Iowa Football Not Shying Away From Nerves, Embracing the Ohio State Opportunity

It's easy to play off any nerves, but Iowa is embracing the moment that lies ahead against Ohio State. It means the Hawkeyes care deeply.

Sep 19, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes tight end Addison Ostrenga (87) reacts after a touchdown reception against the UNI Panthers during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Should the Iowa Hawkeyes be nervous when Ohio State comes to town this Saturday for a ranked Big Ten matchup?

Kinnick Stadium is going to be raucous. ESPN College GameDay is going to be in attendance. The game is getting CBS' primetime mid-afternoon slot. It's one of the biggest games that Iowa has played in years. Still, even some of the oldest Hawkeyes feel nerves.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz embraces the nerves

It's easy to view nerves as a bad thing. They're often associated with being scared, hesitant, or unsure of what's coming next.

For the Iowa Hawkeyes, their nerves about this game against Ohio State feel like it means they care about this game. And care a lot. Kirk Ferentz admitted he gets nervous, but in a unique way.

"I was nervous five weeks ago, or whenever it was, the first game. I was nervous in July, just about the whole season, and about getting started and all that kind of stuff.

"If you get over that, if I get over that, it's probably time to move on and do something else. I'm a little better now, quite frankly, because I know no matter what happens, unless something really devastating happens, we'll go back to work Sunday," Kirk Ferentz said about handling nerves.

Should the Iowa Hawkeyes be nervous?

Well, that's a tougher question to ask that isn't so straightforward. There's a case to be made for both, and they are for very different reasons.

Iowa has no reason to be nervous entering this game. They knocked off Michigan, are sitting at 4-0, and enter this game as a sizable underdog. The Hawkeyes can pull out all the stops in this one and remove any hesitation about something going wrong.

The Hawkeyes are playing on house money in this game. A loss keeps their goals in front of them with a 4-1 record, but doesn't send the season tumbling.

That's one thought process. The other is why Iowa should be nervous. It's not that Iowa should be nervous about playing this game or what may happen. No, that's not where their brains will be.

Iowa should be nervous about the opportunity this game presents. The nerves and emotions pregame mean this team cares. It means Kirk Ferentz cares.

Without nerves, there is no emotion. Without emotion, there is no intensity. This is Iowa's chance to turn nerves into the moment and go after the opportunity.