris.
So far this season, Egbuka has 21 receptions for 362 yards and two touchdowns, while Smith has added 19 catches for 364 yards and five scores just four games into his collegiate career.
"They're able to be super explosive when people don't get hands on them and do the little things," Xavier Nwankpa said. "If you let them play their game, they're going to be able to go make plays. We have to limit that, play our game and fly around."
TreVeyon Henderson is back from two years ago, and Quinshon Judkins joined him this offseason via the transfer portal. Judkins ranks fourth in the country in yards per carry (8.3), while Henderson has rushed for over 3,000 yards and scored 41 total touchdowns in his college career in Columbus.
The Buckeyes have two of the top running backs in the country in the same backfield.
"Their balance as runners as they're going through the hole [sticks out about them]," senior linebacker Jay Higgins said. "They work really well together in terms of playcalling. They can do some of the same things on the perimeter, and they run hard. They fight for every yard, and there's never a play where they're going to let themselves get tackled."
That's where Iowa comes in to the equation.
"We know it's going to come down to gang-tackling," Higgins said. "We understand that we can't have big plays and try to contain those guys. They have the receivers to turn it into a passing game if they want to, but those guys are two good backs. I don't see them taking those guys out of the game, even if they're struggling."
There's a new quarterback in town, too. Though he isn't in the Heisman conversation, nor considered to be a top-tier NFL prospect, Kansas State transfer Will Howard is a mobile, seasoned veteran that has won a lot of games at the college level.
In four years with the Wildcats, Howard passed for over 5,700 yards and 48 touchdowns while rushing for over 900 yards and 19 scores.
So far this season, Howard has completed 72-of-105 passes for 1,039 yards, eight touchdowns and two picks. On the ground, he's also rushed the ball 14 times for 36 yards and three scores.
Of course, it all starts in the trenches for both teams -- on offense and defense.
"It's going to be a snap-to-snap challenge," Ferentz said. "They get ahead so many games early. So their backups are good, too, if you want to call those guys backups. They've got about at least eight, maybe ten guys that play and play effectively [on the defensive line]."
Similar to Iowa's defensive line, the Buckeyes rotate through a group of linemen to keep everyone fresh.
"They've got good size, and they use that size," Ferentz said. "They play physically aggressively. They make you block them, and it's easier said than done. It's going to be a good challenge for us, and their backers are very athletic and very active, and they do a good job letting those guys roam and get to the ball, and they're good tacklers when they get there. Their stats are really impressive defensively, and it's for a reason."
