We expected it to be bad, and it was.
We expected it to be ugly at times, and it was.
We expected the defense to over-perform, and — while there was still gas in its tank — it did.
All that was yet to be seen was how Iowa would go about spending those sixty minutes on the field with third-ranked Ohio State, and, well, it sure was something. 54-10 is your final score, the most Kirk Ferentz has given up in a game in his 22 years here, and Iowa's awfully lucky it wasn't worse.
IOWA DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN@HawkeyeFootball takes the lead! pic.twitter.com/1w3uCvvf7t
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 22, 2022
The lone highlight of the game came in the first quarter, when Joe Evans swooped inside on a stunt, popped CJ Stroud and jarred the bar loose, then ran it in for a score that game Iowa a 7-3 lead. That least lasted all of 4:45, as Stroud and the Buckeyes drove for a go-ahead touchdown and a lead that Iowa's offense simply could not challenge.
In fact, Ohio State started six drives in Iowa territory, thanks to Iowa's rotten, mistake-happy offense, and that doesn't include a nightmarish pick-six late in the second quarter that pushed the Buckeye lead to 26-10. Defense may win championships, but the Ferentz offense took care of this L all on its own.
Spencer Petras threw an inexcusable interception on the first snap of the game, coughed up a fumble on the next drive, threw the aforementioned pick-six, and was relieved of his duties at halftime in a 6-for-14, 49-yard outing. And lest we believe a more permanent change is incoming, Alex Padilla fumbled the snap away on his first snap of the game, and threw a howler of a pick on his next drive. At that point, of course, the game was well and truly over anyway.
Iowa committed five turnovers on the day, not including a failed 4th down conversion when Tory Taylor went rogue on a punt and attempted — unsuccessfully — to run for a first down without anyone else on the team blocking for him. Iowa went 1-for-4 on 4th down conversions overall today, which while miserable next to Ohio State's 2-for-2, still marks the first time all season that the Hawkeyes converted a fourth down. They were the last FBS team in the nation to do so.
With an offense, we can compete with any program in the nation..Its just that offense bro.
— Jaleel Johnson (@leellxvii) October 22, 2022
Of course, the last time these two teams played, Iowa beat Ohio State 55-24. People forget that, but the Buckeyes didn't. Ryan Day kept his starters in until just 5 1/2 minutes remained in the fourth quarter, even running a 4th down play in the red zone so Stroud could end up with his fourth touchdown pass of the day. Style points rule the day in Heisman races and playoff voting, after all. If it embarrasses Iowa, okay, it should. If it lights some sort of fire in the players, that's positive, but you shouldn't need to get drilled at the Shoe for sixty minutes to start caring about your season.
But if this is the impetus for wide, sweeping change in how this program is operated — the bright and unmistakeable neon sign that it's not 1983 between the sidelines anymore and that it's not fair to these 85 kids that their college careers are being held hostage on account of whatever Kirk is trying to accomplish with his kids — then we almost owe Ohio State some gratitude.
Almost.
Onward to Northwestern, fellow sickos.
