Ohio State vs. Iowa: Prediction and preview

Published: Oct 20, 2022 · 8:00 AM EDT

Ohio State vs. Iowa brings a key B1G crossover matchup to the Week 8 schedule. That game — the first between the two sides since 2017 — is set for the 12 p.m. Eastern time slot for FOX this Saturday.

Ohio State vs. Iowa preview

In the series of Buckeyes and Hawkeyes, Ohio State has dominated historically with a 46-15-3 all-time lead against Iowa. However, the game that really stands out for most fans is the most recent one.

That came in 2017 when Kinnick Stadium provided one of its largest takedowns. Entering the game as the No. 6 team in the country, Ohio State gave up 31 first-half points and committed 4 turnovers while losing to the unranked Hawkeyes.

Unfortunately for Iowa, there are a lot of reasons the Hawkeyes should not expect an upset of Ohio State this time around. For starters, the 2022 game will be played in Columbus, a place Iowa has not won since 1991 under Hayden Fry.

Further digging into the 2022 matchup also paints a poor picture for Iowa. In 2017, the offense of the Hawkeyes was far from dominant but still managed to average over 28 points per game. This season, the offense is averaging just under 15 points per game.

Ohio State is also an entirely different animal. While JT Barrett was phenomenal for the Buckeyes — and the Iowa game was undoubtedly one of his worst performances in terms of turnovers — CJ Stroud has been more efficient and lethal in picking apart a defense.

The other challenge in this game rests with Iowa’s ground game against Ohio State’s rush defense. Iowa averaged 139 yards running the ball in 2017 — far from electric — but led by 1,000-yard rusher Akrum Wadley who averaged 4.4 yards per carry.

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No such hope is left for the Hawkeyes to try and eat clock with a ground game against the Buckeyes this time around. Iowa is averaging just 82.2 yards per carry this season with 2.6 yards per carry.

Ohio State vs. Iowa prediction

No matter how you look at this week’s matchup, it is hard to envision Iowa shocking the world in a follow-up to the 2017 victory. The Hawkeyes are playing away from Kinnick where a lot of their magic happens, and Ryan Day’s squad has maintained focus so far in 2022.

Ohio State has realistic title expectations but remains grounded week in and week out. That’s not going to change with another blowout for the Buckeyes likely incoming.

Prediction: Ohio State 38, Iowa 9

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.