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Ohio State suffered a hangover loss last year: Will history repeat itself vs. Iowa?
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Urban Meyer’s memory is impeccable. On any given question, the Ohio State head coach can thumb through his mental scrapbook and recount a story from decades ago in extremely vivid detail.
Earlier this week, after being asked if he’d ever traveled to Iowa in his coaching career, Meyer started detailing his first trip to Kinnick Stadium at Ohio State.
That was in 1986, over 30 years ago, when he was just a lowly graduate assistant on Earle Bruce’s staff. He remembered Chris Carter making a “ridiculous catch,” and Tim Moxley substituting in on the offensive line for an injured Larry Kotterman in a game the Buckeyes eventually went on to win 31-10.
Just a sample of how Meyer recollects these things as if they happened yesterday.
So it’s probably safe to assume that Meyer doesn’t need a reminder of what happened to Ohio State a season ago a week after a thrilling win over No. 8 Wisconsin. And, chances are, he’s well-aware of what Iowa did to No. 3 Michigan inside the walls of Kinnick Stadium last November.
For all those who don’t have that steel trap memory, Ohio State walked into Happy Valley as a 19.5-point favorite one Saturday after beating Wisconsin on the road. Four quarters later, the Buckeyes walked out of Beaver Stadium having suffered a 24-21 loss to an unranked and underappreciated Penn State squad that eventually went on to win the B1G.
Iowa — a heavy home underdog — stunned the college football world as a field goal attempt from Keith Duncan sailed through the uprights to hand Michigan its first loss in a 14-13 decision.
Yeah, those two items are probably at the front of Meyer’s mind heading into this weekend.
Ohio State finds itself in a similar position as last season. The Buckeyes just posted the biggest win of the season, knocking off No. 2 Penn State 39-38 just one weekend ago. They’ve rushed to the top of the B1G standings and are suddenly back in the College Football Playoff conversation.
There’s a sense of overconfidence and bravado that tends to seep in for teams after such a marquee victory. Even for an incredibly experienced, mature and resilient team like Ohio State, indulging in some of the excessive hype can be tough to resist. But this isn’t the weekend for the Buckeyes to pat themselves on the back for a job well done.
Not unless they want to relive the memory of what happened in State College last fall.
With Iowa sitting at 5-3 and well out of the B1G West picture with a month of the season remaining, Saturday’s game against the Buckeyes will serve as an opportunity to get that season-defining moment, much like the win over Michigan did in 2016. One of those chances already slipped away, when Penn State escaped Iowa City with a 21-19 win thanks to a last-second touchdown pass from Trace McSorley to Juwan Johnson.
The Hawkeyes have enjoyed plenty of success against ranked opponents on their home turf. Since Ferentz took over in 1999, Iowa is 14-15 against teams ranked in the Associated Press’ top 25 at Kinnick Stadium. The record against teams ranked in the top five is 3-2.
Ohio State is ranked No. 3 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
On paper, the Buckeyes have every advantage imaginable. Even on the field, the Buckeyes outmatch Iowa at nearly every position.
J.T. Barrett is on an incredible hot streak, completing 75 percent of his passes with 22 touchdowns and no interceptions in the last six games. Receivers like Johnnie Dixon and K.J. Hill are capable of turning short passes into big games. J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber provide a nice combination out of the backfield.
That’s just on offense.
Defensively, Ohio State brings one of the most talented front lines in college football, certainly the best the Hawkeyes have seen all year. Denzel Ward and Jerome Baker are proven playmakers, as well.
There’s a good reason Vegas set the line for Saturday’s game at 18.5 points in favor of the scarlet and gray. If the Buckeyes play as well as they have the past six weeks, they should have no problem with a middle-of-the-road Iowa team.
But this game is more about maturity and mindset, something Meyer has praised his team for all season. And to this point, Ohio State has shown it’s grown from a season ago. But responding to failure and handling success are two entirely different chores, especially in college football.
Iowa is capable of slaying another B1G giant if Ohio State doesn’t have the right mentality on Saturday.
Last year, immaturity cost the Buckeyes a division title and a chance to compete for the B1G Championship.
That’s one of the few memories Meyer doesn’t want to relive.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB