Ohio State on SI Week 5 Picks: Can Ohio State Ruin Iowa's Early Momentum?

The Ohio State Buckeyes were in cruise control, dominating the Illinois Fighting Illini with a 42-19 thumping in Columbus last Saturday. The victory was enough for the Illini to dismiss their defensive coordinator, Bobby Hauck, in a mutual parting of ways.

Now No. 5 Ohio State turns its attention to a ranked-vs.-ranked matchup with the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes.

The Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) are visiting their first hostile Big Ten environment at Kinnick Stadium, which will have much fanfare as College GameDay returns to Iowa City for a highly anticipated reunion.

The game marks Ohio State’s first true Big Ten road test, as the Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) railed to secure a 20-19 last-second win over the Michigan Wolverines in Week 4.

So far, the Ohio State on SI staff has hit more than 70 percent of its predictions this season. Can we see more of the same come Saturday? Check out our picks below to find out more.

Ohio State vs. Iowa Game Details & Predictions

Kirk Ferentz and Ryan Day together. — Oct 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day shakes hands with Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz following the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 35-7. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Date: Saturday, Oct. 3

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT

TV Channel: CBS (consult TV Guide or preferred streaming provider for details).

Odds: Ohio State -14; over/under is 45.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Location: Kinnick Stadium – Iowa City, Iowa

Ohio State’s record under Ryan Day: 85-13 (8-6 in postseason bowl games/CFP).

Last time vs. Iowa: A 35-7 home win on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. The game marks the 21st all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Buckeyes winning 17 of those matchups since Nov. 1989.

Pregame festivities: College GameDay will be on-site in Iowa City for the first time since 2006.

Ohio State so far this season: 3-1 (1-0 Big Ten)

STANDINGS:

Zain Bando: 4-0

Dylan Buganski: 3-1

Rafael Zamorano: 3-1

Chip Minnich: 2-0 (began contributing ahead of Week 3)

Zain Bando: Ohio State 38, Iowa 21

Ohio State’s first conference road game is a big one. Iowa has gotten off to a fast start behind a stingy defense, an ever-improving offensive line, plus has maintained the excellence that one would expect from a Kirk Ferentz team. Ferentz admitted this week that his team must play as close to flawless football as possible.

That’s easier said than done when examining Ohio State. The Buckeyes have rolled all but one opponent (the Texas Longhorns) offensively, and even then, they had a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter before the defense collapsed, leading to a stunner in Austin nearly a month ago in a one-point loss.

If Ohio State can get into an early rhythm, it should be an exciting afternoon with plenty of points and key defensive stops at the Hawkeyes’ expense, leading to a huge road win to begin a gauntlet stretch of Big Ten football.

Chip Minnich: Ohio State 31, Iowa 17

Look for a slugfest. Put it another way - Iowa is going to make sure Ohio State is "Iowaed" by the time this game concludes.

Longtime Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker will do whatever he can to eliminate explosive plays like the kind Illinois gave up to Ohio State last week, so that is going to require Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Coach Ryan Day to become creative with other outlets on the Ohio State offense.

While it may not be pretty, and it may be stress-inducing, I like Ohio State to pull away in the fourth quarter.

Rafael Zamorano: Ohio State 34, Iowa 24

The No. 5-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are facing more than just a trap game for their Saturday date with the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. This foe must be taken seriously after taking down No. 18 Michigan at Ann Arbor last weekend.

Luckily for the Buckeyes, their best player -- wideout Jeremiah Smith -- is coming off a whale of a game, including a personal-best four touchdowns against Illinois last weekend. Quarterback Julian Sayin also had one of his finest games with the program with 367 passing yards, his second-highest total ever, and a personal record tying four touchdown passes.

Iowa has recently carved out a nice little niche as a defensive back school, and this year’s roster features the versatile Zach Lutner as a wildcard that can line up pretty much anywhere, along with Deshaun Lee and Jaylen Watson out on the corners. Smith against this unit will be the matchup to follow closely.

Ohio State, nonetheless, should be able to avoid the upset and keep the ball rolling, coming back from Iowa City with a victory.

Dylan Buganski: Ohio State 24, Iowa 13

The last time Ohio State traveled to Kinnick Stadium to face the Kirk Ferentz-led Hawkeyes, the Buckeyes did not fare well. As I do not see this game being the prettiest victory for coach Ryan Day, it should look a lot different than what occurred on Nov. 4, 2017, when Iowa handed Ohio State its biggest loss in the last century.

This should be the biggest test of consistency up to this point for quarterback Julian Sayin and this offense, as Iowa should do a much better job of keeping track of Jeremiah Smith and make Sayin able to spread the ball around to other weapons and test the offensive line in establishing a run game.

Offensively, Ohio State’s defense should be able to stutter Iowa's attack. Iowa’s run game has struggled against Power 5 opponents, but so has Ohio State’s run defense. That will be a battle to watch. Also, Iowa’s offense benefits greatly from creating big-play opportunities and the Buckeyes gave up many to Illinois at home last weekend.

I expect a gritty game that stays within one score heading into the fourth quarter, with Ohio State scoring early in the fourth to make it two scores, and the defense should put up a strong showing down the stretch to give Ohio State its first ranked win of the season.

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