Big Ten Announces Marquee Ohio State-Iowa Kickoff Time, TV Channel for Week 5

On Monday, the conference office released more details ahead of a Week 5 clash between Ohio State and Iowa.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day motions during the NCAA football game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Sept. 19, 2026. Ohio State won 59-3. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Big Ten play begins this Saturday when the No. 7-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes rematch the Illinois Fighting Illini (2-1) to round out a four-game September stretch.

Beginning in October, the in-conference competition intensifies when the Buckeyes travel to Iowa City and Kinnick Stadium to play the Iowa Hawkeyes, who moved up one spot in this week's AP Poll to No. 17 ahead of a marquee matchup with the No. 16-ranked Michigan Wolverines (2-0) this Saturday (CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET).

For back-to-back weeks, the Hawkeyes (3-0) will be featured in the 3:30 p.m. ET window, which includes their Oct. 3 date with the Buckeyes (2-1) in both teams' second league game.

3:30 in Iowa City ⏰ pic.twitter.com/kehCN4chTk

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 21, 2026

Ohio State and Iowa have played a long-standing series spanning 20 games since 1989. In the last 10 head-to-head meetings, the Buckeyes are 8-2. Their last matchup in Iowa City was a forgettable one, a 55-24 loss in Nov. 2017 before Ryan Day succeeded Urban Meyer as the team's coach two seasons later.

Iowa-Ohio State Has Rich Big Ten History

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, left, shakes hands with Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz after a NCAA football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

That said, the Hawkeyes have maintained a level of consistency few Big Ten teams can match in stingy defense, bowl game appearances, and unshakability since the conference expanded to 18 schools ahead of the 2024 fall season.

Should the Buckeyes exit Kinnick Stadium with a would-be road win, their first of the season, it'd be the first time they would have defeated the Hawkeyes in that environment since the 2010-11 season where it secured a 20-17 triumph.

Since Ohio State's last road win against Iowa, it has maintained a 3-1 head-to-head record, with the Buckeyes prevailing in Oct. 2024 in a 35-7 drubbing in Columbus in the last matchup to date.

The Hawkeyes survived a scare in their 16-13 CyHawk win in Week 2 vs. their in-state rival Iowa State Cyclones, while shutting out non-conference opponents Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa by a combined score of 95-0.

Like the Hawkeyes, minus their Week 2 blemish against the Texas Longhorns, the Buckeyes have been in cruise control against the Ball State Cardinals and Kent State Golden Flashes. In both games, Ohio State surpassed 50 points in both victories while giving up only six points combined.

With more challenges on the horizon, it's a good first test to see where Day and Kirk Ferentz are at, much less whether the Buckeyes can handle a challenging road environment that has plagued them in previous years.

In 12 days, we'll soon find out.