Outclassed: Biggest Winners and Losers as Ohio State Trounces Iowa Football

Well, that wasn't pretty. The Iowa Hawkeyes hung around as long as they could, but the dam eventually broke, and the Ohio State Buckeyes looked like the national title contender that they are.

Iowa had the ball 10-6 nearing halftime, but an illegal formation penalty seemed to be the backbreaking moment in this game. The Hawkyes converted the first down, but it was called back, leading to a punt.

Iowa punted. Ohio State scored to go up 17-6 at half, and the rest is history as things ended 31-14.

The Buckeyes poured it on in the second half, while Iowa has to take a long look in the mirror to regroup. At 4-1, the College Football Playoff is still in the picture, but the wiggle room has gone away.

Winner: DJ Vonnahme

Despite a bad day for the Iowa offense, DJ Vonnahme showed out against one of the top teams in college football. He was the go-to target for Iowa's passing game. And he answered the call.

After a slow start to the season, DJ Vonnahme posted six receptions for 64 yards against Ohio State. What stands out is his presence in the first half and his run after the catch. Vonnahme has awakened after a slow start, but is expected to be a key component of Iowa's offense the rest of the way.

Loser: Hank Brown

This simply wasn't Hank Brown's day, and we have to call a spade a spade. He has been fantastic up to this point, but things didn't go well today. Before leaving the game banged up, Brown was just 12-for-27 for 132 yards and an interception.

From my perspective, the larger issue in this game was how fast the game looked for Hank Brown at times. There were times when it felt like Ohio State applied pressure to speed him up, which resulted in inaccurate throws or missed completions.

Winner: Caden Buhr

On a day when not much went right, Caden Buhr answered the bell when called upon. After missing a field goal against Michigan last week, the pressure was right back on him against Ohio State this week.

Buhr made kicks of 43 and 48 yards, which are far from automatic, yet very encouraging for Iowa's future field goal kicking decisions.

Loser: Discipline

I truly believe that the illegal formation penalty that Iowa had before halftime flipped this game. Iowa had the ground game going, the Hawkeyes were driving, and things were within reach at 10-6.

Iowa converted a third down, which was called back due to an illegal formation penalty. Iowa eventually punted. Ohio State marched down the field and scored just before halftime to go up 17-6. It was deflating.

Iowa, a team known for discipline, lacked it. It was a stunning showing. It cost Iowa points. It cost Iowa drives. It was a frustrating affair for one of college football's most disciplined teams.

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